“Easy to obtain international safety and health management system”

KOSHA signed MOUs with 5 registrar agencies
Save time and cost by obtaining domestic and international certification at one time

June 27, 2014

Safety and health management system will help domestic enterprises to export their products in an easier manner.

KOSHA signed MOUs with 5 Korean registrar agencies of international certification for mutual accreditation.

In accordance with the MOU, there is no need for an enterprise to acquire extra international accreditation for export once it got a safety and health management system which is certified by KOSHA and the institutions.

In Korea, KOSHA is providing “KOSHA 18001”, a safety and health management system. Thirteen (13) multinational certification institutions including UK, Germany, and France are operating “OSHAS 18001”, an international accreditation for safety and health management.

※ KOSHA 18001: Korea Occupational Safety & Health Agency 18001

※ OHSAS 18001: Occupational Health & Safety Assessment Series 18001

With a safety and health management system, enterprises can manage measures for preventing occupational accidents systemically. Certification institutions such as KOSHA grant certification to applying enterprises if they meet the evaluation standard.

The five institutions are Korea Management Association Registration Inc. (KMAR); CREBIZ QM; SPEC Co., Ltd; CRS Registrars Inc.; and Small & medium Business Corporation Registrar (SBC Registrar), who execute international accreditation work for domestic enterprises.

The MOU allows enterprises to acquire domestic and international certification at one time almost halving the time and cost.

For instance, an enterprise with less than 50 employees had to pay a total of 4 million KRW as it paid 2 million KRW for domestic and international certifications respectively. Now it only costs 2 million KRW to obtain both domestic and international certifications thanks to the MOU.

In Korea, 1,500 enterprises acquired the certification of safety and health management system up to the present accounting 25.6% of whole enterprises showing the reduction of occupational accident rate and workers’ compensation insurance premium as well as the enhancement of trade union relations.

President Baek, Hun-ki of KOSHA mentioned, “Safety and health management system is prerequisite for the reduction of loss by avoidable accidents and for the creation of advanced workplace. He also added, “I expect enterprises to adopt the system actively and vigorously.”