Since May 2022, POSCO has operated the Safety Advisory Committee, which consists of the Chief Safety and Health Officer (CSO) and nine internal and external safety experts. In 2024, the committee met three times to review our safety strategies, set directions for safety training, and explore ways to promote autonomous safety management. In 2025, the committee will place greater focus on strengthening supervisory accountability and enhancing the safety performance of contractors.

Since 2004, POSCO has implemented the “10 MUST-FOLLOW SAFETY RULES” In July 2023, POSCO announced a revised version of these rules, reflecting changes in the work environment and feedback from stakeholders, including employees. The revised “10 Major Safety Rules” are applied to both domestic and overseas workplaces, and have also been shared with group companies to serve as a reference for establishing safety rules suitable for each company.

To ensure systematic compliance with the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and build a world-class safety system, we have established and implemented nine core elements within our Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Management System. 

POSCO has appointed a Chief Safety and Health Officer (CSO) to ensure accountable and strategic oversight of all safety and health matters. Also, POSCO has established OH&S Management Policy to clearly affirm that safety takes precedence over all other priorities—including production, quality, construction schedules, and delivery deadlines.

POSCO’s Safety & Health Planning Office, operating under the direct supervision of the CEO, serves as the company-wide control tower for safety, enabling responsible management and swift decision-making. Through close communication with each business site, the office promptly identifies safety issues and formulates effective response measures. It also contributes to enhancing overall safety standards by monitoring safety activities and sharing best practices to support the achievement of company-wide safety goals. 

We have established a variety of safety communication channels for employees, directly managed companies, and contractors. Through these channels, company representatives—including the heads of steelworks and plant managers—actively listen to the voices of both POSCO employees and contractor workers to help shape our safety and health goals and policies.
 

We operate the Safety shared growth Certification System to pre-assess safety compliance among external contractors, provide support for addressing any deficiencies, and grant workplace access only to those who meet our standards. In addition, through the “Mobile Safety Bus” program, we provide safety training and personal protective equipment (PPE) wearing practice for affiliates with insufficient safety training conditions.These buses also serve as on-site heat shelters. In 2024 alone, a total of four buses provided training to more than 13,000 personnel.

We conduct semi-annual compliance checks on the fulfillment of obligations under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act at our worksites, continuously identifying and addressing areas for improvement. In addition, at Pohang and Gwangyang Works, the safety management departments take the lead in fostering a safety-oriented culture that strictly adheres to basic safety guidelines and standards by conducting continuous and thematic safety audits and diagnostics.

In 2024, we identified approximately 3,430 non-conformities across our steelworks through ongoing safety patrols and implemented corrective actions. An additional 200 issues were identified and resolved through safety diagnostics conducted prior to the restart of long-term maintenance sites. We also conducted special inspections of entrusted facilities and electrical rooms, as well as assessments of safety management processes for maintenance investment projects, to ensure full compliance with legal and institutional requirements and to continuously enhance overall safety management standards across the steelworks.

In the event of an accident, POSCO informs all employees of the relevant facts, investigates the case, and develop and implement measures to prevent recurrence. We have a dedicated helicopter and a system linked with medical institutions for the transport and treatment of emergency patients. More specifically, in emergencies, response actions are taken in accordance with the Rapid Response Guidelines for Serious Accidents, available via the top navigation menu under SAFETY > RISK MANAGEMENT. 

POSCO provides a safety education program that emphasizes hands-on training, interactive discussion, and practical application. We also support the enhancement of safety training systems at our partner companies. To further strengthen our capabilities in process safety management, we are reinforcing our Process Safety Management (PSM) system through the Plan–Do–Check–Action (PDCA) cycle. This includes hiring external PSM experts and cultivating internal instructors—355 of whom had been trained as of 2024. Additional efforts to prevent serious industrial accidents include upgrading the development and management of Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) at our steelworks and implementing an Isolation and Locking System (ILS) based on P&IDs.

POSCO holds monthly management briefings to assess whether the goals set under our OH&S Management Policy are being achieved as planned. These meetings also review and analyze the causes of accidents, major near-miss incidents, and occupational injuries, along with the effectiveness of subsequent safety and health initiatives. The Pohang and Gwangyang Works undergo regular external safety inspections as part of our ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems) certification. In 2024, we implemented improvement measures based on inspection findings, addressing key issues such as port safety management and access control to electrical rooms. These actions have been integrated into our company-wide risk management framework.

POSCO deploys AI, IoT, and other smart technologies to reduce safety blind spots at worksites and secure the safety of workers.  Through the introduction of smart safety inspection and monitoring technologies, we proactively identify hazardous risk factors and replace human workers with robots in high-risk tasks—aiming to eliminate the potential for serious workplace accidents.

POSCO continues to develop and implement various safety solutions incorporating smart technologies. In 2024, we deployed a quadruped robot to the blast hole of a furnace at Gwangyang Works. The blast hole is a critical piece of equipment that requires constant monitoring due to the potential risk of gas leaks. The remotely operated autonomous quadruped robot conducts real-time inspections along pre-programmed routes and enables operators to monitor conditions without the need for direct access to the furnace. Additionally, it enhances safety through continuous monitoring by analyzing inspection data in real time and issuing alerts when abnormalities are detected.

Meanwhile, a wheeled robot was developed and deployed in the underground electrical room of the Gwangyang No. 4 Hot-Rolling Mill to conduct unmanned equipment inspections. Due to the presence of high-voltage currents, operators in electrical rooms are constantly exposed to the risks of electric shock and explosion. In 2024, we developed and deployed an autonomous wheeled robot at the site, as it is better suited than a quadruped robot for areas with sloped access roads. The robot enables real-time monitoring and data analysis without requiring workers to be physically present. To further reduce the operational burden on operators, an on-site charging station was also installed. Looking ahead, we will continue to develop and implement smart technologies to create a safer work environment.

POSCO operates the Serious Accident Rapid Response Guidelines to ensure swift and structured action in the event of an emergency. These guidelines outline clear emergency response procedures, including the formation and operation of a Rapid Response Taskforce led by the CSO, who reports directly to the CEO during such events. To further strengthen emergency preparedness, we maintain an emergency medical transportation system utilizing our company helicopter and partner with medical institutions to ensure patients receive timely and optimal care.

POSCO operates both the Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) and the existing Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) to enhance employee awareness of safety and health. This dual-metric approach fosters a culture of transparent reporting—even for minor incidents—and reinforces preventive safety management practices. We incorporate quantitative safety indicators into the KPIs and apply safety incentives to non-executive employees. This framework sets clear targets and performance standards, directly linking safety outcomes to compensation policies and encouraging both executives and employees to achieve measurable results.

POSCO operates various programs to recognize outstanding safety practices across the organization. In 2024, a total of 176 awards were presented, including the Safety Grand Award, Accident-Free Plant Award, Excellent Safety Organization Award, and Individual Safety Award.