Ministry of Employment and Labor & Busan Headquarters of Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency Issue 'Caution Alert'
Joint Inspection and Prevention Activities on the 10th, the First 'Field Inspection Day' of the Year
The Busan Regional Employment and Labor Office of the Ministry of Employment and Labor (Acting Director Kim Sang-yong) and the Busan Regional Headquarters of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (Head Gong Heung-du) designated the 10th as a "Special On-Site Inspection Day," mobilizing all available resources to prevent major accidents in the Busan area.
In the past two weeks alone, seven workers have died in industrial sites in the Busan area, resulting in a series of major accidents.
On the 8th and 9th, the two organizations held an emergency meeting of agency heads and issued a "Major Accident Warning" through a major accident siren (open chat room). They then decided to conduct a joint inspection on the 10th.
The seven fatal accidents occurred across industries as follows: four in construction, two in real estate and building management, and one in wholesale and retail. By type, six were fall accidents (one was a crushing accident), making up the majority.
The Busan Employment and Labor Office, Busan East Branch, Busan North Branch, and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency Busan Regional Headquarters jointly deployed all available resources, focusing on Yeongdo-gu, Geumjeong-gu, Haeundae-gu, and Gangseo-gu?areas with frequent fatal accidents last year?to conduct joint inspections targeting a total of 89 companies, including construction sites and real estate building management workplaces, to prevent fall accidents.
They also inspected the three major accident types and eight major risk factors, as well as the implementation and adequacy of risk assessments, while providing guidance on recent major accident cases and winter safety rules (such as winter construction site safety rules and cold illness prevention guides due to winter cold waves).
Kim Sang-yong, Acting Director of the Busan Employment and Labor Office, said, "It is heartbreaking that fatal accidents have occurred consecutively at workplaces in the Busan area," adding, "Starting with workplace inspections on this Special On-Site Inspection Day, we plan to hold a safety prayer ceremony and convene a council with related organizations."
Gong Heung-du, Head of the Busan Regional Headquarters of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, stated, "We will focus all our efforts on prevention activities from the beginning of the year to reduce major accidents."
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