Two Workers Hospitalized After Suspected Chemical Exposure at SK hynix Cheongju Campus

Two workers at the SK hynix Cheongju Campus were exposed to toxic chemicals and transported to the hospital.

According to SK hynix, at around 3:58 p.m. on June 10, two workers moving equipment at SK hynix Cheongju 4 Campus came into contact with a liquid suspected to be tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), a highly toxic chemical. The workers were taken to the hospital, and it was reported that they did not show any unusual symptoms at the time of transport.

SK hynix Cheongju Plant M15 Factory.

TMAH is a strong alkaline chemical widely used in the cleaning and developing processes of silicon wafers in semiconductor and display manufacturing. It can cause severe damage if it comes into contact with skin, eyes, or the respiratory tract, and even simple skin contact can be fatal.

The relevant authorities suspect that TMAH leaked from the equipment the workers were transporting and have responded accordingly. However, initial component tests reportedly did not detect any toxic substances.

The authorities are investigating the exact circumstances, considering the possibility that TMAH may have mixed with moisture and dripped out during the transport process of equipment that had been washed but not fully dried.

This is not the first accident at the SK hynix Cheongju site. Earlier, on June 1, a fire broke out in the gas room on the sixth floor connecting the M15 and M15X factories within the SK hynix Cheongju 4 Campus, causing a minor fluorine leak. On May 27, sparks from semiconductor processing equipment in the M11 factory led to staff evacuating for about an hour.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.