• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.656-664
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• 2023

Purpose: The Ministry of Employment and Labor manages disasters based on the standard manual for risk management of large-scale human accidents in workplaces when large-scale disasters such as fires and collapses occur in workplaces. We are going to check the standard manual currently in operation and suggest improvement plans for the insufficient items. Method: Accordingly, the standard manual was checked together with internal and external experts in the disaster management manual and disaster management staff at headquarters and local government offices, and items to be improved were identified with priority. Result: In case of a collapse accident, it is necessary for the Ministry of Public Administration and Security to accurately present the selection criteria in order to eliminate the controversy over the selection of the disaster management department. In addition, it seems necessary to supplement the details of the disaster safety communication network operation and evacuation guidelines. Conclusion: In the future, in order to improve the disaster management system that meets the public's eye level, it is expected to prepare a standard manual for risk management of large-scale human accidents in workplaces that guarantees the lives and safety of workers through the collection of opinions from experts in the relevant field, disaster management personnel, and the general public.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.331-345
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• 2014

Objectives: The exponential growth of chemicals, an area of high concern in developed countries like the US (i.e., the Gore Initiative) and in the EU (i.e., REACH), as well as recent chemical accidents in Korea, have provoked nationwide concerns and resultant legal enforcement. This study aims to compare the laws of the Ministry of Environment (the Chemical Substances Control Act (CSCA), Act on the Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemical Substances (ARECS)) with those of the Ministry of the Employment and Labor (Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)). Methods: Each law pertaining to the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of the Employment and Labor was downloaded from the official legal information system (www.law.go.kr). The objectives of each law and the major contents related to chemical management were compared and summarized. Results: The CSCA and the ARECS are focused on the protection of people and the environment, while the OSHA relates to the protection of workers. The right to know of people and workers has been reinforced. The former two laws emphasize prevention, but the OSHA contains both preventive and post-accident measures. The role of the Ministry of Employment was reinforced with the promulgation of the CSCA and ARECS, which contain regulations such as adjacent area impact evaluation, risk control planning, chemical statistical survey and construction and operation of information, provision of risk control plans, response to chemical accidents and registration of chemical substances. Conclusion: We found that the three laws discussed here have several similar clauses designed to protect people and the environment from risks that may be caused by the use of chemicals, even though there are some differences among them in terms of objectives and contents. This review concluded that several clauses that can be regarded as double regulation should be unified in order to minimize the waste of government administrative resources and socio-economic losses.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.176-181
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• 1999

The objective of this study is to compare and analyze the industrial injury-values of all the industries through yearly accident rate and frequency rate based on the governmental documentation of industrial injuries. The samples for this study are chosen from the companies with less than 200 employees under charge of the Kangnung Ministry of Labor during the period of 1995-97. Safe-T-Score is used for statistic control on the qualitative comparison of the present and the past industrial injury-rates. In the comparison of the past and the present industrial injury-rate by means of Safe-T-Score, this study shows that there does not exist any remarkable improvement, whereas the document of the Ministry of labor reports that the rate is decreasing greatly. Therefore, this study proposes some solutions to reduce industrial disasters and points out the necessity of more practical and effective methods to analyze the industrial disaster.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.284-289
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• 2006

In 2003, Korean government made the 11 scopes of overburdened work[Ministry of Labor(MOL), Notification No. 2003-24] to prevent musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs). MOL Notification was established based on 'Washington Administrative Code 296-62-051, Ergonomics'. When initially investigating the contents, the labor unions and the specialists pointed out the possibility of devaluation on risk factors of MSDs. The present study aimed to compare the result of the NIOSH revised lifting equation(NLE) analysis with the MOL Notification(No.8, 9, 10) on manual lifting tasks. A study sample of 568 manual lifting tasks (automobile parts, foods, and tire manufacture) were evaluated for this study. All 502 tasks exceed lifting index(LI) of 1.0, but 276 tasks(55.0%) out of 502 tasks were evaluated non-over burdened work for musculoskeletal system by the MOL Notification. Particularly, 47 tasks(30.9%), in spite of exceeding LI of 3.0, were evaluated non-over burdened work. This study has shown the possibility of devaluation on risk factors of MSDs, when evaluated by MOL Notification. Therefore, it will be necessary to repeal or complement the scope of over-burdened work(MOL Notification) to prevent musculoskeletal disorders.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.121-128
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• 2014

Risk assessment system which is the point of occupational safety and health management system is recognized to be effective to prevent industrial accident and occupational disease internationally. Ministry of Employment and Labor developed guidance on risk assessment at workplace recently. This guidance presents standard model on risk assessment at workplace. However, enterprises may be confronted with many questions in the process of introducing and operating risk assessment. For risk assessment to be implemented properly and effectively at workplace, there are various questions that need to be considered in advance, including giving shape to standard on risk evaluation and clarifying the implementation system at workplace in advance. Also for risk assessment to be revitalized at workplace, several policy matters need to be settled. First, an administrative agency should present the implementation method of risk assessment more concretely. Secondly, it is necessary for an administrative agency to develop and spread various detailed manual, models and good practices related to risk assessment. Thirdly, a government agency need to apply an incentive & disadvantage policy actively to risk assessment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.765-774
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• 2023

The Ministry of Employment and Labor implemented the process safety management(PSM) system from 1996 to prevent major industrial accidents caused by chemical substances, but the number of accidents did not drastically decrease. Even in workplaces with excellent PSM ratings, large-scale chemical accidents still occur due to non-compliance with safety work procedures and insufficient safety measures during maintenance and other work. Accordingly, the chemical accident risk warning system was introduced in 2014 to supplement the PSM system and prevent accidents that may occur during regular or unexpected maintenance and repair work. In the meantime, changes in the safety management system have been checked since the introduction of the chemical accident risk warning system at chemical handling workplaces, and based on the results, a plan for upgrading this system has been proposed. The effect of the CARW system was found to directly prevent accidents through wired and on-site consulting and post-management at the workplace and indirectly contribute to the establishment of a safety and health management system at the workplace, such as improving safety culture awareness.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.53-73
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• 2003

This paper investigates the success factors of labor mediation using the Survey on the Problems and Improvements of Mediation Service by the Labor Relation Commission which was conducted by the Ministry of Labor in 2000. When the parties of labor and management which took mediation service belong to the manufacturing industry and the Minju-nochong, they are found to have less chance to change their negotiation attitude favorably toward agreement in mediation process and to adopt an agreement proposal made by the mediator. Those who took mediation service more frequently in the past tend to have lower chance to make use of mediation service successfully. Those who saw the mediators of their dispute to be qualified with fairness and expertise tend to have higher chance. As the time of mediation meeting lengthens, it is more likely for them to reach an agreement with assistance by the mediators.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2001

This study was performed to evaluate a local exhaust ventilation system capability and welding fume concentration in welding laboratory at 5 technical high schools. Results of the study are as follows; 1. The personal exposure of welding fume in welding laboratory was measured. The geometric mean of 73 personal samples was $6.27mg/m^3$($3.85{\sim}9.88mg/m^3$), and 68.5% of these exceeded TLV of the Korea Ministry of Labor. 2. The geometric mean of welding fume at outside of booth was $2.27mg/m^3$($1.57{\sim}2.58mg/m^3$). All of measured concentrations were lower than TLV of the Korea Ministry of Labor. 3. Local exhaust ventilation system in welding laboratory could not remove hazardous substance effectively because of inappropriate canopy hood and absurd design. 4. The possibility of exposure risk was estimated to be high because of working point under breathing zone, misplacement of working table and insufficient supply of respiratory protector. 5. The mean values of capture velocity and transportation velocity of local exhaust ventilation system in welding laboratory were 0.38m/sec, 4.27m/sec respectively. These values were satisfied the guideline of the Korea Ministry of Labor. 6. The efficiency of performance of local ventilation system was anticipated to be decreased because of accumulated dust and alien substance on fan and duct.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.806-814
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• 2023

Purpose: According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, in order to prevent industrial accidents, the right to stop work must be exercised in the event of an imminent danger. This study conducted a fact-finding survey on whether employers fulfilled the right to suspend work in the workplace when an imminent danger, such as a typhoon, was encountered. Method: For two days from August 9 to October, when the impact of Typhoon Khanun No. 6 was significant, it was confirmed by wire whether or not the work suspension was carried out at the workplace, and the subjects of the survey were 1,649 construction sites, 830 manufacturing sites, and 278 other industries, for a total of 2,757 sites. Result: As a result of the fact-finding survey, 56% (1,555 locations) on August 9th and 77% (2,142 locations) on August 10th carried out full or partial work suspension. In particular, on August 10, when the typhoon landed, 40% of all workplaces completely stopped work. Conclusion: Through this study, it was confirmed that the right to suspend work by employers is being used in actual workplaces. In the future, when there is an imminent danger, in addition to the right to suspend work, flexible and telecommuting, working hour adjustments, etc. must be actively used to ensure the safety of workers and protect their lives.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.12-18
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• 2023

Objectives: Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an essential means for protecting workers against hazardous agents or risks that threaten their safety and health. Governmental organizations related to safety and health in the workplace regulate the PPE rules to protect workers and to minimize damage from hazardous agents. This study discussed current PPE rules overseen by the Korea Ministry of Environment and explores future perspectives on the matter. Methods: This study was based on a review of PPE regulations with which every stakeholder should comply in the workplace. Both South Korean regulations enforced by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Environment and cases from other countries were reviewed. Results: Regulations related to the PPE required for handling chemical substances in the workplace are enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Enforcement Decree, Enforcement Rules, and Notification of Protective Equipment Certification under the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The Ministry of Environment also regulates the PPE standards for 97 substances requiring preparation for accidents and adjustment of work conditions, but a recent amendment (partially amended on September 30, 2022) loosened some unreasonable or excessive provisions. It requires workers simply to carry or otherwise keep PPE handy instead of wearing it for some tasks in which hazardous chemicals are not handled directly. Conclusions: It is important to regularly review provisions that need to be improved or supplemented to help all stakeholders. Considerations should be also made to build a reasonable regulatory system that can induce more mature safety management in each workplace.