POSCO Holdings Chairman Promises to Restore Trust in Industrial Safety

Chairman Jang In-hwa of POSCO Holdings announced on June 15 that the company will conduct a comprehensive review of its safety management system and strengthen measures to prevent future industrial accidents, following a recent incident at the Shin Ansan Line construction site.
During a safety management review meeting led by Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon, Jang emphasized, "We will mobilize all available resources, including securing safety budgets and related investments, to restore public trust in industrial safety and ensure that similar accidents do not occur across all our business sites."
The meeting was convened in response to the industrial accident that occurred on June 9 at the POSCO E&C Shin Ansan Line construction site, prompting the Ministry of Employment and Labor to urge POSCO Group to reform its safety management practices and implement rigorous preventive measures.
In attendance were key executives from the group, including Yoo In-jong, president of POSCO Safety Solutions; Lee Hee-keun, president of POSCO; and Song Chi-young, president of POSCO E&C, who reported on safety measures and strategies to eliminate repeated accidents at their respective companies.
Minister Kim stressed the need for special measures at particularly hazardous sites like the Shin Ansan Line, calling for increased safety investments and practical improvements, such as hiring more health and safety managers to ensure effective safety operations on-site.
In response, Jang noted, "The Shin Ansan Line construction site, reaching depths of 70 meters, poses significantly higher risks than typical sites. We will convert all safety personnel to full-time positions and allocate additional staff beyond legal requirements."
He also stated, "We will concentrate supervisory personnel from world-class safety companies across all Shin Ansan Line sites to ensure thorough oversight until the project is completed, preventing any recurrence of similar accidents."
In light of this incident, POSCO Group plans to reassess the safety management systems across all its subsidiaries in construction and steel, further enhancing its safety management framework.
Meanwhile, since the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act, a total of 18 fatalities have been reported among POSCO Group affiliates, with POSCO E&C accounting for 10 and POSCO for 4. The Ministry of Employment and Labor is demanding fundamental improvements to the safety management system at the group level.

* This article has been translated by AI.