The Ministry of Labor, along with local governments and labor-management representatives, convened to address the reduction of workplace accidents in small businesses with fewer than 50 employees in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions.
On August 11, the Ministry of Labor and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency held the 'Daegu and Gyeongbuk Occupational Safety and Health Governance Roundtable' at EXCO in Daegu.
According to the Ministry, 96.1% of all businesses in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk area are small enterprises with fewer than 50 employees. This roundtable was organized to explore collaborative measures among local stakeholders to manage areas that are difficult for administrative oversight. Participants included representatives from labor and management, safety and health organizations, local governments from Daegu and Gyeongbuk, and occupational safety and health groups.
During the meeting, attendees engaged in in-depth discussions on strategies to reduce workplace accidents in the region. They focused on sharing work information and enhancing joint inspections to mitigate the rising fatalities at small construction sites and logging operations. Additionally, they exchanged views on plans for integrated support projects that link safety inspections, environmental improvements, and training for aging and chemical industrial complexes.
Ryu Hyun-cheol, head of the Ministry's Occupational Safety and Health Bureau, emphasized, 'To reduce workplace accidents, both regulation and support—what we call the 'carrot and stick' approach—must work in tandem. Local governments, labor and management, and safety and health organizations should play a pivotal role in connecting policies to small businesses.' He expressed hope that the discussions would serve as a solid starting point for improving workplace safety in Daegu and Gyeongbuk.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.