Strengthening Safety at 490 Port Cargo Handling Sites... 'Port Safety Special Act' to Take Effect from Tomorrow

Reference photo_Pyeongtaek Port container. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Dongwoo Lee] The Port Safety Special Act, established to strengthen safety management at ports, will be fully enforced.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 3rd that the Port Safety Special Act will be fully implemented starting from the 4th. Accordingly, 490 port cargo handling sites nationwide must establish their own safety plans and obtain approval from the port management authority by the end of this year.

Ports are industrial sites where intensive 24-hour operations are conducted according to ship arrival and departure schedules, involving various workers. However, due to these unique characteristics, there have been concerns that safety management under the Industrial Safety and Health Act has limitations.

In response, the government enacted the "Port Safety Special Act" in August last year, which requires port cargo handling operators to establish and implement safety management plans covering all operations and workers within their jurisdiction, from cargo handling to loading and transportation. In June this year, the government prepared and distributed standardized self-safety management plans according to port types to prepare for the law's enforcement.

The Port Safety Special Act mandates the deployment of port safety inspectors at each port to approve safety management plans and ensure their proper implementation through inspections. Additionally, public officials belonging to the port management authority and employees of port corporations are designated as port safety inspection personnel to support the duties of the port safety inspectors.

A port safety council, consisting of labor, management, and government representatives from the port logistics industry, will be formed at each port to discuss necessary measures for preventing safety accidents. Safety education for port workers is also made mandatory. Participants in port transportation businesses must provide education to their workers on work content, safety rules, and hazards within the port.

Deputy Minister Sanggeun Song of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries stated, "We will manage to ensure that the Port Safety Special Act is properly implemented on site," adding, "All workers entering and exiting ports must thoroughly understand and comply with the self-safety management plans and safety rules of their respective workplaces. We ask for your great interest and cooperation."

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