Recently, as repeated fall accidents at construction sites have raised urgent calls for measures, the construction industry diagnosed that improving awareness of safety culture is necessary to prevent accidents.
On the 8th, a 'fall accident prevention seminar' was held at the Construction Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, jointly hosted by the Construction Association of Korea, the Korea Federation of Construction Contractors, and the Construction Cooperation Committee, with support from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The seminar was organized as part of the 'measures to prevent fall accidents at construction sites' announced jointly by relevant agencies on Feb. 28, to check the progress of each agency and discuss ways to effectively implement a series of measures at construction sites.
On that day, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo, in a congratulatory speech, noted, "Construction companies must suffer both tangible and intangible losses when accidents occur." He added, "Civil servants responsible for the system also feel various responsibilities for its operation," and emphasized that "to reduce accidents, the government, workers, and companies must work together, which will also improve the external image of the construction industry and public reputation."
He further stated, "If people think they will get hurt when working in construction, who would want to come?" and emphasized, "For the future of the entire construction industry, we must address and improve these issues."
The construction industry has continued to note that urgent measures are needed due to the recent frequent fall accidents. Notable incidents include the collapse of a basement parking lot for a new apartment in Geomdan New Town in April 2023, the collapse on the Sejong-Anseong Highway in February (killing 4 people), and the collapse on the Shinansan Line (killing 1 person).
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that it is preparing measures to prevent fall accidents. Kim Tae-byeong, Director of Technical Safety Policy at the Ministry, stated at the seminar, "We established a phased zero death goal for fall accidents at construction sites through the fall accident prevention measures announced in February," adding that "we are currently promoting institutional improvements, strengthening safety management, and implementing policies for safety culture at the sites." He explained, "At high-risk work sites, safety transparency systems will be implemented to attach signboards with the name, contact information, and affiliation of the construction company and the supervisor, and customized safety training considering the characteristics of vulnerable workers will be conducted."
Additionally, it was announced that the Enforcement Decree of the Construction Technology Promotion Act would be revised in the first half of the year to introduce national certification for supervisors. The government plans to strengthen management at construction sites by selecting about 400 qualified supervisors each year, recognized for their expertise, including structural review capabilities and construction experience.
Nationally certified supervisors will be selected through periodic reevaluation, and certifications will be revoked in cases of poor supervision. Nationally certified supervisors will be mandatory at LH public housing construction sites starting next year, and placements will be expanded to private apartments from 2027.
Afterward, Han Sang-jun, Deputy Minister of the Construction Association of Korea, introduced the fall accident prevention activities being promoted by the association, including the activation of safety education at construction sites, construction safety relay campaigns, dissemination of safety culture, and examples of smart safety management. Han stated, "It is essential to expand educational facilities such as VR that are effective for improving workers' safety awareness and mobile training centers for small businesses, as well as tailored training for specific sites." He continued, "Government support is urgently needed to expand the distribution of smart safety equipment, which is limited by budget constraints," and remarked that "it is necessary to provide incentives for construction companies to voluntarily participate in safety investment activities."
Subsequently, the Korea Land and Housing Corporation and Korea Expressway Corporation announced specific fall accident prevention measures for construction sites, while the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency and the nationwide construction labor union presented plans to improve safety management levels at small and medium-sized construction sites and prevent fall accidents for construction workers.
During the open discussion, it was pointed out that while it seems that construction accidents have decreased, they have not actually diminished, and issues such as flawed policies remain, highlighting the need for effective systems. There was also a suggestion that imposing obligations on public institutions for assessing safety activity levels could help prevent construction injuries at private small business sites.
Meanwhile, on that day, Han Seung-gu, President of the Construction Association of Korea, stated, "Rather than focusing on punishment, the government and the National Assembly should improve systems to reflect appropriate construction costs and reasonably determine construction periods," and requested, "Please improve systems to ensure that sufficient safety management and health management systems can be implemented."