Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety’s ‘Safety Traffic Light’ to Expand to Private Construction Sites

[Financial News] The Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety is introducing in private construction sites the safety management system that has reduced accidents on public projects. Under the arrangement, it will operate the ‘KALIS Safety Management System (Private-Sector Traffic Light)’ together with engineering firms responsible for construction supervision. The two institutions will establish a safety consultative body and share information on safety- and quality-related laws and regulations.
According to the Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety (hereafter, the Authority) on the 21st, its Yeongnam Regional Headquarters signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Saman that day in the main conference room at its headquarters in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province. Saman is one of South Korea’s construction engineering firms. The agreement aims to prevent safety accidents at construction sites and help the private sector establish a system to manage safety on its own.
Under the agreement, the two institutions will form a safety consultative body to prevent construction accidents. Construction supervisors will jointly take part in operating the Private-Sector Traffic Light. They also plan to share information on laws and regulations related to safety and quality management.
The agreement builds on the Authority’s move to extend to the private sector the safety management system (Safety Traffic Light) it has operated at publicly commissioned construction sites since 2022. With its effectiveness in reducing accidents confirmed, the Authority intends to apply the same framework at private sites where construction supervisors are involved. The Yeongnam Regional Headquarters believes that if those involved in private construction establish the system voluntarily and inspect and manage sites themselves, they can root out poor construction and prevent accidents.
Public commissioning authorities find it difficult to directly manage private construction projects. The agreement is understood to make construction supervisors, who verify the work on site, a link in safety management.
Since the start of this year, the Authority has signed a series of agreements in the field of construction safety. On June 23, it signed an agreement with the Construction Safety Executives Council at the Korea Authority of Land & Infrastructure Safety Training Institute in Gimcheon. The parties agreed to cooperate on safety inspections at construction sites, improving hazardous conditions, safety management advice and consulting, and safety education and outreach. On July 23, the Yeongnam Regional Headquarters joined forces with Korea National Railway. They agreed to apply the ‘Smart Safety Equipment Support Project’ to the railway authority’s major infrastructure projects, including the Southern Inland Railway construction project. The Authority has expanded such cooperation since its president, Park Chang-geun, took office in January.
Kim Seong-jun, head of the Authority’s Yeongnam Regional Headquarters, said, “I will do my utmost to ensure that expanding the safety management system to private construction sites becomes an opportunity to dramatically reduce construction-related accidents.”

[email protected] Jeong Gyeong-su Reporter