Korea Fire Industry Association Signs Agreement to Support Safety and Health Management Systems of Member Companies

The Korea Fire Industry Association (Chairman Park Jong-won) announced on the 25th that it has signed an agreement with the Korea Convergence Technology Management Association (CEO Joo Sung-jong) to establish a safety and health management system and secure safety and health management experts for member companies nationwide through an ISO 45001 international auditor training course.

This agreement aims to facilitate organic cooperation in securing safety and health management experts and establishing safety and health management systems for small and medium-sized member companies facing unfavorable conditions, following the expansion of the Serious Accident Punishment Act to all workplaces with five or more employees as of January 27.

The Korea Fire Industry Association, in collaboration with KTMC and its affiliated institute, the Korea Technology Management Research Institute, will enable executives and employees of member companies to obtain ISO 45001 international auditor qualifications through the safety and health management expert training course, encouraging long-term employment and enabling them to serve as internal auditors for safety and health management within member companies. The theoretical part of the training will be conducted online, while workshops and certification exams will be held offline over two days. The Fire Industry Association will subsidize 50% of the training costs, so member companies will only bear half the cost, 500,000 KRW, significantly reducing expenses related to hiring and operating safety and health management professionals.

Additionally, the Fire Industry Association will actively support member companies by covering 20% of the costs for obtaining ISO 45001 certification, minimizing the financial burden on members.

As a result, member companies of the Fire Industry Association will secure safety and health management personnel at minimal cost, establish an internationally standardized safety and health management system, and obtain and maintain ISO 45001 certification. Consequently, as stated in the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s Serious Accident Punishment Act guideline “Following the Serious Accident Punishment Act for Small and Medium Enterprises,” small and medium-sized business owners and employers will secure exemption clauses under the Serious Accident Punishment Act.

For reference, the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s guideline appendix explains, “If the management is fulfilling their obligations to ensure safety and health, they will not be punished even if a serious accident occurs.”

The Korea Technology Management Research Institute, a partner in this agreement, has committed to minimizing the costs of training safety and health professionals and obtaining ISO certification for small and medium-sized member companies, cooperating to fulfill exemption requirements for safety and health obligations under the Serious Accident Punishment Act and to establish a foundation for worry-free management.

Meanwhile, Park Jong-won, chairman of the Fire Industry Association, stated, “Through this agreement, we will help small and medium-sized member companies struggling with the application of the Serious Accident Punishment Act to fulfill their safety and health obligations in a customized manner, secure exemption requirements for management responsibility, establish a safety and health system, and practice ESG management.”