>> 10th On-Site Inspection Day Focuses on Shipbuilding, Chemical, Rubber, and Cement Manufacturing

May is a critical month for enhancing workplace safety, especially in sectors where accident rates have surged. The shipbuilding industry and manufacturing businesses with 50 or more employees are in urgent need of focused attention. This year, small and medium-sized shipyards have witnessed a series of fatal accidents, including explosions. Similarly, large-scale chemical, rubber, and cement manufacturing plants have experienced severe incidents such as entrapment and crushing.

* Notable accident cases include: 
  - Shipbuilding: (April 27) An explosion in a ship’s engine room during cleaning 
operations; (May 13) An explosion during pipe welding on a ship.
  - Chemical and Rubber Products: (April 10) An employee was crushed between 
molds while inspecting an injection molding machine.
  - Cement: (May 9) A worker was buried and killed when a pile of cement raw 
material collapsed.

 In response, the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL, Minister Lee Jung-sik) and 
the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA, President Ahn Jong-ju) will 
embark on intensive safety inspections on May 22, focusing on high-risk industries such 
as shipbuilding and manufacturing with 50+ employees (chemical, rubber, and cement 
sectors). These inspections aim to address the three most common types of workplace 
accidents and mitigate eight critical risk factors.

The shipbuilding industry, in particular, frequently faces new hazards caused by changes in processes, especially during high-risk activities: welding, painting, and working at heights or in confined spaces. Therefore, these inspections are crucial. Similarly, in manufacturing businesses with 50 or more employees, accidents involving entrapment and crushing are prevalent. Inspections will prioritize hazardous machinery and equipment, as well as high-risk tasks.

* Key safety measures to be inspected include:
  - Machinery and Equipment: Ensuring proper safeguards for conveyors, industrial 
robots, crushers, shredders, and injection molding machines.
  - Work Processes: Focusing on maintenance, cleaning, inspections, repairs, 
replacements, and adjustments to prevent accidents.

Choi Tae-ho, Head of the MOEL’s Industrial Accident Prevention and Inspection Policy 
Bureau, emphasized the importance of improving on-site safety measures and adhering 
to critical safety protocols. He stated: “In the shipbuilding industry and manufacturing 
sectors with 50 or more employees, where serious accidents have increased compared to 
last year, it is crucial to improve on-site safety conditions and strictly adhere to key safety 
rules."