Gwangju Employers Federation: "Root Causes of Industrial Accidents Must Be Addressed, Not Just Stricter Sanctions"

Aging Industrial Complexes in Gwangju and Jeonnam Over 40 Years Old
Limited Investment Capacity Due to Poor Financial Conditions

Gwangju's economic organizations have recently urged the government to identify the root causes behind industrial accidents, rather than simply imposing stricter sanctions.

The Gwangju Employers Federation issued a press release on September 4, stating, "Leaders of small and medium-sized enterprises feel a heavy sense of responsibility and obligation, and there are certainly positive aspects to raising awareness about workplace safety. However, despite the implementation of the stricter Serious Accidents Punishment Act under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, industrial accidents have not decreased," the organization said.

They emphasized that various systems are currently in operation at worksites, including safety training, safety manuals, and the establishment of occupational safety and health management systems.

The Gwangju Employers Federation stated, "We must identify the fundamental causes," adding, "We need to address human and financial vulnerabilities, as well as aging facilities and equipment. Most of the Yeocheon Industrial Complex was established in the 1970s, and the Gwangju Hanam Industrial Complex and Sochon Industrial Complex were built in the 1980s, meaning they have been in operation for over 40 years. These sites are exposed to industrial accidents due to structural defects, reduced safety, functional deficiencies, performance degradation, and frequent breakdowns."

They continued, "When apartments and houses are over 40 years old, they typically undergo interior renovations, remodeling, or even reconstruction and redevelopment. While there is a recognized need to modernize production facilities, limited financial resources and insufficient collateral make it difficult to invest, so businesses have no other choice but to comply with laws and regulations."

The organization also appealed, "For many small and micro-sized businesses with fewer than 50 employees in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions, investing in expensive safety equipment or hiring dedicated safety managers is a significant financial burden. In situations where the business owner is responsible for sales, management, and production, it is often impossible to fully understand all the complex safety and health regulations and manage every risk factor at the worksite."

Furthermore, they stated, "Ultimately, simply strengthening punishments will not resolve the fundamental issues at worksites. The urgent message from the field is that policy support should be provided to create practical conditions for ensuring safety, rather than merely instilling fear of punishment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.