The government has expressed its commitment to raising safety management standards in high-risk workplaces and strengthening the safety net for vulnerable workers, starting this year. It is necessary to examine the core details of these policies to see how they will transform extreme occupation sites in our society.

What Changes with the Comprehensive Survey of High-Risk Workplaces?

Starting in April 2026, the Ministry of Employment and Labor began a comprehensive survey of 100,000 high-risk workplaces prone to industrial accidents. This is a follow-up to recent workplace accidents, reflecting a strong commitment to thoroughly inspect hazardous workplaces and verify the operation of safety-related systems. This comprehensive survey goes beyond simple supervision, focusing on encouraging each workplace to identify and improve its own risk factors.

• Self-inspection and Improvement: All 100,000 high-risk workplaces must self-inspect and improve their compliance with safety and health measures.
• Intensive Management: Workplaces deemed to have high risks will receive supervision and dedicated management from regional labor offices.
• Linked Support: Small-scale workplaces with relatively weak safety capabilities will receive support through consulting and on-site guidance from related organizations such as the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency.

This comprehensive survey aims to protect workers’ lives and safety and fundamentally reduce serious accidents.

Key Directions of the 2026 Industrial Safety Policy

Through the 2026 industrial safety policy, the Ministry of Employment and Labor is promoting various system improvements and support measures for workplace safety. In particular, it has announced a significant expansion of supervisory personnel and infrastructure, and a strict response to legal violations.

• Increased Supervisory Personnel: The number of industrial safety supervisors will be significantly increased from 895 last year to 2,095 this year, enhancing their expertise.
• Always-on Rapid Response System: 70 patrol teams will operate nationwide, patrol cars will be doubled, and drones will be deployed to strengthen立体 management of high-risk areas and operations.
• Strict Response to Legal Violations: Guidance will be strengthened to ensure that not only employers but also workers strictly adhere to basic safety rules such as wearing safety helmets and safety belts, and violations will be met with strict measures such as fines.
• Introduction of Safety and Health Disclosure System: The level of corporate safety and health management will be transparently disclosed to encourage voluntary safety investments.

These policy directions are expected to contribute to establishing a culture of compliance with safety rules across all sites, along with strong sanctions against workplaces that neglect safety or violate the law.

Strengthening Protection for Vulnerable Workplaces and Workers

Industrial accidents are concentrated particularly in small-scale workplaces and specific occupations. Therefore, the government is strengthening customized protective measures for vulnerable workplaces and workers in blind spots.

• Enhanced Support for Small Workplaces: Financial support will be significantly expanded to help install accident prevention facilities for falls, entrapments, and collisions, and a new project will be launched to create safety workplaces specifically for small businesses.
• Safety Education for Migrant Workers: In cooperation with migrant worker support centers, Korean language education for key safety terms and safety experience education will be expanded for migrant workers.
• Protection for Special Employment Workers: Measures are being prepared to reduce blind spots in the application of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, such as for truck drivers at construction sites and after-school instructors, and to establish a new health examination system for special employment workers such as delivery personnel.
• Climate Change Preparedness Measures: Protective measures against climate change, such as heatwaves and cold snaps, will be legalized, and the budget for supporting heat-related illness prevention facilities will be expanded.

These multifaceted efforts play an important role in resolving the ‘safety gap’ by concentrating policy capabilities on areas with weak safety management capabilities, and creating an environment where all workers can work safely.

The extreme occupation sites in our society are still sustained by the sweat and efforts of many. The Ministry of Employment and Labor’s 2026 industrial safety policy is an important attempt to reduce risks in these sites and establish a foundation where all workers can work with peace of mind. Safety is not an individual responsibility but a value that society as a whole must create together. We hope that these policies will bring about meaningful changes in actual workplaces and contribute to creating a safer Republic of Korea.

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