POSCO chief emphasizes safety in the forefront of management

By Kim Hyun-bin

POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo reiterated his stance that safety is at the forefront of any corporate management operations.

During a recent meeting, Choi allocated most of his time to stressing the importance of safety-related issues, while reassuring his staff that they were entitled to reject performing a task if they deemed it was unsafe

“If an employee is ordered to do a task where their safety is not ensured, they are allowed to reject the task, and this procedure needs to be guaranteed for all staff,” Choi said.

“If product capacity is not met due to the ensuring of safer measures no one will be held accountable but rather they should be praised.”?

Choi emphasized that if any staff member reports a safety hazard, the related department is responsible to immediately take measures to solve the problem, stressing that safety-related spending should be implemented as a top priority and procedures need to be fast-tracked.

He also underscored the importance of safety during his New Year message, and when inspecting the conglomerate's steel mill plants earlier this year.

According to POSCO, the company has implemented six broad safety measures ― transitioning from production first to safety first, giving staff the right to halt operations, setting up a safety report system, expanding its smart safety infrastructure, providing more support to sub-contractors to enhance safety management ― to better prevent onsite safety-related accidents.

To better ensure the new safety measures are followed, POSCO will change operation protocols at its steel plants including halting operations when maintenance is being conducted, allowing workers to reject a task when there are safety concerns and discussing safety with workers before an assignment is given.

It will implement a safety report system allowing employees of subcontractors to report any safety-related incidents through the related company system that will be responded to in real-time.

Another key factor is expanding its smart safety-related infrastructure by installing portable surveillance cameras and supplying body cams to reduce future accidents in enclosed areas around the plant.

Earlier this month, a safety support unit was established to manage safety issues related to subcontractors.

POSCO has also increased employee education by expanding the use of a safety utility control center for employees to easily access information, and will invite experts to give education lectures, as well as fostering hazard management professionals.

The conglomerate is scheduled to establish a safety technology academy that provides educational programs aimed to enhance safety competence.

Since 2018, POSCO has invested 1.31 trillion won in enhancing safety measures which includes upgrading older infrastructure, increasing inspections of possible hazardous facilities, hiring safety experts and helping subcontractors implement enhanced safety measures. In addition, the company will spend an additional 1 trillion won over the next three years.