Korea Forest Service: "Forestry Accident Victims Down 7.2%... Lowest Accident Rate in 10 Years"

The number of forestry accident victims in the forestry sector decreased by 7.2% last year compared to the previous year. Last year’s forestry accident rate was found to be the lowest in the past ten years.

According to the Korea Forest Service and the Ministry of Employment and Labor (Industrial Accident Status) on May 8, the number of forestry accident victims last year was 928, a decrease of 72 from 1,000 in 2023.

In particular, last year’s forestry accident rate was 0.63%, which is 13.7% lower than the previous year. For the first time in the past ten years (2015?2024), it fell below the average industrial accident rate of 0.67%.

The forestry accident rate was 1.88% in 2015 (average industrial accident rate 0.50%), 1.36% in 2017 (0.48%), 1.11% in 2019 (0.58%), 0.86% in 2021 (0.63%), 0.73% in 2023 (0.66%), and 0.63% in 2024 (0.67%), recording the lowest accident rate last year.

Forestry worksites are considered high-risk industrial sites because they involve handling heavy trees on steep outdoor slopes. The risk is heightened by the need to use high-risk equipment such as chainsaws and excavators in challenging working environments. For these reasons, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) classify forestry-related field activities as the most dangerous type of work.

Nevertheless, the Korea Forest Service explained that the downward trend in the forestry accident rate can be seen as the result of strengthening the safety and health management system in the forestry sector.

To reduce the forestry accident rate, the Korea Forest Service has expanded safety and health consulting for small-scale worksites from 397 sites in 2023 to 459 sites last year. The agency has also developed safety management manuals for high-risk forestry operations and increased the distribution of safety equipment, including 500 smart safety bands and 61 automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

Song Junho, Director General of the Forest Welfare Bureau at the Korea Forest Service, stated, “Prevention is more important than anything else when it comes to safety accidents at forestry worksites,” and added, “The Korea Forest Service will continue to do its utmost to reduce accidents in the forestry industry by creating safe and healthy workplaces and establishing a robust safety and health management system.”