KOSHA Launches Major Overhaul to Cut Workplace Deaths at Small Businesses

The Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) has launched a comprehensive overhaul of its accident prevention programs, making industrial accident reduction its top priority. The agency aims to create discrimination-free, safe workplaces by upgrading prevention systems through digital technology integration and new campaigns.

One notable change to the prevention system is the "K-Digital Perceived Temperature Index." This digitally designed tool enables employers to determine whether to continue or halt work based on perceived temperature levels. Distributed free of charge to workplaces at high risk for heat-related illness, the system has been credited with reducing management blind spots and preventing heat-related diseases among workers. KOSHA received the grand prize at the Ministry of Employment and Labor's "Best Practices in Proactive Administration Competition" in recognition of these achievements.

The "Below 50 Campaign" for two-wheeled vehicle workers has also produced results. The program offers benefits such as insurance premium discounts to workers who maintain average speeds below 50 kilometers per hour and complete safety and health training. The hands-on incentive program led 16.2 percent of two-wheeled vehicle workers to recognize the importance of safety. The initiative has been praised for establishing a foundation for safety culture through a voluntary participation model combining safe behavior with rewards.

Starting this year, KOSHA has declared a major transformation in accident prevention support and plans to focus intensively on small businesses. The agency will establish a "Small Business Specialized Safe Workplace Initiative" targeting workplaces with fewer than 10 employees and construction sites with project values under 5 billion won, investing a total of 42.9 billion won. The plan covers up to 90 percent of safety equipment installation costs to prevent the three major traditional accident types—falls, entrapment, and collisions—reducing the burden on small businesses. KOSHA will also pursue "AI-based industrial accident prevention service innovation," applying artificial intelligence models to predict fatality risks and precisely identify high-risk workplaces. The agency will distribute educational content produced in 17 languages and operate five safety experience training centers nationwide to address disparities in information access and safety gaps based on business size.

A KOSHA official said, "We will do our utmost to create a Korea where workers can return home safely."