Gyeonggi-do Recommends Safety Training for Migrant Workers in Small Businesses

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Gyeonggi Province is set to recommend safety education to prevent illegal dispatch of migrant workers at small-scale workplaces.

On the 12th, Gyeonggi Province announced that from the 13th to the 27th, it plans to recommend the implementation of illegal dispatch prevention and safety education for migrant workers targeting 587 small-scale workplaces out of 676 workplaces located in Hwaseong City, which has the highest number of hazardous chemical handling companies nationwide.

According to the current 'Dispatch Act,' worker dispatch is prohibited for direct production process tasks in manufacturing. Employers must regularly provide safety education to workers under the Industrial Safety and Health Act. This education is mandatory for the safety of workers. It must be conducted not only as regular training but also when hiring new workers or changing work tasks.

Gyeonggi Province plans to recommend the following: ▲ Guidance on compliance with the prohibition of worker dispatch under the Dispatch Act ▲ Compliance with regular safety education including for migrant workers (regular training, when changing work tasks, etc.) ▲ Cooperation in installing foreign language hazard signs and guidance signs for migrant workers ▲ Education on work procedures and the use of various protective equipment ▲ Identification of hazardous risk factors in the workplace and training on emergency response methods in case of hazardous chemical spills.

Lee Jong-don, Director of the Safety Management Office of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "If a safety accident occurs at companies handling hazardous chemicals such as lithium factories, it can lead to tremendous human casualties," adding, "We will do our utmost to create a safe workplace to prevent safety accidents caused by communication issues with migrant workers."

Meanwhile, since 2018, Gyeonggi Province has been proposing to the central government and the National Assembly the 'Proposal for Sharing Labor Inspection Authority with Local Governments,' which allows local governments to carry out labor inspection duties to ensure a safe working environment for migrant workers.