A practical manual has been established to calculate and implement safety management costs at construction sites.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Land Safety Agency announced on June 30 that they have created the "Practical Manual for Estimating and Executing Construction Safety Management Costs" to secure funding for accident prevention and ensure efficient execution at construction sites.
Safety management costs are expenses aimed at ensuring safe construction practices, pedestrian safety around construction sites, and the safety of adjacent facilities. According to the Construction Technology Promotion Act, these costs are included in the contract amount by the project owner and executed by the contractor at the construction site.
The safety management costs consist of seven categories: preparation and review of safety management plans, safety inspections, measures to prevent damage to surrounding buildings, traffic safety management around the construction site, and installation and operation of safety monitoring devices.
There have been ongoing concerns about the lack of specific calculation criteria and standardized guidelines for each category. Variations in the estimated amounts by project owners have been significant, and the difficulty in estimating has sometimes resulted in insufficient budgets for actual needs at construction sites.
This manual aims to alleviate such challenges. It analyzes safety management cost estimation cases from major project owners and provides detailed guidance on the average number of engineering technicians and unit cost standards for each safety management category.
Additionally, it presents reference materials on average safety management costs based on the type and scale of construction, as well as exemplary cases of cost estimation, enabling project owners to determine appropriate budget levels that align with the characteristics of their projects.
The manual also clarifies the differences between safety management costs under the Construction Technology Promotion Act and industrial safety and health management costs under the Industrial Safety and Health Act, which had often caused confusion on-site. It explains that safety management costs focus on the safety of facilities and structures, while industrial safety and health management costs center on the protection of workers.
As demands grow for stronger accountability from project owners in preventing serious accidents at construction sites, establishing a clear system for reflecting safety costs from the early stages of projects has become increasingly important.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Land Safety Agency will make the manual available through the comprehensive safety management information network for construction projects starting June 30. They also plan to conduct training and promotional activities for participants in construction projects, including project owners and contractors.
Kim Myung-jun, Director of Safety Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "We hope that the establishment of this manual will enable safety management costs to be effectively utilized on-site, creating a safe construction environment where participants can work with peace of mind."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.