SMEs "Strict Punishment for Industrial Accidents Causes Side Effects Such as Reduced Production"

[Financial News] The SME sector pointed out that the government's comprehensive labor safety measures "an excessively punitive approach, such as supervision and sanctions beyond necessity, could cause serious side effects such as reduced production, delayed delivery, and decreased export competitiveness." 
The SME Central Association stated in a commentary on the 16th, "It is expected that there will be significant difficulties in the field of SMEs due to the legalization of some measures such as immediate punishment, economic sanctions, and easing of work suspension requirements after inspection of workplaces lacking industrial accident prevention capacity."
The government announced a comprehensive high-intensity plan to eradicate industrial accidents on this day. The main point is to forcibly suspend business activities for construction companies where industrial accident deaths frequently occur, and to impose a fine of up to 5% of operating profit if three or more deaths occur in a year.
The SME Central Association agreed on the need for structural and fundamental solutions but criticized that "emphasizing only the responsibility of business owners makes it difficult to expect a fundamental resolution."
It added, "To effectively reduce industrial accidents, institutional improvements and government support are needed to induce not only business owners but also workers to comply with safety rules," and "various sanctions that could shrink companies' safety investment capacity and business activities should be kept to a minimum, focusing on prevention support for vulnerable workplaces."

stand@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yoon Reporter