"Structural Improvements Needed for Rider Safety"... Policy Forum Held

Academia and Labor Circles Agree: "There Are Limits to Individual Caution"
Unified Call for Institutionalization of Health Rights and Industrial Accident Prevention

Woowa Brothers announced on the 5th that it held a "Policy Forum for Creating a Safe Delivery Environment" on August 4 at the Royal Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, to strengthen rider safety. The forum was hosted by the Korea Platform Freelancer Labor Mutual Aid Association, with the Rider Safety Management Committee?an expert governance body launched by Woowa Brothers?participating as a supporting organization.

This forum was organized to bring public attention to issues such as industrial accidents, safe delivery environments, and health concerns for platform-based mobile workers, specifically delivery riders. It aimed to seek effective alternatives by bringing together various stakeholders from academia, labor, policy institutions, and private platforms.

On the 4th, a "Policy Debate for Creating a Safe Delivery Environment" to strengthen rider safety is being held at the Royal Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Woowa Brothers

Seo Yongyun, Professor of Industrial Systems Engineering at Dongguk University, quantitatively analyzed various factors influencing accident occurrence?such as road conditions, weather, time of travel, and age?based on actual accident data and cases of medical care approval. Professor Seo stated, "Rider accidents are largely influenced by external factors such as wet roads, nighttime driving, and poor road conditions, so there are limits to what individual caution can achieve. Structural improvements at the societal level must be pursued in parallel."

Yoon Jinha, Professor at Yonsei University Graduate School of Public Health, pointed out in a recent survey that riders have high prevalence rates of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, but low rates of regular health checkups. He said, "Compared to the delivery environment, there are insufficient institutional mechanisms for riders to manage their health. Institutional improvements are needed to guarantee riders' right to health."

In addition to the two presenters, the discussion included Kang Sungkyu, Chair of the Safety Management Committee and Professor of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Gachon University Gil Medical Center; Jung Jinwoo, Professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology; Lim Wootaek, Head of the Safety and Health Headquarters at the Korea Employers Federation; Song Myungjin, Secretary-General of the Korea Platform Freelancer Labor Mutual Aid Association; Hong Changui, Chair of the Delivery Platform Labor Union; and Lee Eunsang, Deputy Director of the Industrial Safety Standards Division at the Ministry of Employment and Labor. They engaged in a wide-ranging discussion on field issues and policy proposals. The participants agreed that preventing industrial accidents among riders cannot be achieved through simple safety education or individual caution alone, and that inter-ministerial cooperation?across transportation, labor, and health?and collaboration between the public and private sectors are essential.

Chair Kang stated, "The safety and health of riders is now a common challenge that must be addressed by society as a whole, beyond the responsibility of individual platforms," adding, "This forum was a meaningful occasion where voices from the field and expert research findings came together to discuss accident prevention and health management measures for riders."