KOSHA and KT sign safety accord to spread culture, close gaps

The Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency said Thursday it signed a memorandum of understanding with KT to spread a culture of safety and narrow the gap between contractors and their subcontractors, drawing on the telecoms company's public reach.

The agreement, signed at KT's Gwanghwamun headquarters in central Seoul, brings together KOSHA's industrial safety expertise and KT's ability to reach the general public, the labor ministry said in a statement. KOSHA President Kim Hyun-joong and KT Executive Vice President Kim Young-in attended the signing.

Under the agreement, the two sides will cooperate on participation in the safety culture practice initiative, the spread of public safety messages through online and offline media, and the discovery and sharing of examples of good safety practice.

KT has taken part in the safety culture practice initiative, running campaigns with KOSHA, and the agency credited the company with working to prevent accidents not only among its own employees but also among partner firms and short-term workers, including through a training center specialized for the telecommunications industry.

In July, during the month dedicated to industrial safety and health, KT displayed a safety promotional video on a large screen in Gwanghwamun, reaching more than 2 million people. KOSHA cited the campaign as an example of how KT's popularity can be used to spread safety awareness.

"We will deliver safety messages more quickly through KT's wide promotional infrastructure, and we will spare no company-wide support so that safety can take hold as the most important value across society," Kim said.

The two organizations said they will focus on using KT's promotional infrastructure to spread safety messages quickly, and on joint activities that use private safety experience centers to close the safety gap between partner companies and small worksites in the regions.