Intensive Management of 'Red Zones' with Frequent Industrial Accident Deaths Until Year-End

Customized Supervision by Accident Type and Industry Implemented
'Regional' Supervision Also Strengthened... Full Effort to Reduce Fatal Accidents in Q4

Enhanced Inspection and Supervision of Local Government and Public Institution Construction Projects

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government has unveiled a plan to strengthen regional supervision in order to minimize industrial accident fatalities during the remaining three months of this year. In addition to mobilizing thousands of personnel nationwide to conduct biweekly inspections based on accident types (entrapment, falls) and industries (construction, manufacturing), the government plans to designate regions with frequent accidents over the past five years as "Red Zones" and manage them separately for two months starting next month. This is because 648 industrial accident deaths have already occurred from January to September this year, raising concerns about meeting the annual target of 705 deaths (a reduction of 177 from last year's 882).

On the morning of the 7th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor held an industrial safety supervision advisory meeting with labor, management, and academic experts to announce the fourth-quarter industrial safety supervision plan. The key point is that after the "intensive crackdown period" ending on the 30th of this month, the government will select and manage industrial accident death "Red Zones" for two months until the end of the year. Only regions with frequent fatal accidents over the past five years will be grouped and managed separately. During this period, inspections and supervision will be conducted considering the industries with frequent fatalities, business size, and risk factors in each region.

Local governments and public institutions will increase inspections and supervision of construction sites they have commissioned. This is due to an increase of about 20 industrial accident deaths compared to the previous year. From next month until the end of the year, local governments will conduct joint inspections focusing on construction projects under 5 billion KRW in regions with frequent fatalities, utilizing regional safety and health councils. Public institutions will inspect and supervise all commissioned construction projects regardless of size, including recent fatal accident sites such as railway construction.

Additionally, starting from July 14, the government will continue nationwide on-site inspection days focusing on compliance with the three major safety measures (fall prevention, entrapment prevention, and personal protective equipment usage) until the end of the year. Furthermore, in addition to the existing inspection items focusing on traditional risk factors, new risk factors causing frequent recent accidents, such as collisions involving bulldozers and other vehicle-type construction machinery, will be added. If it is found that the three major safety measures were not followed and a worker died due to collision with construction machinery like a bulldozer, the government will impose administrative and judicial measures.

Moreover, the Ministry of Employment and Labor will continue to apply the existing principle of repeatedly conducting inspections, supervision, and administrative and judicial actions on poor workplaces that do not comply with corrective measures until risk factors are improved.