"Industrial Accident Prevention, Need to Reform Administrative Operation System Beyond Punishment"

KCCI Releases Related Status Report
"Lessons Must Be Learned from Advanced Countries' Cases"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] Despite the relatively low level of punishment for industrial accident deaths, a claim has emerged that it is necessary to seek a desirable direction for South Korea's industrial accident prevention administrative system by understanding the actual conditions of major advanced countries (the UK, Germany, the US, Japan) where the proportion of accidental deaths is low.

The Korea Employers Federation (KEF) announced on the 19th a survey report titled "Problems and Reform Directions of South Korea's Industrial Accident Prevention Administrative System Based on Cases from Major Advanced Countries."

The report compared and analyzed five areas of each country: ▲industrial safety and health regulatory methods, ▲industrial accident prevention administrative organizations and policy decision structures, ▲administrative organization operation (supervision) methods, ▲strengthening human capacity of administrative organizations, and ▲major strategies for industrial safety and health.

Based on the survey results, KEF suggested the following reform directions for South Korea's industrial accident prevention administrative system.

First, regarding industrial safety and health regulatory methods, it emphasized that "it is difficult to effectively reduce accidental deaths by continuously strengthening regulations and punishments on companies," and "the Industrial Safety and Health Act system should be restructured to promote voluntary industrial accident prevention activities by companies, as in major advanced countries, and detailed regulations suitable for the characteristics of each industry should be established in subordinate legislation."

It also stated that "it is necessary to shift to a prevention-centered regulatory approach that recognizes the safety management methods chosen by companies during workplace supervision or prioritizes improvement measures when violations of the law are detected."

Regarding industrial accident prevention administrative organizations and policy decision structures, it advised that "a unified industrial accident prevention administrative organization system should be established (tentatively named the Industrial Safety and Health Agency), as in major advanced countries, and the policy decision process should be improved so that companies' opinions can be sufficiently reflected from the early stages of policy formulation."

For administrative organization operation methods, it emphasized that "instead of focusing solely on expanding organizations and increasing personnel, supervision standards and supervisor evaluation systems that help improve workplace environments and enhance the effectiveness of reducing industrial accidents should be established."

Regarding strengthening human capacity of administrative organizations, it said, "A separate recruitment, personnel (examination and promotion), and education and training system for industrial safety supervisors should be established to recruit and train industrial safety supervisors who can be trusted by companies and enhance their expertise."

Finally, concerning major strategies for industrial safety and health, it stated, "Customized prevention policy activities considering industry characteristics should be strengthened, and effective and comprehensive prevention strategies should be established through research and accident investigations based on expertise."

Im Wootaek, head of KEF's Safety and Health Headquarters, said, "South Korea has become a country that introduced stronger regulations and punishment laws than advanced countries through the complete revision of the Industrial Safety and Health Act (2019) and the enactment of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (2021), but the effect on reducing industrial accidents is still minimal," adding, "The core of preventing serious accidents lies not in punishment absolutism but in establishing and operating an effective industrial accident prevention administrative system, and South Korea must quickly transform into an advanced country-type prevention organization."

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