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Criteria for Differentiating Occupational Safety and Health Education Targets Between Office and Field Workers
2026.08.07 09:36
The criteria for distinguishing between office and field workers for industrial safety and health training are items that must be verified first before determining training hours. Rather than simply classifying them based on job title or department name, it is advisable to also verify the actual work location, duties performed, potential exposure to hazardous factors, and whether they are directly engaged in sales activities.
short answer
When distinguishing between office workers and field workers in industrial safety and health education, one should not only look at whether they “work at a desk,” but, What kind of work is done in what location It is recommended to check based on this.
Generally, office workers refer to employees who primarily perform administrative tasks—such as general affairs, human resources, accounting, planning, and design—in office spaces rather than in areas like factories, construction sites, or production sites. On the other hand, field workers are often defined as "other workers" in legal terms and may include those performing duties that involve actual contact with hazardous or dangerous factors, such as production, manufacturing, logistics, equipment, operation, maintenance, experimentation, and site management.
In addition, employees directly engaged in sales activities may be managed separately from office workers. Therefore, when compiling the list of subjects Office workers, direct sales personnel, other workers, supervisors, personnel subject to training upon hiring, personnel subject to training upon change of work content, personnel subject to special training It is safe to check by dividing it.
The key point is Verify job title → Verify actual work location → Check for exposure to hazardous factors → Classify training hours → Finalize list of participants → Compare with completion records It is to create a flow.
When will it be applied?
Criteria for distinguishing between office and field workers for industrial safety and health education are necessary in the following situations.
| situation | Items to check by the person in charge |
|---|---|
| Operation of regular industrial safety and health training | Classification of office workers, direct sales workers, and other workers |
| New Employee Training | Eligibility for training upon hiring and the necessity of training prior to job placement |
| Department transfer/Job change | Whether training or special training is required when work content changes |
| Office workers' access to the site | Check whether it is a simple visit or repetitive field work. |
| List of candidates for Production, Logistics, and Facilities departments | Confirmation of potential exposure to hazardous and dangerous factors at the site |
| Classification of sales and marketing positions | Verify whether you are directly engaged in sales or office sales. |
| Selection of Supervisors for Training | Verify whether it is a position that directs and supervises production-related tasks |
| Delivery to the educational entrusted institution | Check to ensure that the training time and curriculum for each target group were not conveyed incorrectly. |
| Management of completion certificates and supporting documents | Verify that the subject classification matches the actual completion time. |
The reason for distinguishing between office and field staff is not merely for classifying lists. Since training hours, content, training upon hiring, training upon changes in work duties, and the requirement for special training can vary, incorrectly dividing participants initially can lead to discrepancies in subsequent certificates of completion and training logs.
What HR and Safety & Health Managers Should Do
1. “Office worker” is not determined solely by the department name.
The most common criterion when organizing participants for industrial safety and health training is the department name. For example, the HR, Finance, General Affairs, and Planning teams are easily viewed as office workers, while the Production, Logistics, Facilities, and Field Operations teams are easily viewed as field workers.
However, in actual operations, it is often difficult to distinguish based solely on department names. Even within the same management team, there may be employees who regularly enter production areas within the factory to conduct on-site inspections, and even within the sales team, the training classification may differ between employees who directly handle store sales and those who perform sales management duties in the office.
Therefore, when organizing the list, it is recommended to check the items below together with the department name.
| Verification criteria | Confirmation question |
|---|---|
| Main workplace | Whether it is office-centric or production, logistics, and field areas |
| Actual tasks performed | Whether it is document/management work, or production/maintenance/transport/operation support work |
| Frequency of on-site entry | Whether it is a simple visit or repetitive and regular work |
| Risk factor contact point | Whether there are contacts with machinery, equipment, chemicals, heavy objects, vehicles, electricity, etc. |
| Whether or not sales work | Whether to perform sales duties by directly interacting with customers |
| Whether or not to command and supervise | Whether they are a supervisor who directly directs and supervises production-related work |
If the classification of subjects is ambiguous, it is recommended to verify with the department representative or safety and health officer rather than finalizing it all at once, and mark them on the list as "needs verification."
2. Divide the target audience into at least four categories.
In practice, there is a common tendency to divide into only two categories: "office staff / field staff." However, since the target audience and duration of industrial safety and health training can vary by course, it is advisable to subdivide this further in the internal management table.
Basically, it makes operation easier if you organize it as shown below.
| division | explanation | Management points |
|---|---|---|
| Office workers | Workers who primarily perform office work in an office space | Check regular training times |
| Workers directly engaged in sales activities | Workers who directly perform customer service and sales tasks | Distinguish to avoid confusion with office jobs |
| Other workers | Workers other than office and sales staff, including production, manufacturing, logistics, maintenance, and site management | Check on-site risk factors and training hours |
| Supervisor | A position that directly directs and supervises production-related tasks and subordinate employees | Confirmation of regular worker training and separate supervisor training |
| Training subjects upon hiring | Newly hired workers who require training before job placement | Hire date and training date records |
| Training participants when work content changes | Workers who have been transferred to different tasks or whose work equipment or methods have been changed | Record of change date and training implementation date |
| Special education participants | Workers employed in hazardous or dangerous work or whose work duties have changed | Please check the relevant job type and training hours separately. |
Dividing it this way can reduce mistakes such as incorrectly applying training hours or including supervisors only on the general worker training list and missing their separate training.
3. Even for office positions, if field work is repetitive, it will be verified separately.
Even if hired for an office job, if there is repeated entry into the site during actual work or direct contact with site equipment, workers, or hazards, it is necessary to verify whether it is acceptable to classify the position as a simple office job.
For example, in cases like the following, it is recommended to verify the matter with the safety and health manager rather than relying solely on the judgment of the person in charge.
| example | Things to check |
|---|---|
| Quality control staff frequently check the production line. | Frequency of entry to the production site and nature of the work |
| The general affairs manager performs facility, electrical, and fire safety inspections. | Whether it is simple administrative work or on-site inspection work |
| Research staff handle chemicals in the laboratory | Exposure to laboratory hazards and risks |
| Logistics office staff perform warehouse work concurrently. | Whether transportation, loading/unloading, or heavy cargo handling |
| The manager directly supervises the field workers | Whether or not to be a supervisor |
In such cases, it is advisable to verify the job description, work assignment chart, actual work location, work details, and frequency of site visits together to leave a record of the evidence on the list.
4. Training hours are managed along with target classification.
The duration of industrial safety and health training may vary depending on the target group. Therefore, it is recommended to indicate the relevant course and duration on the list, rather than simply indicating "office worker status."
An example of internal management is as follows.
| Target classification | Directions for Regular Training Management |
|---|---|
| Office workers | Check semi-annual training hour standards |
| Workers directly engaged in sales activities | Separate marking to avoid confusion with office workers |
| Other workers | Since training hours may be longer than for office workers, separate management is required. |
| Supervisor | Regular training for general workers and separate management required |
| New hires | Check whether training is conducted upon hiring |
| Work content changer | Check whether training is required before and after the change |
| Special education participants | Separate verification of whether it constitutes hazardous work |
As training hours may need to be verified depending on amendments to laws or workplace characteristics, it is recommended to reconfirm them based on the attached table of the Enforcement Rules of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the guidance of the Ministry of Employment and Labor before conducting the training.
5. Record the basis for judgment on the subject list.
The important point in distinguishing between office and field positions is that you must be able to explain “why this employee was placed in this category.”
For example, rather than simply writing "field work," it is better to include supporting evidence as shown below.
| name | department | job | Target classification | Basis for judgment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Gil-dong | HR team | Payroll and Human Resources Management | Office workers | Performing office work in an office space |
| Kim Min-su | Logistics team | Inbound and Outbound Management | Other workers | Performing warehouse access and logistics field duties |
| Lee Ji-eun | Sales team | Store sales | Direct sales workers | Performing customer service and sales duties |
| Park Jun-ho | Production team | Production line foreman | Supervisor | Production work and supervision of employees |
| Choi Seo-yeon | Quality Team | Quality inspection | Needs verification | Need to verify production line access frequency |
If the basis for judgment remains, confusion is reduced when communicating with entrusted educational institutions, and it is easier to continue managing subject classification criteria even when the person in charge changes.
6. After the training, compare the completion records with the target classification.
After conducting the training, do not simply collect the certificates; you must verify that the participant classification and the actual completion time match.
For example, supervisors must verify whether employees classified as office workers have completed only the standard office worker hours, whether employees classified as other workers have met the relevant training hours, and whether there is a record of separate training completion.
Even when outsourced training is conducted, you must verify that the results provided by the outsourcing agency match the company's internal classification of participants. It is advisable to clearly provide the outsourcing agency with the classifications—office workers, direct sales personnel, other employees, and supervisors—rather than simply providing the number of participants.
Management table example
The table below is an example of internal management that can be used to classify occupational safety and health training for administrative and field staff. The actual items should be adjusted according to workplace size, industry type, whether training is outsourced, and work type.
| division | Management Items | Record example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject Information | Name, Department, Job Title, Date of Hire | Hong Gil-dong / Production Team / Equipment Management / 2026.08.01 |
| Workplace | Offices, production sites, logistics warehouses, stores, etc. | production site |
| Job nature | Office work, sales work, production work, maintenance work, etc. | Equipment Inspection and Maintenance |
| Target classification | Office workers, direct sales workers, other workers, supervisors | Other workers |
| curriculum | Regular training, training upon hiring, training upon changes in work content, special training | Regular training |
| Training time standards | Time required by target category | Check based on every half-year |
| Basis for judgment | Reason for determining the subject classification | Performing production facility inspection duties |
| Completion status | Completed, Incomplete, Scheduled for remedial education | Lee Soo |
| Supporting documents | Certificate of completion, training log, attendance register, certificate of completion | Certificate of Completion PDF |
| Needs verification | Reason for classification review | Need to verify on-site access frequency |
Checklist
The checklist below is for internal inspection purposes to verify whether the classification of occupational safety and health training targets for administrative and field staff has been properly implemented.
especially Comparison of actual work location, duties performed, exposure to hazardous factors, and training hours These are basic verification items. If even one of these items is not sorted out, it is recommended to supplement it first rather than considering the list of subjects finalized.
Among all items If 3 or more are insufficient It is recommended to re-examine not only the simple list modifications but also the criteria for classifying trainees, verification procedures by department, and the method of delivery to entrusted training institutions.
| division | Confirmation items | check |
|---|---|---|
| List of subjects | The list of participants for industrial safety and health training was finalized prior to the training. | ☐ |
| Workplace | The main workplace of each subject was confirmed. | ☐ |
| Job nature | I checked whether the actual work performed was office work or field work. | ☐ |
| Sales work | Workers directly engaged in sales activities were classified separately. | ☐ |
| Other workers | Non-office workers were classified into production, logistics, maintenance, and field management. | ☐ |
| Supervisor | We separately identified positions responsible for directing and supervising production-related tasks and affiliated employees. | ☐ |
| dual role holder | We identified the personnel performing both office and field duties. | ☐ |
| Site entrants | We re-examined the training classifications for office workers who repeatedly enter the field. | ☐ |
| New hires | Training candidates were indicated separately during recruitment. | ☐ |
| Job changer | We checked whether training was necessary when changing work content. | ☐ |
| Special education | We checked whether the individual was subject to special training for hazardous and dangerous work. | ☐ |
| Training time | The training hours and actual completion times were compared by target category. | ☐ |
| Supporting documents | Supporting documents such as certificates of completion, training logs, and attendance records were kept. | ☐ |
| Handover | Criteria for classifying targets and grounds for judgment were recorded in preparation for a change in person. | ☐ |
Common mistakes
The first mistake is Dividing office workers and field workers based solely on job titles or department names Since actual work locations and job characteristics may differ even within the same department, setting training hours based solely on the department name may result in omissions.
The second mistake is Treating office workers who frequently visit the site solely as office workers. You must verify whether it is a simple visit, a repetitive on-site inspection, or if there is a direct contact with risk factors.
The third mistake is Grouping direct sales workers into only one category—either office workers or field workers. It is recommended to distinguish directly engaged in sales activities from the list, as separate verification may be required for training time management.
The fourth mistake is Including supervisors only on the general worker training list and missing out on separate training If there is a position that directly directs and supervises production-related tasks and employees, you must also review whether they are subject to supervisor training.
The fifth mistake is Failure to accurately convey the classification of subjects to the entrusted education institution Even if you have outsourced training, if the company incorrectly communicates the classification of participants, the training hours and completion records may not match the actual standards.
The sixth mistake is Not checking completion hours after training Even if you have a certificate of completion, if you do not check whether it matches the training hours for each target group, you may discover later that there are individuals who need supplementary training.
If EAP support is needed
The classification of trainees and the operation of industrial safety and health training are areas that an EAP cannot replace. Determining trainees, verifying relevant laws, applying training hours, and retaining supporting documents must be managed in accordance with the workplace's industrial safety and health management system.
However, if a member experiences psychological difficulties due to on-site workers' accident experiences, repeated exposure to risks, workload, shift work stress, or the burden of responsibility on supervisors, the EAP may be recommended as a supplementary channel.
For example, during occupational safety and health training, if counseling is needed due to accident experiences, job stress, anxiety, sleep problems, or interpersonal difficulties, EAP counseling channels can be provided as well. EAP does not replace occupational safety and health training or on-site safety measures; it is a supplementary channel designed to support the psychological burden of employees.
EAP guidance text can be used as follows.
If you require counseling due to accident experiences, anxiety, job stress, the burden of shift work, or interpersonal difficulties during occupational safety and health training or on-site safety management, you may utilize the EAP counseling channel. EAP does not replace occupational safety and health training, risk assessment, or on-site safety measures; it is a supplementary channel designed to support the psychological well-being of employees.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can everyone who works in an office be considered an office worker?
It is difficult to view it that way all the time. It is advisable to verify whether the primary duties are administrative tasks and whether there is repeated access to the site or contact with risk factors. Even for office workers, if they repeatedly perform tasks such as inspecting the production site, verifying equipment, or supporting logistics operations, their classification needs to be re-evaluated.
Q2. Is the term "field worker" an official classification under the law?
While the term "field staff" is frequently used in practice, it is advisable to categorize training targets into office workers, employees directly engaged in sales, other workers, and supervisors. Even if the term "field staff" is used in internal management forms, you must verify the classification according to the official guidelines when applying legal training hours.
Q3. Is a sales position an office job or a sales job?
Sales positions can vary depending on the work style. If the role primarily involves managing clients, drafting proposals, and handling contracts in an office setting, it may be considered administrative in nature; however, if sales are performed by directly interacting with customers in a store or on-site, there is room to view the position as direct sales employment. It is advisable to verify the role based on the actual job duties.
Q4. Do supervisors only need to receive regular training for general workers?
If you hold a position as a supervisor, you must verify whether you are subject to supervisor training separately from general employee training. It is advisable to review whether the position involves direct command and supervision of production-related tasks and subordinates, as well as what role you play within the company's organizational structure and job description.
Q5. Does the entrusted educational institution automatically identify the candidates?
While an outsourced training institution can assist with the operation of the training, the company must provide the basic data for classifying participants. It is safer to first organize the department, job function, workplace, target group classification, and supervisor status internally before submitting this information to the outsourced institution.
Q6. What should I do if I am classified as an office worker but my field work increases later?
If field work increases due to a department transfer or job change, it is advisable to re-evaluate the classifications for general training, special training, and regular training when work details are modified. Rather than leaving the existing classifications as they are, it is safer to record the change date, modified tasks, and whether additional training is required in a management sheet.
Next step
Distinguishing between administrative and field staff for industrial safety and health training is not merely a matter of dividing up lists right before application. It is a fundamental management task that extends to training hours, content, supervisor training, new hire training, training for changes in work content, and even special training.
HR and safety and health managers should first check the following three points.
| Priority check items | Confirmation details |
|---|---|
| Classification of subjects | Is there a distinction between office workers, those directly engaged in sales, other workers, and supervisors? |
| Basis for judgment | Is each subject's workplace, actual duties, and site access recorded? |
| Comparison of study results | Do the training hours by target category match the actual completion records? |
If you wish to streamline the operation of industrial safety and health education, the management of mandatory legal training completion, and support for the mental health of on-site workers at the organizational level, review the operational methods suitable for your organization through a Nudge EAP implementation consultation.
👉 Go to Nudge EAP Implementation Consultation →
Source and Information
This content is intended for general informational purposes. Specific legal, labor, training operations, and industrial safety and health matters may vary depending on the workplace's industry, size, job duties, hazardous factors, and the latest laws and official guidelines; therefore, review by relevant experts or authorities may be required.
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