Paper and Pulp Industry: "Workplace Safety is the Company's Competitiveness"

Korea Paper Association to Hold '2020 Paper and Pulp Industry Safety and Health Conference' in Daejeon on the 23rd

The photo shows the heads of the businesses selected as the '2019 Excellent Safety Management Workplaces' posing together with Chairman Kim Seok-man (third from the left).
[Photo by Korea Paper Association]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] The Korea Paper Association held the '2020 Paper and Pulp Industry Safety and Health Conference' on the 23rd in Daejeon.

As the first event held in the paper industry, about 50 safety managers from major paper plants nationwide attended the event, which featured various programs including the announcement of outstanding safety management workplaces, the announcement of winning entries in the Paper Family Safety Wish Letter Contest, presentations of excellent safety management cases, and expert lectures.

Recently, 'safety' and 'health' have become very important contemporary issues following the full enforcement of the Industrial Safety and Health Act ('20.1.16), which significantly strengthened safety regulations at industrial sites, and the proposal of the 'Serious Accident Corporate Punishment Act' containing obligations for hazard and risk prevention, obligations for contractors, and more stringent penalties. In particular, the paper and pulp industry has been proactively seeking countermeasures due to the characteristic that, although the frequency of accidents is lower compared to other manufacturing industries, the severity of accidents is high.

The Paper Association decided last year to form and operate the 'Paper and Pulp Safety Standing Council' composed of safety managers from major paper plants nationwide, to investigate and analyze accident statistics annually at the industry-wide level, to produce and distribute the 'Research Report on Measures to Reduce Serious Accidents in Workplaces,' and to dispatch overseas inspection teams.

The 2019 outstanding safety management workplaces included Murim P&P Co., Ltd. Ulsan Plant, Murim SP Co., Ltd. Daegu Plant, Yuhan-Kimberly Gimcheon Plant, Taelim Paper Co., Ltd. Ansan Plant, and Hansol Paper Co., Ltd. Daejeon Plant, all of which had no industrial accidents.

Chairman Kim Seok-man said in his opening remarks, "An era has come when workplace safety becomes a company's competitiveness," and urged, "I ask the Safety Standing Council to take the lead in lowering the accident rate at workplaces."

Meanwhile, the Paper Association plans to produce and distribute a video and pamphlet titled 'Guide to Preventing the Four Major Malignant Accidents in Paper and Pulp' as part of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency's safety culture dissemination contest project.