Seongdong-gu Ensures Safe Workplaces... Safety Helmet Wearing Mandatory

To Prevent Industrial Accidents in Private Workplaces and Promote a Safe Work Culture, the 'Seongdong Safety, Absolutely Keep It!' Campaign Launched...Banners Emphasizing Mandatory Safety Helmet Use to Protect Workers' Lives Displayed and Web Posters Broadcasted in Seongdong-style Smart Shelters...Continuing Efforts to Raise Safety Awareness through Education for Workplaces with Fewer than 50 Employees and Promotion of Safety Rules Using Various Media

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that it will carry out the ‘Seongdong Safety, Absolutely Keep It!’ campaign to prevent industrial accidents at private workplaces in the area and to spread a culture of safe workplaces.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, 51.3% (590 people) of all construction accident fatalities from 2020 to September this year were due to falls. The Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency reported that among the accident fatalities in Seoul last year, 48% were not wearing safety helmets.

Since safety helmets reduce the impact on the head by one-thirteenth, wearing a safety helmet is the first line of defense to protect workers' lives and is considered the most basic safety rule.

Accordingly, the district emphasized the importance of wearing safety helmets and launched a safety campaign to raise safety awareness in the local community. Fifteen banners with the phrase “Wear a safety helmet! Safety is not a compromise but practice” will be posted mainly in areas densely populated with workplaces, and web posters will be displayed at 55 Seongdong-type smart shelters to normalize wearing safety helmets during work and to more thoroughly prevent safety accidents.

In addition, the basic safety rules will be set as ▲wearing safety helmets ▲two-person teamwork when using ladders ▲safety inspection before work and tidying up after work, and continuous promotion will be conducted through banner postings and other means.

On November 12, the district conducted safety and health education for about 80 people, including directors of small-scale workplaces such as public daycare centers. This is to support the establishment and implementation of safety and health management systems in small-scale workplaces, including public daycare centers, following the expanded enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act for all workplaces with five or more employees since January this year.

Also, activities of safety guardians designated for each community service center are being strengthened to actively provide information on preventing various industrial accidents, while efforts are being made to promote safety rules using various media such as the Seongdong-gu Office website and smart shelters.

Since last year, the district has participated in the ‘Safety Culture Practice Promotion Group’ to continue cooperation among related organizations such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency to spread a safety culture. The ‘Safety Culture Practice Promotion Group’ is a public-private joint organization launched to raise public safety awareness and establish a safety culture throughout society.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “Safety is the most important value to protect one’s life and family happiness, so we are focusing on campaigns to establish a safety culture in daily life,” adding, “We will continue to provide customized education and promotion to raise safety awareness among workers and residents.”