"Wear Safety Shoes and Goggles Like This" ... Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency Distributes Guide for Safe Protective Gear Use

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] “Wear safety shoes and safety glasses like this.”

The Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency's Industrial Safety and Health Certification Institute has produced and distributed an additional guide titled “Safety Shoes and Safety Glasses Wearing Guide” as part of the ‘Safe Protective Gear Wearing Guide’ OPL (One Point Lesson) series to promote the safe and proper use of protective equipment and prevent the use of uncertified products.

It has been reported that recently, in industrial sites, cases have occurred where workers of various genders and ages use protective gear that does not fit their physical conditions for the work purpose, or use uncertified products without guaranteed safety performance, threatening safety.

The Industrial Safety and Health Certification Institute has created materials consisting of essential items that users must know, such as safety certification marks, usage methods, and precautions for ‘industrial safety shoes and safety glasses,’ and is distributing them to industrial sites.

This material includes content on selecting the appropriate capacity and grade suitable for the work purpose when purchasing protective gear, and checking the KCs safety certification that guarantees safety and protective performance.

The KCs safety certification status and capacity/grade information can be confirmed by checking the ‘Safety Certification Mark’ or on the Industrial Safety and Health Certification Institute’s website.

The material introduces that when selecting safety shoes and safety glasses, industrial safety shoes should be chosen appropriately not only for protection against falling objects, impact, or puncture but also for additional functions such as water resistance, electric shock prevention, and hazardous chemical protection.

For industrial safety glasses, it emphasizes selecting the shading grade suitable for the work purpose and harmful light, and checking that the lens surface has no bubbles, foaming, or holes before use.

Director Kim Young-tae said, “We are distributing this to about 4,400 places including construction and manufacturing businesses with over 100 employees and certified product manufacturers, and it can also be checked on the agency’s website.”