Introduction for domestic best practice and the system of Japan relating work footing and scaffolds.

19^th April,

The OSHRI of KOSHA(President : Baek, HunKi) hosted an international seminar at the hall in the KFPA(Korea Fire Protection Association) on 20^th April under the theme of “ways to improve work footings and scaffolds to reduce fatal fall accidents on the job” where experts and professionals in Japan and Korea participated.

*work footing: the basis or foundation on which workers stand to perform high place work

*scaffold: a temporary structure used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures

This seminar would be the venue where participants talk about measures to prevent injuries in the construction worksites which record the highest fatalities, focusing especially on ways to improve work footings and scaffolds to prevent falls which account for half of fatal accident in the construction worksites.

※       As for the construction industry, 621 fatalities were reported in this sector among total death cases of 2,114, which is the highest ratio(29.38%), among which 311 cases were fall accidents.

Mr. Choi, Assistant deputy director of Occupational Safety Research Department of OSHRI, releases the result of his research that shows accidents at the work footings usually occur at 3 to 10 meters high and frequent in small-scaled worksites with KRW 2 billion and workers aged over fifty and career of over 10 years.

Dr. Yasuo Toyosawa from Japan’s National Institute of Industrial Safety delivered presentation on Japanese activities and new technologies to prevent falls.

※    Daewoo Engineering & Construction also delivers presentation on best practices of using work footings and scaffolds to improve safety. The Korean Society of Safety gives its strategy to accept advanced scaffolding system.

Mr. Kwon, Director of the Safety Research Department from OSHRI who supervises the seminar said that fall accidents usually end up with death as most works are done at the high place, adding that it is important to improve the safety of facilities such as work footings as well as encourage workers to wear personal protective equipment, to prevent fall accidents.