The ‘e-Biorefinery Laboratory’ at the Gwangju Clean Energy Research Center of the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), led by President Yi Chang-keun, is accredited as the ‘Lab of Excellency in Safety Management’ for the year of 2023 by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), Republic of Korea.

The Lab of Excellence in Safety Management has been accredited annually by the Minister of the MSIT since 2013, when it started on a trial basis. It took root in 2016.

The e-Biorefinery Laboratory, led by Dr. Lee Soo Youn and Dr. Moon Myounghoonn, with Moon Sang June as the safety manager, aims to create an integrated process for producing valuable bio-chemicals from waste gases (greenhouse gases) and waste resources (organic wastes and biomass) using electrochemical biorefinery processes.

For lab safety management, the priority is the safety of the people inside. A variety of safety measures are conceived and implemented. In particular, these include methodically implementing a safety environment system, conducting regular safety inspections, making efforts to identify harmful or dangerous elements, providing appropriate safety education for the lab environment, and conducting emergency drills. For example, the office and laboratory spaces are separated. A gas safety facility is in place, chemicals and waste are being properly managed in accordance with regulations, and the electrical safety facility is improved.

Dr. Woo Jung-Je, the Director of the Gwangju Clean Energy Research Center from the KIER, stated that our efforts have been successful, thanks to KIER's systematic implementation of safety measures, the collaboration of researchers and safety managers, and personal commitment to following safety rules. He further stated that our commitment to fostering a culture of safety and maintaining a secure environment will remain steadfast, utilizing this accreditation as a driving force.

At the same time, the KIER has been actively promoting safety measures throughout the institute, including implementing KOSHA-MS and the Safety Golden Rules, encouraging internal reporting and suggestions, and identifying and addressing potential hazards in the labs. As a result, the KIER has been accredited for safety management excellence twice in 2018, three times in 2019, three times in 2020, five times in 2021, nine times in 2022, and nine times again in 2023.