Experienced Field Workers Can Now Be Appointed as Safety Managers... Easing Workforce Shortages

'Enforcement Decree of the Industrial Safety and Health Act' Amendment Notice
Extension of Construction Safety Manager Training until 2025

From now on, individuals with more than 5 years of practical experience in non-construction industries who have completed safety manager training for the construction industry will be eligible to be appointed as safety managers in small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on the 30th that it will publicly notify the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, which includes this content, until December 9.

According to the Industrial Safety and Health Act, workplaces with 50 or more regular employees (construction amount of 5 billion KRW or more) must appoint a safety manager. The safety manager assists the employer or the person responsible for safety and health management in technical matters related to safety, such as risk assessment, selection of qualified products when purchasing safety-certified machinery, and workplace inspections, and provides guidance and advice to supervisors. However, due to the recent increase in demand for safety management personnel, small and medium-sized enterprises have faced difficulties in securing safety management personnel with field experience.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Employment and Labor decided to extend the construction industry safety manager training, which was planned to be temporarily operated until 2023, until 2025 through the amendment of the related enforcement decree. In addition, a basis was established allowing individuals with more than 5 years of practical experience in non-construction industries who have completed the training to be appointed as safety managers in small and medium-sized enterprises.

Furthermore, when two or more construction projects are carried out at the same location, to prevent industrial accidents caused by mixed work, the qualification for appointing a safety and health coordinator will be expanded from 'Construction Safety Engineer/Technician' to include 'Industrial Safety Engineer/Technician qualification holders.'

Ryu Kyung-hee, Director of the Industrial Safety and Health Headquarters at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, said, "Through this amendment, we aim to sufficiently train safety management personnel with field experience to help small and medium-sized enterprises secure safety management personnel, and to resolve the issue of qualification equity by including Industrial Safety Engineers and Technicians, who have the capability to perform safety management tasks at construction sites but have not been eligible to be appointed as safety and health coordinators." He added, "Along with training field safety managers, we plan to prepare a 'Safety Management Personnel Operation Guide' considering industry type, work process, and workplace size to support the strengthening of safety management capabilities in small and medium-sized enterprises."