OSH Materials for migrant workers

KOSHA provides safety materials like warning signs and training videos in 13 languages

July 19 2013

<accident case 1> In December 2012, one Indonesian migrant worker, 25, at a car parts manufacturer in Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do made a mistake with pressing machine and had his left hand crushed by a press die.

<accident case 2> In January 2013, one Vietnamese migrant worker, 24, at a food company in Jincheon-gun, Chungchungbuk-do had her right thumb and index finger crushed, while cleaning a rotary cutter, as the cutter was accidently turned on.

○ OSH materials will be provided for migrant workers who are more exposed to industrial accidents due to unfamiliar and poor work environment and language barriers.

○ More than 6,000 migrant workers, usually working in the production or service industry or as a simple laborer, are victimized by occupational accidents annually due to difficult and poor work environment and language barriers.

○ According to the statistics, 6,404 migrant workers had occupational accidents and 106 of them lost their lives in last year alone.

※ Migrant workers’ occupational accidents for the past five years (unit: No. of ppl)

※ No. of total victims = No. of ppl injured + No. of ppl dead

○ Against this backdrop, KOSHA provides safety materials for businesses to post and give training with in 13 languages including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cambodian.

※ 13 languages: Chinese, Indonesian, Pilipino (English), Vietnamese, Thai, Bangladeshi, Uzbek, Mongolian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Cambodian, Myanmarese, Nepali

- Warning or safety stickers and posters can be posted at dangerous sites or equipment.

- Safety training DVDs and other materials are to teach migrant workers about the risks of crush, fall, and electrocution and safe work procedures.

- All materials are both in Korean and targeted foreign language so that both migrant workers and Korean counterparts can understand.

○ KOSHA will provide these materials for migrant workers’ support groups and businesses that hire migrant workers when it gives technical assistance to them.

- The materials are also available on the KOSHA web page (www. kosha.or.kr ▶ OSH Information for Migrant Workers) for easy access.

○ One official from KOSHA said, “Together with these materials, translation application for ten languages KOSHA is distributing can hopefully play an effective role in preventing occupational accidents of migrant workers.”