One in Three Companies with Fewer Than 50 Employees Does Not Conduct Risk Assessments

Government Announces Administrative Notice on Revised Guidelines for Workplace Risk Assessment

Starting next year, one out of three companies with fewer than 50 employees, to which the Serious Accident Punishment Act applies, does not conduct risk assessments.

On the 13th, the Korea Employers Federation (KEF) announced the results of a survey titled "Current Status of Risk Assessment Implementation and Directions for System Improvement," conducted on 359 domestic companies. According to the KEF survey, 30.1% of workplaces with fewer than 50 employees responded that they do not conduct risk assessments. In contrast, only about 3% of companies with 50 or more employees answered that they do not conduct such assessments.

Fifty-seven percent of the responding companies said that risk assessments are conducted by "safety managers or other safety and health personnel." Companies where on-site supervisors conduct the assessments accounted for 49%.

Implementation of Risk Assessment in Workplaces with Fewer Than 50 Employees [Data=Korea Employers Federation]

On the other hand, only 24% of companies responded that the workers performing the tasks conduct the risk assessments. KEF interpreted this as being due to "a lack of interest in safety among on-site workers, increased workload from conducting assessments, and a lack of incentives for participation," adding that "there are limits to inducing worker participation through employer efforts alone."

Sixty-seven percent of the responding companies said that risk assessments help prevent industrial accidents. The most challenging aspect of implementing the assessments was identified as a shortage of professional personnel (32.5%). Companies that cited insufficient interest and participation from workers accounted for 32.2%.

Regarding the government's direction for system improvement, positive evaluations were predominant. 39.5% responded positively, while 28.3% responded negatively.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor selected the reform of risk assessments as a key task in the "Serious Accident Reduction Roadmap." As a follow-up measure, on the 7th, it announced a draft revision of guidelines for workplace risk assessments for public comment. Additionally, it plans to establish measures within the year to impose penalties on companies that do not conduct risk assessments or receive inadequate evaluations.

Regarding penalties for the risk assessment system, 93.1% of companies answered that the method of "imposing fines after correction orders" is appropriate. Most companies argued that when violations of the law are detected, opportunities for correction should be given first, allowing workplaces to eliminate risk factors themselves. Furthermore, over 70% of companies said that the most urgent need for the successful implementation of this reform is the preparation of guidelines that reflect on-site characteristics.

Jeon Seung-tae, head of the KEF Industrial Safety Team, emphasized, "As shown in the survey results, there are limits to drawing out workers' interest and participation through employer efforts alone," adding, "For the risk assessment system to be established as a self-regulatory prevention system, the government must actively seek ways to encourage voluntary participation of workers during risk assessments."