Worker Deaths as 'Serious Accidents' Are Prevented by Us... Busan University of Science and Technology Signs Family Company Agreement with Major Construction Firms

Entering a Project to Train Construction Site Safety Managers in Accordance with the 'Serious Accident Punishment Act'

On the 8th, Busan Institute of Science and Technology signed a family company agreement with the Yeongnam Branch Managers Association of major construction companies, aiming to cultivate disaster safety experts.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Busan Institute of Science and Technology has entered a project to train experts in construction site safety.

Amid social issues related to industrial accidents such as the ‘Serious Accidents Punishment Act’ implemented this year, the university has joined hands with major construction companies to nurture safety experts.

On the 8th, Busan Institute of Science and Technology announced that it signed a family company agreement with the Yeongnam Branch Managers Association of major construction companies in the university’s main conference room, aiming to train disaster safety experts.

This agreement with the Department of Disaster Safety Systems at the university is designed to cultivate industrial safety and disaster safety experts in line with the mandatory placement of safety management departments and specialized personnel at each construction site in preparation for the government-promoted ‘Serious Accidents Punishment Act.’

The ‘Serious Accidents Punishment Act’ is a law that imposes “imprisonment for one year or more or a fine of up to 1 billion KRW” on business owners and management officials if an industrial accident causing one or more deaths occurs due to violation of safety and health obligations, and “imprisonment for up to seven years or a fine of up to 100 million KRW” for injuries and illnesses.

It is a law that increases the level of punishment compared to the Industrial Safety and Health Act, which was fully revised and enforced from January 16, 2020.

Enacted on January 26, 2021, and to be applied gradually from January next year, this law urgently requires the training of specialized personnel with safety management certifications such as disaster safety managers, industrial safety managers, and construction safety managers.

About ten officials attended the event, including President Kang Ki-sung, Lee Young-gu, chairman of the Yeongnam Branch Managers Association (GS Construction Branch Manager), Kim Hong-seon, secretary general (DL Construction Branch Manager), Kim Young-hak, Halla Branch Manager, Kim Jae-kwon, Lotte Construction Branch Manager, and Hong Yong-guk, Hanjin Heavy Industries Branch Manager.

They signed the agreement on contents such as △field training and employment of students from the Department of Disaster Safety Systems △opening and education of industry-commissioned safety management classes for construction site workers.

The Yeongnam Branch Managers Association and the Department of Disaster Safety Systems at Busan Institute of Science and Technology, the only department specializing in disaster safety in the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam regions, promised to give priority employment to graduates with relevant qualifications. They also pledged human and material support to establish a specialized education system.

In addition, to enhance the safety management capabilities of on-site workers at each construction company, they decided to open industry-commissioned classes within the university.

The Yeongnam Branch Managers Association of major construction companies is a comprehensive management and supervision consultative body composed of branch managers from 11 leading domestic construction companies in the Yeongnam region, including GS Construction, DL Construction (formerly Daelim Construction), Hyundai Construction, Hanwha Construction, Daewoo Construction, KCC Construction, and Kolon Global.

Professor Lee Hong-ju (Head of the Department of Disaster Safety Systems) said, “South Korea holds the unfortunate distinction of having one of the highest industrial accident fatality rates among OECD member countries,” adding, “With 882 workers dying from industrial accidents as of 2020 and the number increasing every year, universities and major construction companies plan to cooperate to train disaster safety experts to overcome this reality.”

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