Ministry of SMEs and Startups Conducts On-Site Inspections of High-Heat Small Manufacturing Companies in Preparation for Heatwaves and Heavy Rain

Inspection for Prevention of Heatstroke and Other Heat-Related Illnesses, Flooding and Electric Shock Accidents During the Rainy Season
Listening to the Difficulties of Small Businesses with Fewer Than 50 Employees

On the 16th, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that Minister Oh Young-joo, along with Minister Lee Jeong-sik of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, visited a small manufacturing company located in Seo-gu, Incheon, to inspect the multi-ministerial measures against heatwaves and heavy rain, and to listen to the difficulties faced on site.

The company visited by Minister Oh is one that produces aluminum ingots through a casting process, where high-temperature work such as heating, rolling, or processing metals takes place, posing a high risk of burns and heat-related illnesses. High-temperature workplaces are required not only to comply with the three major indoor heat illness prevention rules?‘water, wind, and rest’?but also to mandatorily implement measures such as providing protective gear like heat-resistant clothing and restricting access to workers only. Additionally, during the rainy season, workplaces face increased risks of flooding damage and electric shock accidents due to localized heavy rain, so they need to exercise extra safety management by frequently checking weather warnings more carefully than usual.

On that day, Minister Oh and Minister Lee inspected the high-temperature casting manufacturing facilities, worker rest areas, and foreign worker dormitories, and held a meeting with the CEO and on-site workers to hear about the protection of workers’ safety and health as well as the management difficulties of small businesses. While inspecting the site, Minister Lee stated, “High-temperature work during the summer can lead to serious accidents from even slight negligence, so it is essential to strictly follow safety and health rules to prevent not only burns and other safety accidents but also heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses.” He added, “Especially for foreign workers, communication barriers increase the likelihood of accidents, so extra attention must be given.”