KCCI Holds Nationwide Briefings to Support Compliance with Serious Accident Punishment Act

Purpose of Expanding Support for Small and Micro Enterprises

Economic organizations and the government have joined forces to support the prevention of serious accidents and the establishment of safety management systems in small and micro enterprises with fewer than 50 employees.

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced on the 24th that it will hold the "National Tour Briefing Sessions on Safety and Health Management Measures for Companies under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and Government Support Systems" together with the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency to assist small businesses struggling with accident prevention and legal compliance under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. These briefing sessions will be held at 38 regional chambers of commerce and industry, starting with the Mokpo Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the 27th, followed by Busan, Daejeon, Sejong, Jeonju, Incheon, Wonju, and others.

The Serious Accidents Punishment Act imposes safety and health responsibility on management officials not only for their own employees but also for subcontracted workers and labor providers, and stipulates that if a serious accident such as a death occurs due to failure to fulfill these responsibilities, the responsible party may face imprisonment of one year or more. Since January 27, the Act has been expanded to apply to approximately 830,000 workplaces nationwide with 5 to fewer than 50 employees.

At the briefing sessions, experts from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, who are responsible for safety and health in industrial sites, will deliver lectures. The lectures will focus on how to establish safety and health management systems under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, how workplaces can conduct their own risk assessments, and how to utilize government support programs. The government’s ongoing 'Industrial Safety Diagnosis' will be demonstrated with participants, and customized support programs based on the diagnosis results will also be introduced.

Yoo Il-ho, head of the Employment and Labor Policy Team at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "These briefing sessions will focus on practical explanations tailored to the realities of small and micro enterprises and ways to receive substantial government support. Since it has been two years since the law was enacted, we plan to support companies in establishing safety and health management systems and to identify difficulties faced in industrial sites to voice improvements in the legal system."