[Reporter’s Notebook] Will Unannounced Inspections by Ministers Reduce Industrial Accidents?

Minister of Employment and Labor An Kyung-duk to Inspect Manufacturing Industry Pinching Accident Site on the 28th

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] On the 28th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor issued a press release stating that Minister An Kyung-duk visited a manufacturing site in Seoul to conduct a safety inspection aimed at preventing entrapment accidents. The minister personally visited the site in line with the government's unannounced 'On-site Inspection Day.'

Security was tight. The inspection location was not disclosed in advance. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, this is to maintain the purpose of unannounced inspections.

The ministry explained that the minister's surprise site visit aims "to guide small business owners to clearly recognize the causes of accidents and the government's key inspection items."

According to the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, among 272 entrapment fatal accidents in manufacturing from 2016 to 2019, 81.7% were caused by the absence of protective devices, misidentification by nearby workers, and sudden machine operation. Preventing these causes alone can reduce accidents by more than 80%.

However, does the minister's sudden visit to the site drastically reduce industrial accident fatalities? It is similar to a question of whether students can quickly solve previously unsolved homework when the principal, not the homeroom teacher, emphasizes "solve it from now on." The Ministry of Employment and Labor's stance is, "Wouldn't students be more alert if the principal inspects?"

Large workplaces where worker industrial accident fatalities have occurred have already undergone intensive labor supervision. They had to shut down workplaces and even completely change the group's management policies. Nevertheless, few expect a sharp decrease in fatalities due to industrial accidents this year.

On the On-site Inspection Day, not only the minister but also about 1,800 investigators inspect workplaces nationwide. If accidents do not decrease even after the minister's visit, the inspection may be criticized as a 'show inspection.' Rather than the minister pressuring workplaces through surprise visits, a system that allows experts to properly investigate accident causes seems urgently needed.