Establishing Safety Standards for University Laboratories... Promoting Amendment of Industrial Accident Insurance Law

The 3rd Social Relations Ministers' Meeting Held
Revising Safety Management Standards for Non-STEM Research Labs
Expanding Industrial Accident Insurance Enrollment and Developing Safety Mutual Aid Insurance

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The government is establishing safety management standards for university laboratories and supporting legal amendments to mandate industrial accident insurance enrollment for researchers.

On the 9th, the Ministry of Education announced at the 3rd Social Relations Ministers' Meeting held at the Government Sejong Complex that it will implement a comprehensive safety management plan for university laboratories.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye stated, "We will establish standards necessary for the installation and maintenance of laboratories, manage compliance on-site through joint government inspections, and expand support through laboratory infrastructure projects. We will amend the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act to ensure that those engaged in research activities can receive industrial accident insurance benefits, and expand the coverage of laboratory safety insurance to create a thorough safety net where gaps exist."

Support for Legal Amendments to Mandate Industrial Accident Insurance Enrollment for Researchers

The government plans to develop detailed implementation guidelines in preparation for the enforcement of the "Standards for Installation and Operation of Laboratories" in 2023, and will pursue additional legislative revisions to strengthen enforcement, including imposing fines for violations of mandatory compliance items.

It also intends to actively support amendments to the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act to mandate industrial accident insurance enrollment for those engaged in research activities. For areas not currently covered by industrial accident insurance, compensation limits for medical expenses will be raised, and the coverage period and scope will be expanded.

Safety management for non-STEM laboratories, such as those in arts and physical education fields, will be conducted according to the "Safety and Maintenance Standards for Educational Facilities" under the Educational Facilities Act, with related regulations revised within the first half of the year.

The government will develop laboratory safety mutual aid insurance to expand enrollment to non-STEM laboratories, establish a safety support center to strengthen safety management and response capabilities for non-STEM laboratories, and enhance the functions of the National Research Safety Management Headquarters for STEM laboratories.

To increase the completion rate of safety education for laboratory safety managers and research activity personnel, the government will establish a basis in academic regulations and consider linking this with national R&D project applications and evaluations. On the same day, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT signed a memorandum of understanding to continue collaboration on laboratory safety management, including joint inspections and information sharing under this plan.

Expansion of Mental Health Safety Net for University Students

The Ministry of Education has prepared a "University Student Mental Health Support Plan" to support students facing psychological and emotional difficulties due to COVID-19 by building a systematic safety net in cooperation with external specialized institutions.

To detect high-risk groups early, mental health diagnostic tests will be conducted for first- and second-year students in the first half of the year, and selected students will be managed with tailored support in cooperation with regional mental health welfare centers.

For cases requiring more specialized support, in-depth diagnosis, counseling, and psychological treatment will be provided at "Hub University Student Counseling Clinics" in national university hospitals. After treatment, counseling and therapy support will be coordinated among schools, centers, and hospitals to facilitate students' return to school.

Administrative and financial support will be strengthened to enable universities to play a central role. Universities will be encouraged to prioritize the allocation of innovation support project funds for counseling staff salaries and program operation costs, and secure counseling personnel at a ratio of one per 1,000 enrolled students to meet counseling demand.

Guidelines will be prepared to introduce exemplary student counseling center operations and specialized institutions to universities, and an advisory committee will be formed within the Ministry of Education to supplement student mental health support policies.

One New Regional Innovation Platform of the 'Multiple-type' Selected

The "Regional Innovation Platform," promoted based on cooperation between local governments and universities, aims to nurture local talent and support employment, entrepreneurship, and settlement. This year, one new multiple-type platform will be selected, and existing single-type platforms will be supported to form alliances with other local governments and transition to multiple-type platforms.

Priority will be given to expanding multiple-type platforms to create synergy through cooperation and linkage among metropolitan local governments, and to spread the successful cooperation models of single-type platforms to other regions. Proposed project improvements or linkage plans by regional innovation platforms will be discussed and coordinated at the Local University Development Support Committee and the Social Relations Ministers' Meeting.

According to the "Act on the Promotion of Local Universities and Balanced Regional Talent Development," effective from June, specialized regions for higher education innovation will be designated in the second half of the year. Preliminary applications for projects will be accepted by March 9, project proposals by April 16, and final results will be announced in May.

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