The Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced on May 15 that it will conduct a practical training session on the Serious Accidents Punishment Act for local business representatives and executives.
This training, scheduled for the morning of May 20 in Lecture Room 3 of the Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is part of a nationwide training program jointly organized by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency. The program aims to enhance local companies' understanding of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and to strengthen their safety management capabilities.
Although three years have passed since the implementation of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, many workplaces still struggle with a lack of understanding regarding the intent and application of the law, as well as difficulties in practical response. For small and medium-sized enterprises, systematic compliance is particularly challenging due to shortages of personnel and resources.
As the number of cases involving penalties for workplaces where serious accidents have occurred continues to rise, the systematic implementation of the legally mandated "risk assessment" system for all workplaces is becoming increasingly important. Risk assessment is regarded as a key procedure for preventing serious accidents by identifying and addressing workplace hazards in advance.
This training will be tailored to the characteristics of local industries and high-risk sectors. Lee Yushin, Deputy Director at the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, will focus on topics such as understanding the Occupational Safety and Health Act and promoting a culture of safety, accident case studies and measures to prevent recurrence, and exemplary cases of risk assessment.
A representative from the Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry stated, "This training will provide practical assistance to local companies in accurately understanding the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and establishing safety management systems that can be applied in the workplace," adding, "We will actively listen to the difficulties faced by businesses on the ground and work toward improving the system."
Meanwhile, ahead of the 21st presidential election, the Chamber identified 16 key policy proposals reflecting the opinions of the business communities in Gwangju and Jeonnam and delivered them to the major presidential candidates' campaign teams. Among these proposals is the revision of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which includes significantly increasing the budget for industrial accident prevention, differentiating obligations based on company size, improving the level of penalties, and changing the name to the Serious Accident Prevention Act.
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