□ Protective equipment and gear manufacturers will be given the fund to improve product quality and performance.

□ Occupational Safety and Health Certification Institute (OSHCI) of Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA, President Young-soon Lee) will be providing protective equipment and gear manufacturers with the ‘Fund for R&D and Test Equipment Purchase.’

○ The R&D expenses will be supported up to 50 million won within 50% of the cost and test equipment purchase, up to 20 million won. The rest of cost shall be shouldered by the manufacturer.

□ Last year, a total of twelve companies received funds; four companies received R&D funds and eight companies received test equipment purchase funds, and two out of them applied for four patents.

○ Servore Co., Ltd. received R&D funds last year developed a safety goggle for welding attachable to safety helmet with detachable shield and applied for two patents.

○ Anhyup Electronics Co., Ltd. also developed the protective equipment operated by both hands using magnetic sensor and applied for two patents and is looking forward to increased income through the development and sales of excellent products.

□ KOSHA will receive applications for the ‘Fund for R&D and Test Equipment Purchase’ until February 24 and will select companies to be entitled to the fund support during March through examinations.

○ The examination for R&D fund receivers will focus on whether the application fits the purpose of funding, the applicant’s performance, and expected effects and the examination for test equipment purchase fund receivers will focus on the use of the equipment in R&D and quality assurance and expected effects.

○ Fund receivers shall have received safety certification for the protective equipment and gear or completed the declaration of self-regulatory safety confirmation and shall be manufacturers registered to KOSHA.

○ The application form can be downloaded from ‘Notice’ section of KOSHA homepage (www.kosha.or.kr) and submitted by post or online.

* Contact: 052-7030-959, Officer in Charge of Protective Equipment and Gear Funding, dwkim0328@kosha.or.kr

□ KOSHA OSHCI President Byeong-joon Ahn said, “I hope KOSHA’s fund support contributes to the enhancement of the quality and safety of domestic protective equipment and gear to supply more reliable products to the industry and also contribute to the prevention of occupational accidents and enhanced corporate competitiveness." (End)