Occupational Safety and Health Week opens on 2, July

State of the art OSH equipment, UCC Show to promote importance of safety

25^th June

Around 250 workers are hurt at their work sites and six out of them lose their lives every day in Korea. Some 93,000 got injury and 2,114 fatality cases were reported last year alone. The economic cost, as a result, goes over KRW18 trillion, the amount that could hire 900,000 workers paying KRW 20 million annually other than that.

This statistics show the dark side of the nation that does a good job on the global arena that boasts USD 1 trillion-size of the trade and focus on hosting international meetings.

To improve that situation, KOSHA and the Ministry of Employment and Labor have been hosting the Occupational Safety and Health Week as part of efforts to help people cherish the importance of the safety and health and raise the awareness of it within our community.

?The Occupational Safety and Health Week was launched in 1968 to let people as well as employers and employees know the importance of OSH and seriousness of occupational accidents. This annual event is celebrated in every first week of July.

This year marks the 45^th anniversary of the occupational safety and health week which lasts from 2 to 6, July at COEX in Sam-sung dong. Various OSH-related programs and events will encourage people to know the importance of occupational safety and health.

Major events during the week are: celebration of occupational accident’s victims on the 2^nd; OSH Seminar that deals with 26 themes on recent OSH issues and responses; OSH best practice presentation to share knowledge and information; OSH Experts Night.

All participants as well as people in the OSH industry can participate in: International OSH Exhibition for four days, where state-of-the-art OSH device and safety products for daily lives; OSH philosophy lecture by Mr. Um, a mountaineer; OSH UCC Show , a UCC video clips contest.

Especially Mr. Um will serve as an honorary ambassador to disseminate the importance of OSH. Meanwhile in the International OSH Exhibition, around 10,000 safety device or equipment from 15 nations are shown including safety gloves which are not torn even by knife and safety device for the gas, electricity, fire and transportation sectors. This exhibition is expected to attract many visitors as they can try the device.

This week-long event will also be an opportunity to allow participants to check their stress level, blood pressure and body mass, and get to know the hazards of asbestos. Through these experiences, people can check their safety and health.