POSCO, Rapid Implementation of Special Safety Management Measures

[Asia Economy Reporter Park So-yeon] POSCO has decided to re-investigate hazardous work from the ground up and swiftly implement a high-intensity special safety management plan.

On the 2nd, POSCO announced a special plan to prevent the recurrence of safety accidents.

POSCO will implement three main measures: ▲an additional investment of 1 trillion won over the next three years ▲doubling the number of safety management personnel and operating an emergency safety disaster improvement team ▲establishing a Safety Technology University to enhance the safety capabilities of all employees, including affiliates.

With an investment of 1 trillion won, POSCO plans to conduct a full inspection of hazardous and aging facilities and install multiple safety protection devices according to the risk level of the equipment. Additionally, manual valves on hazardous equipment will be automated, and preventive and proactive safety facilities will be reinforced, such as installing additional safety management CCTVs to prevent work in unsafe conditions. For hazardous work groups, training infrastructure will be established to simulate work situations in advance to prevent safety accidents. This additional investment is separate from the 1.1 trillion won safety investment announced in May 2018.

Furthermore, the number of safety management personnel who can identify and manage direct safety risk factors will be doubled from 300 to 600, and an emergency safety disaster improvement team led by the head of the steel division will be operated. The improvement team will prioritize inspections of gas handling and confined spaces and conduct overlapping risk inspections across other plants to focus on risk discovery. The team will also conduct frequent site patrols to check for discrepancies between work standards and actual work and take corrective actions. Additionally, a safety reporting system for partner companies will be introduced to encourage continuous reporting of safety non-compliance.

POSCO also announced plans to establish a Safety Technology University to enhance safety awareness and capabilities. The newly established university will provide safety education not only to POSCO employees but also to all employees of affiliates, including partner companies. Specifically, it will operate safety certification systems by job group and position, and advanced industrial safety education courses for those appointed to positions. A professional teaching staff will be formed through cooperation with major domestic safety institutions. Along with education for all employees, 300 process risk management experts for steelworks will be trained to strengthen process safety management capabilities at workplaces. Furthermore, safety technologies reflecting the characteristics of steel processes will be developed, and advanced safety management techniques from global manufacturers will be actively researched and introduced.

A POSCO official stated, "Despite continuous investment in safety facilities and improvements in safety management systems and operations, we recognize the recurrence of safety accidents very seriously and plan to implement a more strengthened special safety management plan actively." He added, "Once the investigation by related agencies into the oxygen pipework accident at the Gwangyang Steelworks is completed, we will prepare and implement additional measures reflecting the investigation results."

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