Safety
POSCO is placing the utmost importance on safety and health as its top management value. To this end, it has established a robust and sustainable safety and health management system to create a culture where safety is paramount. POSCO develops top-tier safety professionals and adheres to safety and health regulations by implementing and maintaining enhanced internal standards for the installation, operation, and maintenance of equipment, machinery, and tools.
Safety Management Organization
The Safety Planning Office, under the leadership of the Head of the HSE Division, serves as the central control tower for all safety matters. At both the Pohang and Gwangyang Steelworks, the Safety and Disaster Prevention Group is dedicated to business site safety. Within the Ethical Management Office, the Safety and Environmental Audit Group conducts thorough pre- and post-audits in the safety domain, focusing on risk prevention as well as implementing improvements and taking personnel actions for violations of safety protocols. Safety activity plans, performance metrics, and related issues are systematically reported to the Board of Directors and the ESG Committee.
POSCO operates the Safety Advisory Committee’ consisting of 10 members: 5 internal experts (including the Head of the HSE Division, an executive director) and 5 external experts.
In 2023, the committee held four meetings to discuss POSCO’s safety strategy, PSM1) management plans, and other related topics. In 2024, the committee plans to focus on enhancing
the safety capabilities of small and medium-sized contractors, including service vendors and subcontractors with fewer than 50 employees, and developing plans to eliminate unauthorized work
- Role: With the participation of external safety experts, diagnose and develop improvement plans for POSCO’s safety management system and safety activities from an objective perspective.
- Advisory Task: Developing plans to establish a foundation for POSCO‘s development into a global leader in safe steel manufacturing (October 2022 - October 2023) [Task1] Developing response plans through the analysis of stakeholders’ perceptions of POSCO’s safety activities
[Task2] Application and evaluation of SIF 2)-based accident prevention programs
[Task3] Development of assessment metrics for the establishment level of a safety and health management system
1)Process Safety Management
2)Serious Injury & Fatality
2)Serious Injury & Fatality
Safety and Health Plan Report and Performance
2023 Activity Plan
Enhancing contractors’ capabilities, improving field execution effectiveness, establishing a culture of rule and process compliance, and achieving the Zero Serious Accidents Initiative by creating a comfortable working environment
2024 Activity Plan
Strengthening execution-focused autonomous safety management activities, reinforcing the industrial health management system to prevent occupational diseases, conducting thematic diagnoses of safety vulnerable areas, and improving the levels of process safety management and smart safety
Nine Elements of the Safety and Health Management System
To systematically implement the requirements of the Serious Accident Punishment Act and to transition to a global advanced safety system, we have established and are implementing 9 elements of the safety and health management system.
Management Commitment and Goals
To ensure responsible safety and health management and operation, we have appointed an executive in charge as an executive director. In 2022, we revised the safety and health management policy to emphasize that safety is the top priority above all values, including production, quality, construction period, and delivery. In addition, we require the safety and health management policy to be read aloud before all safety meetings and training sessions.
Safety and Health Management Policy
Safety and Health Management Policy
Organization, Personnel, and Budget
In addition to on-site supervisors and safety part leaders, safety management support staff are deployed at each factory. For high-risk tasks,
Life Keepers3) are separately hired and assigned to ensure safety. Moreover, the safety and health budget is independently allocated and managed.
We also implemented a pre-execution post-settlement system to promptly address potential hazards in the field.
3)Life Keeper: Deployed to six types of high-risk tasks such as entrapment and falls, monitoring the status of work safety measures and workers’ unsafe behaviors
Two-Way Communication
We operate various safety communication channels for the company, its employees, direct management, and contractors. Company representatives, including steelworks managers and plant managers,
actively listen to the opinions of both POSCO workers and contractors. They establish safety and health goals and policies and strive to eliminate safety risks and create a safe working environment
| Category | Attendees | Frequency | Main Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety Management Committee | HSE Division / Pohang and Gwangyang Steelworks Executives, Representative Body / Contractor Representatives | Semi-annually | Company-wide safety activity review and decision-making (A top management presided safety council that is a higher-level concept of the Industrial Safety and Health Committee at both steelworks) |
| Group Safety Council | CEO and Safety Executives of Group Companies, Heads and Safety Executives of Overseas Subsidiaries | Semi-annually | Inspection of safety risks at major domestic and international business sites and review of the implementation status of safety improvements |
| Safety Reporting System | Direct Management, Contractors, Partner Companies, External Visitors | As Needed | Issues requiring improvement, such as on-site unsafe conditions and unsafe behaviors |
| Industrial Safety and Health Committee | Chairperson (Head of Steelworks), Company Representatives, Worker Representatives (including Representative Body) | Quarterly | Deliberation and resolution on major safety and health issues at the steelworks, including the establishment of industrial accident prevention plans and matters related to worker safety and health education |
| Labor-Management Joint Committee | Presided by Plant leader (Plant Level), Contractor Personnel, and Representative Body Staff | Weekly | Share safety issues and listen and respond to Voice of Employees (VOE) |
| Safety Cooperation and Win-Win Team | Safety Supervising Department, Partner Company Association, Safety Personnel from Group Companies / Partner Companies | Monthly | Share and discuss safety issues and implementation status |
| Business Owners’ Coordination Council | Presided by Deputy Manager / General Manager (Sector Level), Contractor CEOs | Monthly | Share safety performance, listen to and share improvement activities of VOE |
Case of Two-Way Communication
Improvement of Workers’ Work Uniform
The existing sky blue-colored work uniform has been worn for about 30 years since 1993. However, due to employee feedback that it is not noticeable in dark places, posing an accident risk, we conducted a company-wide survey to gather employees’ opinions on improving the work uniform. As a result, starting in February 2024, a new work uniform that considers workplace safety will be worn. To maximize the visibility of the work uniform according to European International Safety Standards (EN ISO 20471), we utilized orange and navy colors and applied reflective strips to the front and back, as well as the top and bottom of the uniform, enhancing safety during night work. Compared to the previous work uniform, we expanded storage options to make it more convenient to carry radios, lanterns, body cameras, and other equipment. We also used T Wave fabric with Bluesign certification to improve quality and added features like a waist E-band and underarm ventilation to enhance on-site mobility.
Establishment of Worker Rest Areas
Based on VOE responses indicating a lack of rest spaces for contractor employees within business sites, we completed the construction of the ‘Modular Safety Rest Area No. 1’ at the annealing and pickling plant in the Pohang Steelworks in July 2022. Subsequently, we expanded the installation of modular safety rest areas, with 25 installed at the Pohang Steelworks and 26 at the Gwangyang Steelworks by 2023. These safety rest areas also serve as educational spaces for contractors who lack safety training facilities and are used as on-site medical care spaces by medical staff to prevent heat-related illnesses during the summer.Contractor Management
To ensure safety management for contractors, we have established a dedicated organization within business sites to monitor safety activities and manage changes. Furthermore, to support the establishment of safety and health management systems for both direct management and contractors with contractual agreements, POSCO launched an integrated safety and health platform in September 2023 to provide system-based, systematic safety management. In February 2024, POSCO was recognized by the Ministry of Employment and Labor for its achievements in supporting the establishment of safety and health management systems for three partner companies (Cheongin, FineTec, and Seyoung Enterprise), and was selected as an Outstanding Large Enterprise and SME Safety and Health Win-Win Partnership Company. Moreover, we operate the ‘Mobile Safety Bus,’ which provides safety training content and serves as a heat shelter for service vendors and subcontractors working in poor conditions. In 2023, a total of 4 buses were used to educate approximately 15,000 people.
Compliance with Laws and Standard Procedures
To strengthen Rule & Process compliance, we comprehensively revised 10 major safety rules in 2023 to establish a safety culture that strictly adheres to basic safety rules and standards. We conduct semi-annual compliance checks to ensure adherence to the implementation obligations of the Serious Accident Punishment Act within business sites, continuously identifying and improving deficiencies.
Education and Training
We are enhancing the safety education system of POSCO and its contractors through reform centered on training, discussion, and practical exercises.
This includes expanding education for safety competence to vulnerable groups such as new employees and contractor employees, and conducting performance evaluations
for all safety training sessions led by the safety department. Moreover to enhance professional competence in process safety management, we are recruiting external PSM experts and developing PSM advisors (301 as of 2023) to strengthen the Plan-Do-Check-Action (PDCA) based PSM management system.
2023 Major Training Achievements
| Course Name | Number of Participants | Target Classification | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Management | Group Companies | Partner Companies | Vendors | Subcontractors | ||
| Executive Safety Leadership | 77 | |||||
| Risk Assessment Training for Supervisors | 3,056 | |||||
| PSM Professional Training | 2,412 | |||||
| Safety Competence Improvement by Contractor Level | 14,720 | |||||
| Mobile Safety Bus | 14,459 | |||||
| Visitor Safety Training | 76,332 | |||||
According to the ‘Emergency Response Procedures and Training Guidelines,’ we conduct training at the plant/section level to respond to four major emergency situations that could lead to
industrial accidents: firefighting, PSM, confined spaces, and chemical accidents. We inspect the emergency response system through these trainings. When necessary, the maintenance department
also participates in the training. For important training sessions, the safety supervising department observes and provides feedback on training evaluations and improvement suggestions.
2023 Second Half Training Performance
| Entity | Firefighting | PSM | Confined Spaces | Chemical Accidents | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target | Performance | Rate | Target | Performance | Rate | Target | Performance | Rate | Target | Performance | Rate | |
| Pohang Steelworks | 50 | 50 | 100% | 39 | 39 | 100% | 63 | 63 | 100% | 35 | 35 | 100% |
| Gwangyang Steelworks | 37 | 37 | 100% | 33 | 33 | 100% | 61 | 61 | 100% | 26 | 26 | 100% |
| Technical Research Laboratories | 6 | 6 | 100% | (N/A) | - | - | 2 | 2 | 100% | 1 | 1 | 100% |
Evaluation and Improvement
Through monthly management briefings, we measure whether the objectives according to the safety and health policy are being achieved as planned and review and analyze the causes of occurrence and the performance of safety and health activities in case of disasters, major near-miss accidents, and occupational injuries. Both the Pohang Steelworks and Gwangyang Steelworks receive regular inspections from external experts through ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System) certification. In 2023, based on the diagnostic results from the external expert organization DNV in 2022, we derived and implemented improvement measures, which were reflected in our risk management practices.
As a result of the thorough implementation of 9 elements of the safety and health management system, we have achieved zero serious accidents from 2023 to June 2024.
3rd Electrical Steel Plant Firefighting Training
3rd FINEX Plant Confined Space Rescue Training
Coal Preparation Plant Chemical Accident Response Training
Raw Material Plant Firefighting Training
4th Cold Rolling Plant Confined Space Emergency Rescue Training
3rd Coke Plant Chemical Accident Emergency Response Training
Management of Hazardous Risk Factors
We are proactively improving hazardous risk factors through the identification of hazardous risks and improvement feedback/performance analysis. The safety supervising department analyzes safety accidents
that frequently occur at plants and provides feedback to the plants. Additionally, we conduct performance analysis meetings on the management status of hazardous risks on a company-wide basis semi-annually,
at the business site level quarterly, and at the plant level monthly.
Identifying Hazardous Risks and Major Improvements
| Category | User Target | Number of Findings (2022) | Number of Findings (2023) | Major Improvements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safety Reporting System | All steelwork entrants (including outsiders) |
1,201 | 1,024 | Addressing and mitigating unsafe conditions of safety facilities and equipment in and around the workplace, traffic facilities, and road damage, as well as unsafe work practices (with a focus on high-risk categories) |
| Hazard Identification | Direct management and contractors | 48,685 | 41,564 |
Moreover, By utilizing smart technologies such as AI and IoT, we are reducing safety blind spots at the worksite and ensuring worker safety. We have introduced smart safety inspection and monitoring technology
to diagnose and inspect hazardous risk factors in advance at worksites. Additionally, we are striving to completely eliminate the risk of safety accidents at business sites by deploying
robots for high-risk tasks where human involvement is necessary.
Smart Safety Technology Application
Smart Safety Ball
The Smart Safety Ball, which is thrown into confined spaces to measure the concentrations of three gases—oxygen, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide—and provide real-time results
via a dedicated app installed on smartphones or tablet PCs, was developed in 2021. By 2023, a total of 1,742 units were distributed not only to POSCO’s business sites but also to
public institutions and other private worksites.
Smart Wire Ball
Currently, we manually inspect a raw material transport belt conveyor stretching 700km. To improve this process, we are introducing the Smart Wire Ball robot, which moves along a fixed wire above the belt conveyor,
using AI for video analysis to notify of any abnormalities in real-time. It is currently under pilot operation at the Gwangyang Steelworks. Based on the results of the pilot operation, we plan to expand its
application to both the Pohang Steelworks and Gwangyang Steelworks starting from October 2024.
Gas Sealing Robot Solution
In January 2024, we developed a solution technology for sealing gas leak areas in coke oven doors and applied it to ABB’s multi-joint industrial robots,
allowing the robots to perform gas sealing work in high-altitude and high-temperature jobs traditionally done by humans. It is currently under pilot operation at the Gwangyang Steelworks.
Based on the results of the pilot operation, we plan to expand its application to both the Pohang Steelworks and Gwangyang Steelworks starting from November 2024.
Accident Investigation and Management
In case of an accident, we notify all employees of the relevant facts and conduct an accident investigation to establish and implement measures to prevent recurrence.
Specifically, in the event of an emergency situation, we operate the ‘Serious Accident Rapid Response Guidelines,’ which include response procedures and the formation and operation procedures
of a rapid response TF organization. The head of the HSE division (vice president, executive director) acts as the TF team leader, and the tasks of the TF are immediately reported to the CEO.
The business helicopter has been converted for dual use for emergency patient transport to establish an emergency transport system, and we cooperate with medical institutions to provide optimal treatment.
Safety Management Goals and Performance
To enhance the safety and health awareness of our employees, we operate the Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) metric in addition to the existing Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) metric.
This helps us establish a culture of revealing even minor accidents, thereby strengthening our preventive safety management practices.
| Category | 2023 Goal | 2023 Performance |
|---|---|---|
| LTIFR | 0.51 | 0.35 |
| TRIFR | 2.0 | 1.67 |
| Number of serious accident victims | 0 people * | 0 people * |
* Based on direct management and contractor employees