Chairman Park Doo-yong of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA).

Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) is offering the One Call Service to prevent deaths related to suffocation.

You can make a call to receive the One-Call Service, in which experts are dispatched to prevent suffocation accidents at closed spaces such as septic tanks, manholes and livestock excrement pits.

Figures showed that for the past 10 years, 316 people fell victim to accidents related to suffocation in closed spaces, and 168 people or 53.2 percent of them died.

Most worksites conduct work at closed space once or twice annually, but a majority of them cause suffocation accidents without conducting safety checks or working without safety equipment. KOSHA has expanded the One-Call Service to cover all parts of the nation.

Upon receiving a call, experts will be sent to measure hydrogen and harmful gas levels, conduct education on safety for crew members and lease equipment to prevent accidents related to suffocation.

All services will be offered any time each worksite wants and suffocation prevention equipment such as gas density measurement gadgets, ventilation fans and air supplied respirators will be brought to each worksite and retrieved from there by KOSHA. Anyone who wants to receive the free services will have to make a call at 1644-8595.

The One-Call Service, which was operated in a pilot project in the Gyeonggi-do area last year, has been expanded to cover all parts of the nation this year.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) and KOSHA recently issued a warning against suffocation accidents, which occur often in spring.

They plan to launch an inspection into waste water treatment facilities, septic tanks, manholes and livestock excrement treatment facilities until June.

KOSHA President Park Doo-yong said, “Chances are high that suffocation accidents that occur in closed spaces could lead to deaths.”

The comprehensive service related to the prevention of suffocation accidents is expected to be offered to ensure the safety of work at closed spaces without imposing each worksite with costs of purchasing pieces of safety equipment and managing them, he added.

Officials with Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) conduct a contactless surveillance and inspection into construction sites using a specialized vehicle outfitted with drones and CCTVs. (Photos: KOSHA)

KOSHA Offers Assistance to Essential Crew Members’ Health Checks

KOSHA has implemented a project to assist essential crew members’ health checks to prevent occupational diseases related to their excessive workloads.

The project is offered as part of the government’s steps last Dec. 14 to protect and assist essential workers such as home delivery men and chauffer service drivers who have played a key part in normalizing daily lives in accordance with social distancing guidelines against the pandemic. Beneficiaries of the project include sweepers and street cleaners.

Approximately 60,000 workers will benefit from the project, which will cost a combined 3.35 billion won in a government budget. If a qualified worker undergoes a health examination, KOSHA will shoulder 80 percent of the related costs, and the remainder 20 percent will be burdened by the owner of a related business.

KOSHA to Conduct Non-Contact Surveillance and Inspection into Construction Sites Using Drones

KOSHA and Future Expertise Technology Research Institute have conducted a pilot project to conduct surveillance and inspection into small- and medium-sized construction sites using drones and CCTVs.