Government Calls for Enhanced Safety Management at Power Plants

Government officials have convened power generation companies to address recent serious accidents at power plants and to strengthen safety management across all operational phases. They emphasized the need for power companies to establish a responsible safety management system not only during operation but also during maintenance and decommissioning stages.

On May 28, the Ministry of Employment and Labor held a meeting at the Government Sejong Center, led by Ryu Hyun-cheol, head of the Occupational Safety and Health Agency. Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, five major power companies—Namdong, Nambu, Dongseo, Seobu, and Jungbu Power—and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency.

This meeting was organized to review measures to prevent the recurrence of serious accidents, following incidents such as the Taehan Thermal Power Plant entrapment accident and the collapse of the boiler building at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant last year. The focus was on sharing risk factors across power plant sites and discussing safety management practices and areas for improvement specific to each company.

During the meeting, the Ministry identified several common risk factors present at power plants, including collisions during crane and forklift operations, falls during scaffolding installation and dismantling, asphyxiation in confined spaces, explosions due to flammable gas leaks, and heat-related illnesses caused by extreme temperatures.

Given the complex nature of operations involving high-temperature and high-pressure equipment, as well as the handling of chemicals and confined space work, the Ministry stressed that power companies must go beyond mere legal compliance and ensure that risk factors are effectively managed during actual work processes.

The Ministry also shared findings from an inspection related to the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant collapse, conducted by HJ Heavy Industries. The inspection revealed deficiencies in the safety and health management system and improper use of industrial safety and health management funds, resulting in 52 criminal referrals, 306 fines totaling 880 million won, six work stoppages, and one equipment shutdown.

During the meeting, power companies discussed the improvements made since the incidents and acknowledged the need for enhanced safety management support for subcontractors, identification of safety blind spots, and the refinement of work procedures.

Ryu Hyun-cheol stated, "Safety management at power plants must be thorough across all phases, including operation, maintenance, and decommissioning. Power companies must ensure that worker safety is not compromised during the decommissioning process and take responsible safety measures."