Major Projects and Strategies for Accident Prevention in 2015

19 January 2015

With starting new journey of year 2015, KOSHA announces 5 key strategies in priority to promote activities of occupational accident and disease prevention.

First, making firm ground for a response system to prevent major accidents

The anxiety of the public is growing as chemical and construction accidents occur in succession over recent years. Therefore, it is necessary to reinforce elaborate monitoring systems to prevent chemical accidents by adopting an early warning system for chemical hazards, improving management for PSM-covered workplaces, etc. Activities to avoid fatalities in the manufacturing and construction industries need to be stimulated as well.

KOSHA will carry out more thorough inspection and review of harm and hazard prevention plan; expand safety and health diagnosis of timeworn-industrial complexes and petrochemical plants with the possibility of major accidents; and enforce Safety and Health Guardian project for small-sized workplaces.

Second, securing safety and health for the vulnerable group to occupational accidents

There are many underprivileged workers working in poor conditions when it comes to occupational safety and health. For the purpose of protecting those workers, it is necessary to establish safety network at work and to alleviate the polarization of safety and health by widening financial assistance projects and promoting activation of self-regulatory safety and health movement.

Third, establishing self-regulatory safety and health system at workplaces

KOSHA will spare no effort to support self-regulatory OSH movement of labor and management and make a firm ground for Risk Assessment as an essential system at workplaces.

In particular, for the capacity building of small-sized workplaces to manage harm and hazards, KOSHA will actively pursue the recognition and consulting of Risk Assessment so that this boils down to a safety and health management system leading the completion of a self-regulatory safety system.

Fourth, building infrastructure for workers’ health promotion

Activities to prevent occupational diseases should be expanded and diversified. KOSHA will establish a comprehensive system of suffocation prevention at the workplaces with high level of the accident occurrence and avoid occupational accidents by providing technical assistance for workplaces handling chemicals.

Infrastructure for workers’ health promotion should be established. KOSHA will expand worker’s health centers and chronic inhalation toxic chemical test facility to raise the standard of OSH such as evaluation and classification of chemical harmfulness.

Fifth, strengthening safety culture projects to intensify safety awareness nationwide

Awareness of workers should be raised and their commitment needs to be demonstrated. KOSHA will provide educational training courses to deal with social issues and factors of frequent accidents

Action-based culture of safety needs to be promoted. Through private partnership projects and campaigns jointly collaborated by labor, management, private and public, KOSHA will spread pan-national movement on safety culture.

Last but not least, successfully opening the ICOH Congress 2015

By hosting a successful and largest-ever congress participated by experts from 120 countries worldwide, KOSHA will enhance its national status and be recognized as a world leading organization for occupational accident prevention

To make 2015 a watershed for the development of KOSHA, I ask your participation and determination.

LEE, Young Soon

President