"Prevent Serious Accidents"... Government Appoints 'Joint Safety Managers' for Companies with Fewer Than 50 Employees

Implementation of Business in April
Labor Cost Support for Hiring 600 People This Year
Focused on Small-Scale and High-Risk Industries

The government will implement a 'Joint Safety Manager' support project to address the shortage of safety professionals in small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. This year, a total of 600 Joint Safety Managers will be appointed to provide practical financial support for safety management, focusing on small-scale workplaces and high-risk industries.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on the 19th that the Joint Safety Manager support project will be launched in April, and applications from employer organizations will be accepted until the 22nd of next month.

The newly introduced Joint Safety Manager support project this year aims to assist small businesses that face difficulties hiring safety and health experts due to labor cost burdens.

On the 6th, during the 13th plenary session of the Economic, Social and Labor Council held in the Gyeongsanowi meeting room in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Lee Jeong-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, is speaking. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

Employer organizations such as cooperatives or associations by region and industry, and industrial complex management corporations, can hire qualified safety managers, who will then be jointly utilized by member companies.

The appointed Joint Safety Managers will belong to associations or organizations and provide continuous management and in-depth consulting to workplaces. The Ministry of Employment and Labor expects that, by understanding the specific characteristics of each industry, they will help conduct practical risk assessments and establish disaster prevention measures.

The government plans to support the labor costs of a total of 600 Joint Safety Managers for employer organizations this year, up to 2.5 million KRW per month for a maximum of eight months. Additionally, manuals and training for job performance will be provided to the Joint Safety Managers, and education as well as financial and technical support will be simultaneously offered to participating workplaces.

Before the project launch, the Ministry of Employment and Labor will encourage participation from various industries and organizations by holding five regional project briefing sessions, starting with a nationwide briefing on the 14th, followed by sessions in Gwangmyeong on the 19th, Daejeon on the 21st, Daegu on the 26th, Gwangju on the 28th, and Changwon on the 29th.

Ryu Kyung-hee, Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Headquarters at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, stated, "We plan to promote various support projects to strengthen the safety management capabilities of small-scale workplaces," adding, "To enhance the project's outcomes, we will continue on-site monitoring and maintain close cooperation with related organizations."

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