"Risk of Major Accident"... Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Begins Inspection of Shin-Kori Units 5 and 6

Subcontractors Halt Work at Shin-Kori Units 5 and 6 Site
(Ulsan=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Yongtae = Subcontractors involved in the construction of Shin-Kori Units 5 and 6 at the Saewool Nuclear Power Headquarters have stopped work starting from the 18th, citing damages caused by the implementation of the 52-hour workweek system. On the afternoon of the 19th, the construction site of Shin-Kori Units 5 and 6 in Seosaeng-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan City, is visible. 2021.11.19
yongtae@yna.co.kr
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[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Junhyung] Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) is strengthening inspections of nuclear power plants in preparation for the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

According to KHNP on the 6th, President Jeong Jaehoon will visit the construction site of Shin-Kori Units 5 and 6 located in Ulju-gun, Ulsan City around the 15th of this month. This visit is a follow-up measure to the special safety inspection meeting held on the 19th of last month, chaired by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. President Jeong plans to inspect high-risk facilities and the operation status of safety management systems at the Shin-Kori Units 5 and 6 construction site, which reached a progress rate of 74.82% as of the end of last month. Earlier, on the 3rd, President Jeong visited Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk to check the maintenance status.

The reason President Jeong personally conducted on-site inspections at nuclear power plants is due to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which was enacted on the 27th of last month. The Act stipulates that if a serious accident occurs at a workplace with 50 or more workers resulting in one or more fatalities, the management responsible can be punished. If it is confirmed that safety obligations were violated during a serious accident, the management responsible may face imprisonment for more than one year or a fine of up to 1 billion KRW.

This is also why President Jeong held an ‘Industrial Safety Advisory Video Conference’ gathering experts from various fields on the day he visited Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2. During this meeting, President Jeong shared various ideas with experts to prevent serious accidents. KHNP plans to utilize the ideas discussed that day to enhance on-site safety in the future.

On the 3rd, Jeong Jae-hoon, President of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, visited Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 (right). [Photo by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power]

KHNP has also designated a special emphasis period for serious accident prevention in preparation for the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. The emphasis period runs from the 17th of last month to April 16th of this year. During this period, KHNP will focus on safety management activities such as on-site inspections led by President Jeong. Additionally, KHNP has strengthened support for partner companies and the management system for temporary entrants to prevent serious accidents. A representative example is supporting the cost of safety and health management system certification to help build safety infrastructure for partner companies. Workplace familiarization training has also been made mandatory for all temporary entrants within nuclear power plants.

Safety management systems for on-site workers, such as the Safety Commitment Self-Diagnosis system, have also been established. KHNP on-site workers can directly confirm their own safety through checklists before being deployed to work. The ‘Safety Call’ system is also in operation. Safety Call is a system that allows anyone to request a work stoppage if they discover latent safety hazards at the work site. KHNP plans to expand incentives for excellent safety management cases and apply a zero-tolerance policy to workers who violate essential safety rules.

President Jeong stated, “Safety is a value that must be prioritized above all else,” and added, “We will create a workplace where not only KHNP employees but also partner company employees can safely return home just as they arrived at work.”

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