POSCO will tighten oversight of hazardous work. Permits for hazardous work are currently issued by the operating department manager in each process area, and the gist is to subdivide them by task and assign a person in charge.
According to the steel industry on the 15th, POSCO recently decided to appoint approvers for electrical work, including power shutdowns, in the energy maintenance section. Previously, in some departments where mechanical and electrical work were integrated, power shutdowns had been authorized there, but the company separated the roles.
For example, in departments where some mechanical and electrical work are integrated, the section leader had previously granted permits under internal guidelines, but considering the nature of power shutdowns, the company changed the process so that work proceeds only with approval from a manager with expertise in electrical work.
The decision came after fatal workplace accidents occurred in succession last year, with POSCO accepting the union's demand to strengthen safety management.
When a series of industrial accidents occurred at the Pohang steel mill in Nov. last year, the union warned that organizational restructuring for workforce efficiency could create a system in which hazardous work is approved by managers lacking expertise.
POSCO requires that work involving risks of fire, explosion, asphyxiation, or leakage (poisoning) be carried out only after approval from a supervisor-level or higher official in the relevant facility's operating department.
POSCO is also implementing demands such as appropriate staffing and enhanced training, expanded off-site safety training related to high-pressure gas, and invigorating work exchange meetings between the Pohang and Gwangyang steel mills.
A POSCO official said, "This was done as part of efforts to listen to, reflect, and act on voices from the field for safety management."