The Ministry of Employment and Labor will award government honors to 17 individuals who have contributed to the prevention of industrial accidents in recognition of July as 'Industrial Safety and Health Month.' Kang Bo-sung, head of the production division at Dong-A Pharmaceutical's Cheonan plant, will receive the Iron Tower Industrial Medal, while Kim Kwang-il, head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, will be awarded the Stone Tower Industrial Medal.
The ministry and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) announced that a ceremony to commemorate Industrial Safety and Health Month will take place on July 6 at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, under the slogan 'Making My Workplace Safe, Making Tomorrow Happier.'
The event is expected to draw over 300 attendees, including members of the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment, and Labor Committee, industrial accident prevention honorees, labor and management representatives, safety and health-related academic societies, and private accident prevention organizations.
During the ceremony, government awards, including medals and presidential and prime ministerial citations, will be presented to the 17 honorees for their contributions to preventing industrial accidents.
Kang Bo-sung, who has worked in pharmaceutical production for 22 years, has focused on proactive safety investments in high-risk equipment. Notably, he identified the risk of falls when workers had to climb to inspect equipment during abnormal operations in the automated warehouse at the Cheonan plant and implemented safety measures such as lifelines and fall prevention nets. He also introduced safety covers for rotating machinery and viewing windows for access doors, as well as specialized measurement and protection equipment for confined spaces.
The Stone Tower Industrial Medal will be awarded to Kim Kwang-il, who has conducted safety and health inspections at approximately 60 small and medium-sized businesses annually over the past 26 years, totaling 1,560 inspections. He has assessed risk factors in workplaces lacking sufficient safety management personnel and budgets, providing actionable improvement suggestions. Following the implementation of the Serious Accident Punishment Act, he has also offered consulting on establishing safety and health management systems for businesses with fewer than 50 employees.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor will kick off a series of events, including an AI Safety and Health Expo, safety seminars, and a competition for excellent safety practices, running for five days starting with the ceremony.
The AI Safety and Health Expo, taking place from July 6 to 9 at KINTEX's second exhibition hall, will feature 300 companies showcasing the latest AI and smart safety technologies, including CCTV video analysis systems and smart safety detectors. There will also be exhibitions and experiential programs focused on protective gear to prevent the three major types of hazards: falls, entrapment, and collisions.
Forty safety and health seminars will cover topics related to industrial safety and health policies and accident prevention technologies. Additionally, 18 presentations on best practices will address AI and smart industrial safety technologies and the role of 'safety guardians' in the workplace.
Starting the second week of July, regional accident prevention activities will focus on mobile workers, small businesses with fewer than 50 employees, and sectors such as livestock, solar panel installation and dismantling, and heatwave responses for logistics workers.
Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon stated, "We reaffirm our social responsibility and commitment to ensuring that everyone who works returns home to their families in the same condition they arrived. We will fulfill the government's role in protecting the lives of our citizens with the conviction that there can be no compromise when it comes to safety."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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