Ministry of Employment and Labor Signs Safety Culture Promotion Agreement with 8 Shipbuilding Companies

On the 22nd, the Ministry of Employment and Labor signed a 'Shipbuilding Industry Safety Culture Expansion Memorandum of Understanding' at the LW Convention with eight major shipbuilding companies and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency. The participating shipbuilders are HD Hyundai Mipo, HD Hyundai Samho, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HJ Heavy Industries, Daesun Shipbuilding, Samsung Heavy Industries, K Shipbuilding, and Hanwha Ocean.

Although the shipbuilding industry is currently experiencing a boom due to a recovery in order volumes, the risk of serious accidents is increasing as new workforce inflows and workloads rise. As shipbuilding involves many hazardous tasks and processes, it is a representative high-risk industry where establishing a 'self-regulatory prevention system'?in which labor and management jointly identify and improve risks?is of utmost importance.

Under this agreement, a safety and health council comprising the eight shipbuilders, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency will be formed. The council will discuss collaboration plans and conduct joint inspections of shipyards. Additionally, through a 'hazard sign posting campaign' that attaches specific safety messages to major risk factors within workplaces, everyone will be encouraged to properly follow safety rules. The 'Top 10 Major Safety Rules in Shipbuilding' will also be widely disseminated to prevent accidents caused by lack of basic safety knowledge.

Cooperation among shipbuilders will be strengthened in safety education as well. Using existing educational materials and facilities held by each shipbuilder, more substantial joint training sessions will be conducted. In particular, to assist foreign workers facing language barriers in safety management, 17 types of educational materials translated into up to 25 languages will be shared and supported. Support for subcontractors, who are more vulnerable in safety management compared to primary contractors, will also be enhanced.

Lee Jung-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, stated, "I hope the eight shipbuilders will build a breakwater together based on this agreement to block the huge wave of serious accidents."