Minister Lee Jae-gap Visits Construction Site "Strengthening Safety Management... Reducing Industrial Accident Deaths"

Lee Jae-gap, Minister of Employment and Labor / Photo by Jin-hyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The Ministry of Employment and Labor is inspecting construction sites vulnerable to heavy rain and conducting preventive activities to reduce industrial accident deaths in the second half of the year.

On the 12th, Minister Lee Jae-gap of the Ministry of Employment and Labor visited a redevelopment new construction site located in Jung-gu, Seoul, followed by a meeting with six regional labor office chiefs, the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, and private industrial accident prevention organizations in the construction and manufacturing sectors.

Minister Lee toured an 8-meter-deep excavation site and heard from site officials about safety construction measures to prepare for collapses caused by heavy rain. He also checked fall protection measures such as safety railings and the appointment of safety managers.

Minister Lee stated, "As heavy rain is expected to continue, we are urging special safety management by identifying vulnerable sites in advance together with 49 regional offices and private disaster prevention organizations."

He added, "Safety management involving both contractors and subcontractors, and not only safety managers but everyone from site managers to workers, is an essential prerequisite for creating a safe workplace."

He also said, "For the rapid recovery of workplaces in areas declared special disaster zones due to concentrated heavy rain, and to stabilize employment and living conditions, we will implement immediate and proactive measures such as prioritizing clean workplace support, deferring industrial accident insurance payments, and extending the temporary interest-free loan period for construction workers."

Asia Economy DB=Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

At the meeting, Minister Lee said, "Since 2018, reducing industrial accident fatalities has been a core national agenda, and there have been certain achievements such as the complete revision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and reduction of fatal accidents. However, with the recent rainy season followed by expected heatwaves, any relaxation in vigilance could lead to the risk of major accidents at any time."

Regarding the government's policy direction for reducing fatal accidents in the second half of the year, the first step is to expand the industrial safety and health infrastructure through legal amendments. The plan is to revise the Occupational Safety and Health Act to increase the interest of companies and management in workplace safety and to impose heavier economic responsibilities on companies. Local governments will be tasked with establishing industrial accident prevention plans, education and publicity, and workplace guidance, with necessary support also being promoted.

Second, support will be provided for workplaces to autonomously carry out safety management, and management and supervision of workplaces will be strengthened. The government is currently supporting small and medium-sized workplaces with fall prevention facilities, fire and explosion accident prevention items, and close technical guidance. Next year, through the Safety Investment Innovation Project, efforts will be significantly strengthened to create a safe working environment, including replacing outdated hazardous machinery and equipment.

Autonomous improvement of workplaces will be maximally encouraged, and strict supervision will be enforced on poor-performing workplaces. Patrol inspections and supervision of small-scale construction sites will be expanded, and patrol inspections and supervision will be linked as a priority for poor workplaces reported by private industrial accident prevention organizations.

Minister Lee urged, "Regional employment and labor offices, the Safety and Health Agency, and private industrial accident prevention organizations must unite as one body and focus all administrative capabilities on safety and health management to ensure that not a single worker is injured anymore," adding, "I hope this meeting will serve as a driving force for reducing industrial accident fatalities in the second half of the year."

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