Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority Takes Initiative to Foster a Safe Port Safety Culture

Awarded the Safety Quality Innovation Grand Prize... Achieved Zero Accidents This Year
Introduced and Operated Safety and Security Drones... Received Port Security Excellence Award

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority has decided to actively establish the paradigm of ‘safety management’ this year to achieve accident-free ports and spread a culture of safety.

On the 21st, according to Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority (President Cha Min-sik, hereinafter referred to as the Authority), the Authority obtained KOSHA-MS certification from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency after undergoing two certification audits and on-site inspections last year.

To this end, the Authority has made various efforts such as establishing a Safety and Security Office, providing customized safety services for port workers, operating the National Safety Reporting Center, and conducting drone activities (SFFP, Safety First Flying Patrol) for port safety and security.

In particular, to strengthen the safety and human rights of port workers, establish the principle of safety first, and systematically manage and implement port safety accident prevention activities, the Yeosu Gwangyang Port Safety Labor Council and Safety Management Committee were formed with the participation of nine port-related institutions and business organizations, and a business agreement was signed.

These institutions discussed important matters at port workplaces, promoted port safety, conducted safety education, and carried out various safety activities together such as regular analysis, sharing, and establishment of preventive measures for workplace safety accidents, and joint on-site inspections.

This year, the Authority plans to further strive to achieve accident-free ports and spread a culture of safety by stipulating detailed implementation policies and standards related to safety and health policies in the employer’s autonomous management policy and periodically reviewing safety and health plans.

Cho Sung-rae, head of the Safety and Security Office, said, “There are countless safety hazards at port sites, so the possibility of safety accidents always exists,” and added, “All institutions in the Safety Labor Council will devote themselves to on-site safety management by introducing policies suitable for the site to prevent safety accidents.”

The Authority’s efforts to improve safety quality are also remarkable.

The Authority reflected safety and health policies in the autonomous management policy, codified detailed implementation policies and standards, and established an autonomous safety and health system that self-evaluates the execution results of safety and health plans periodically and improves them.

Along with this, the Yeosu Gwangyang Port Safety Reporting Center, which works together with the public, was opened to preemptively eliminate safety hazards, and the aging Nakpo Pier was designated as a special safety management area to ensure thorough safety management, making every effort to prevent safety accidents.

As a result, the Authority won the Grand Prize for ‘Quality Safety Love Safety Quality Innovation Award’ hosted by the Korea Innovation Research Institute and the Korean Society for Quality Management.

In the security field, the Authority established a plan to train drone operators, introduced one safety and security drone (SFFP), and built a three-dimensional surveillance system (ground and air) for port security and safety accident prevention activities, moving away from conventional flat surveillance such as monitoring suspicious ship berthing and security fence surroundings.

In particular, last year, two additional port-specialized drones (equipped with thermal cameras and broadcasting speakers) were introduced to expand the operational range of drones within the port, and the Authority won the ‘Excellence Award’ at the Port Security Best Practice Competition hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Cha Min-sik, president of YGPA, said, “Along with supplementing actual response manuals in the safety and security fields, we will actively utilize ICT technologies such as port drones in disaster situations to contribute to zero security incidents.”

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