Workers Conduct Risk Assessments and External Safety Inspections... Korail Launches Emergency Safety Management System

Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) announced on the 25th that it had convened a meeting presided over by Acting President Jung Jungrae and launched a company-wide emergency safety management system. This comes six days after the Mugunghwa train accident on the Gyeongbu Line that occurred on the 19th.

At the meeting, Korail decided to implement urgent safety measures to strengthen on-site safety management until the results of the accident investigation are released. First, the company will conduct ad-hoc risk assessments involving workers directly at all sites. Korail plans to reassess risk levels and identify risk factors next month. The scope of evaluation will be expanded not only to tasks similar to those involved in the recent accident but also to all routine operations near train tracks where there is a risk of entering hazardous areas. Korail will also identify managerial risk factors associated with routine work performed by external contractors, not just Korail employees.

Jung Jungrae, Acting President of Korail (center in the photo), held an emergency safety management meeting at the Daejeon headquarters on the 25th. Photo by Korail

To identify risk factors in advance for work near tracks and to objectively analyze work environments, methods, and systems, Korail will also receive safety and health assessments from external professional agencies. These assessments will be conducted through the end of October in areas with high train traffic, including Daegu, where the accident occurred, as well as Seoul and the greater metropolitan area, Daejeon and Chungnam, and Busan and Gyeongnam headquarters. The program will be gradually expanded to sites nationwide. In addition, Korail plans to invite railway safety experts in areas such as tracks, catenary lines, signaling, and operations planning to analyze the causes of the accident from multiple perspectives and discuss measures to prevent recurrence.

Korail suspended maintenance work on facilities between Sinam and Cheongdo on the Gyeongbu Line and, starting from the 24th, implemented train speed restrictions and temporarily halted ticket reservations for that section. Acting President Jung Jungrae stated, "We will gather a wide range of internal and external opinions, including feedback from on-site employees and expert assessments, to establish fundamental safety measures and do our utmost to ensure that everyone can work safely by strengthening safety management at railway sites."