South Korea seeks to reduce workplace accidents at small businesses
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In South Korea, experts are urging stronger responsibility and roles for principal contractors to reduce safety accidents at smaller businesses.
Park Jong-sik, a research fellow at the Korea Labor Institute, proposed reinforcing the accountability of principal companies for subcontractors during a policy discussion held at the Korea Federation of SMEs. He also suggested that external subcontractors and independent small businesses should establish joint management systems at the regional or industrial level.
Park recommended shifting the focus of occupational safety and health policies from individual workplaces to collective units, considering South Korea’s industrial structure with a high proportion of businesses employing fewer than 50 people. The Korea Federation of SMEs, the Industrial Safety and Health Corporation, and the Korea Labor Institute organized the discussion to examine the causes of high industrial accident rates among small businesses and to explore practical safety policy support.
Seo Jeong-su, a team leader at the Industrial Safety and Health Corporation, reported that 186 businesses with fewer than 100 employees participating in the corporation’s integrated support program over three years saw a 16.7% decrease in accident rates. The number of serious accidents also fell from six to one, and average safety and health management scores improved from 35 to 66 points.
The Korea Federation of SMEs intends to collaborate with the government and the National Assembly based on the discussion’s findings, and to promote successful safety management practices.
