Strengthening Safety Supervision Before the Serious Accident Punishment Act... Investigation of Headquarters Budget and Personnel

Simultaneous Headquarters and Site Supervision for Consecutive Construction Fatalities
Increased Pressure on Headquarters... "Verification of Safety Management Budget and Personnel Support"
Headquarters President and Safety Officers Also Subject to Criminal Punishment

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Ahead of the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (Serious Accidents Act) next year, the government is increasing the level of supervision over construction-related fatal accidents. If a worker dies at a site, the headquarters will also be subject to government supervision. Presidents, safety officers, and other executives will also be subject to criminal punishment. The Serious Accidents Act will be enforced from January 27, next year for companies with 50 or more employees, and from January 27, 2024 for companies with 5 to 49 employees.

On the 25th, the government announced the "2021 Measures to Reduce Industrial Accident Fatalities" containing these details. The core point is that if a construction company experiences fatal accidents for two consecutive years, and another fatal accident occurs at its construction site, the government will simultaneously supervise the headquarters and all nationwide sites affiliated with the headquarters. Approximately 8,000 large-scale construction sites with a construction cost of 10 billion KRW or more, operated by construction companies ranked 200th or lower in construction order, are subject to this supervision.

Management plans for 'small to medium scale' sites costing between 100 million KRW and 10 billion KRW, and 'micro-scale' sites costing less than 100 million KRW were also disclosed. Among approximately 110,000 small to medium scale construction sites, those operated by companies that had fatal accidents within the last three years, and sites supervised by technical guidance institutions with lower ratings will be subject to intensive surprise patrol supervision. For about 150,000 micro-scale construction sites, financial support for safety facility purchases and rentals will be expanded from 65% to 80%.

Labor inspectors from the Ministry of Employment and Labor's Industrial Safety Division and six regional offices (Seoul, Jungbu, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon) will conduct the supervision. Since regional labor inspectors have the authority of Special Judicial Police (Special Police), they can refer cases to the prosecution if safety and health measures under the Industrial Safety and Health Act (SanAn Act) are not properly implemented at the supervision sites. During headquarters investigations, the adequacy of safety management budgets and personnel support will be verified.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, when the Serious Accidents Act is enforced next year, the enforcement decree is expected to include provisions related to the "establishment of safety and health systems." After the law passes, the government will have the authority to impose criminal penalties on company presidents and safety management executives. Around July to August, the enforcement decree will specify the concrete systems that management must establish.

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