Korea Paper Manufacturers Association Holds 'Safety and Health Conference'; Korea Paper's Onsan Plant Wins Ministerial Award

Shared measures and practical strategies to prevent serious accidents

The Korea Paper Manufacturers Association said on Nov. 6 that it had held its 7th Safety and Health Conference to prevent industrial accidents and establish a workplace-centered safety culture.

The Korea Paper Association said on the 6th that it held the 7th Safety and Health Conference in Ulsan over two days starting on the 5th. Choi Hyunsu, president of the Korea Paper Association (left), and Kim Jongsu, plant manager of Korea Paper's Onsan Plant, which was selected as an outstanding workplace for safety management, pose for a commemorative photo. Korea Paper Association

The conference took place in Ulsan over two days, Nov. 5-6. Safety and health managers from major paper companies nationwide attended and shared proactive prevention measures and practical strategies to reduce serious accidents.

The event included awards for workplaces with outstanding safety management, individuals who had made notable contributions, and exemplary cases; the release of new content on preventing serious accidents; expert training by the safety advisory committee; group discussions on preventing industrial accidents; and discussions on revitalizing the standing safety council. On the second day, Nov. 6, attendees visited Korea Paper's Onsan plant to see its advanced safety management system and on-site improvements to address risk factors.

In his opening remarks, Chairman Choi Hyunsu said, "The paper industry operates continuously, 24 hours a day, and faces complex, ever-present hazards, including large paper machines, heavy rolls, high-pressure steam and chemicals. Even a moment's inattention can lead to a serious accident."

Chairman Choi urged attendees to "move beyond tolerating risks as a matter of routine and conducting perfunctory paperwork checks, and ensure that safety takes root as an 'unshakable culture' in every moment of daily life, beyond the requirements of laws and regulations." He added, "There is no such thing as doing too much when it comes to safety. Let us work toward zero accidents with an attitude that fears a single moment of inattention more than ten successful operating runs."

At the awards ceremony, Korea Paper's Onsan plant was named a workplace with outstanding safety management and received the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Award. The plant has consistently worked to establish an autonomous safety and health management system, address potential risks, and promote collaborative safety initiatives with partner companies.

The conference also presented awards for an exemplary workplace safety and health management case competition. The Grand Prize went to Hansol Paper for automating work related to GCC-1 powder. Eight cases in total were selected for Excellence Awards, including Taelim Paper's unmanned improvements to address the risk of workers being crushed during lower-level broke handling, and Moorim P&P's improvements to reduce risks during wrinkle-removal work in the paper machine process.

In 2019, the paper industry launched the Standing Safety Council to share safety expertise among workplaces and take proactive measures in response to legislation such as the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. This year, it secured a budget of 100 million won through the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency's "2026 Industry Association Network Support Project" and is carrying out workplace-specific accident prevention initiatives.

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