Asia Pacific Environmental and Occupational Health Journal

Objective: In Korea, laws related to the submission of Hazard and Risk Prevention plans have been enforced in the manufacturing industry to prevent serious occupational accidents. However, some small-scale companies are not aware of this system. According to government statistics on occupational accident rates, over 40% of occupational accidents occur in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with less than 50 employees. This indicates that the SMEs frequently fail to write or submit Hazard and Risk Prevention Plan. While Hazard and Risk Prevention Plan is a good system, there are companies that are unaware of this system, which can result in work proceeding without safety and health measures, review or considerations. Thus, this study presents suggestions to promote the submission of Hazard and Risk Prevention Plan to prevent serious occupational accidents in SMEs. Method: Three main suggestions were proposed: Regulatory easing, simplification of administrative procedure, and consulting support. The study investigated the current situation and analyzed government regulations and policies for companies and related organizations. Results: With the introduction of regulatory easing, SMEs can submit Hazard and Risk Prevention Plan without burden. If various measures such as simplification of administrative procedures and consulting support are applied in a complex manner, it is expected to greatly help activate the submission of Hazard and Risk Prevention plan. Conclusion: In particular, these research results can be used as a reference for policy formulation and implementation bv relevant institutions and companies.

Keywords: Hazard and risk prevention, SME, Korea