Items for HR and Safety & Health Managers to Check to Respond to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act

To comply with the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, HR and safety and health managers must review the safety and health management system, division of roles, training and records, accident response, and employee support standards together.

Responding to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act cannot be viewed as the sole responsibility of safety and health personnel. Identifying hazardous and risk factors, safety and health training, supervisory roles, managing subcontractors, post-accident reporting and documentation, supporting victims and witnesses, and facilitating return to work are also connected to HR functions.

This article summarizes the items that HR and safety and health managers must verify and provides a practical checklist to respond to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

short answer

The key to responding to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act is not to avoid punishment after an accident occurs, but to establish and actually implement a safety and health management system on a regular basis.

HR personnel must verify training, staffing, supervisory roles, worker participation, health and psychological support, and support for returning to work after an accident. Safety and health personnel must review risk assessments, improvement of hazardous factors, safety and health budgets, management of contracting, outsourcing, and subcontracting, and accident reporting and measures to prevent recurrence.

Responding to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act does not end with legal review or document organization alone. You must verify whether risk factors have been identified and improved at the actual site, whether training and inspections have been implemented, and whether a system is in place to respond immediately in the event of an accident.

item	Things the person in charge should check first
Key Keywords	Response to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act
Related keywords	Safety and Health Management System, HR, Safety and Health Officer, Risk Assessment, Accident Response
Main targets	HR personnel, safety and health personnel, health managers, supervisors, management support personnel
First response principle	Verify actual implementation rather than just the documentation
Points to note	Do not assign safety and health duties solely to a specific person in charge
Related topics	Serious Accidents Punishment Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, Risk Assessment, Safety and Health Education, EAP

Responding to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act is a process of verifying “whether the actual site is operating in accordance with the documents,” rather than simply “whether safety and health documents exist.”

When will it be applied?

This article can be referenced by HR managers and safety and health managers in the following situations.

situation	Points to verify with the person in charge
When inspecting the response system under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act for the first time	Verification of whether a safety and health management system has been established
Cases where safety and health management system documents exist but implementation status is unclear	Verification of actual inspection, improvement, and training records
When the role of the supervisor is ambiguous	Confirmation of responsibility for job assignments, training, and on-site inspections
Cases where risk assessment is being conducted merely as a formality	Verification of implementation of improvements to hazardous and risk factors
When working with partner companies or contractors	Verification of Safety and Health Standards for Contracts, Services, and Outsourcing
In the event of a serious accident or near miss.	Verify standards for reporting, investigation, prevention of recurrence, and psychological support
Cases where support for returnees or witnesses is needed after an accident	Verify EAP, health manager, and return-to-work support system
When labor inspection or internal audit is scheduled	Record keeping of training, inspections, meetings, and corrective actions

Response to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act is not something to be checked only during regular inspections. It must be re-inspected during the operation of new workplaces, organizational restructuring, process changes, staffing increases, outsourcing contracts, and after an accident occurs.

In particular, HR must ensure that nothing is being overlooked from the perspective of personnel and organizational operations, rather than viewing safety and health solely as the responsibility of field departments. Employees who have not completed safety and health training, gaps in supervisory roles, the workload of returning employees, and the psychological impact following an accident are all areas that HR must jointly examine.

What HR and Safety & Health Managers Should Do

Responding to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act is not a task that can be handled by a single department alone. Safety and health managers must identify on-site risk factors and manage corrective measures, while HR must jointly oversee aspects connected to people and organizational operations, such as training, staffing, supervisory roles, return-to-work support, and counseling.

Therefore, the person in charge should not merely check whether “safety and health documents exist,” but must also examine who reports risk factors, who approves improvements, and the sequence of responses in the event of an accident at the actual site.

1. Verify that the safety and health management system is actually being operated.

The first thing to verify in responding to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act is the safety and health management system. You must check whether safety and health goals, management policies, personnel and budget, dedicated organizations, identification of risk factors, corrective measures, listening to worker opinions, management of subcontracting, services, and outsourcing, and emergency response procedures are actually functioning.

Merely having documentation is not enough. The person in charge must verify “who inspected it and when,” “how identified risk factors were improved,” and “who was reported and took action if improvements were delayed.”

A safety and health management system is not a one-time document, but an operational system that requires repeated inspection and improvement. Therefore, it is advisable to manage quarterly inspections, regular meetings, the status of corrective action implementation, and records of worker feedback together.

Confirmation items	Practical standards
Safety and Health Objectives and Management Policy	Verify whether management has approved and shared with members.
Manpower and Budget	Verify whether the resources necessary for performing safety and health tasks have been allocated.
Dedicated organization/person in charge	Verify that roles and permissions are documented
Identification of hazardous and risk factors	Verification of operation status of risk assessments,巡回 inspections, employee suggestions, etc.
Improvement measures	Check improvement deadlines, responsible persons, and completion records by risk factor
Listening to Workers' Opinions	Check whether safety and health meetings, suggestions, and reporting channels are in operation
Management of contracts, services, and entrustment	Verification of subcontractor risk factors and safety and health standards
Emergency Response	Verify procedures for reporting, rescue, investigation, and prevention of recurrence in the event of an accident

2. Divide the roles of HR and the Safety and Health Manager.

Responding to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act alone can lead to gaps. HR manages people and organizational operations, while the safety and health manager manages on-site risks and statutory safety and health measures. The two roles must be linked for the response system to function effectively.

HR must ensure the designation of supervisors, safety and health training, training for new hires and returning employees, attendance and health issues, and support for returning to work after an accident. The safety and health manager must oversee risk assessment, site inspections, personal protective equipment, work procedures, accident investigations, and measures to prevent recurrence.

For example, if an employee fears returning to work after an accident, or if a witness finds it difficult to concentrate on work due to anxiety, this cannot be resolved with simple safety and health records alone. HR must work with health managers, safety and health officers, and supervisors to identify the need for work adjustments and counseling support.

area	HR Confirmation by the person in charge	Items to be verified by the safety and health manager
Organizational structure	Designation of roles for person in charge and supervisor	Verification of Safety and Health Organization and Job Authority
education	Management of new hires, supervisors, and non-completionists	Training content, reflection of risk factors, confirmation of special training
Risk assessment	Target Participation and Education Linkage	Identification of hazardous and risk factors and corrective measures
Health Management	Sick leave, return to work, job stress, counseling support	Health management, work environment, protective measures
Incident Response	Victim and Witness Support, Reintegration Support	Accident reporting, investigation, prevention of recurrence
Record management	Education, counseling, and return support records	Inspection, Improvement, and Risk Assessment Records
Partner companies	Contract, Access, and Training Cooperation	Verification of safety and health standards for contracted work

It is important to divide roles but not to view information in isolation. Repeated absenteeism, post-accident anxiety, and the burden of returning to work are HR issues that can also be linked to occupational safety and health management.

3. Verify the risk assessment and corrective action records.

Risk assessment is a core procedure for preventing serious accidents. The person in charge must verify whether the risk assessment was conducted in accordance with actual work, whether workers participated, and whether corrective measures were implemented after the assessment.

In particular, if only the risk assessment results are kept without any corrective measures, the effectiveness is diminished. If risk factors are identified, you must record the person in charge, the improvement deadline, the budget, completion status, and the results of the re-inspection.

It is advisable for HR not to view risk assessments as documents solely for the safety and health manager. This is because the results of a risk assessment can be linked to training content, workforce placement, job adjustments, return-to-work support, and the role of supervisors.

Confirmation items	Question from the person in charge
Identify risk factors	Does it reflect actual work, equipment, processes, materials, and movement paths?
Worker participation	Were the opinions of on-site workers and supervisors reflected?
Improvement measures	Have improvement plans and responsible persons been determined for each risk factor?
Budget reflection	Have the costs and schedule required for improvement been reviewed?
Confirm completion	Is there a record of on-site verification after the improvement was completed?
Change Management	Was it re-evaluated when processes, personnel, or facilities were changed?
Archives	Do you have evaluation sheets, meeting minutes, photos, and records of before and after improvement?

4. Check safety and health education and the role of supervisors.

In responding to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, training is not merely about managing completion, but a procedure that facilitates actual implementation. You must ensure that regular training, training upon hiring, training upon changes in work content, special training, and supervisor training are conducted without omission for each target group.

Supervisors play a key role in identifying risk factors and managing work on-site. Therefore, the list of supervisors, their training completion status, inspection roles, and reporting standards in the event of an accident must be clearly defined.

When conducting training, you should not only check "who attended the training" but also examine whether the training content reflects actual risk factors. In the event of work changes, the introduction of new equipment, changes in protective equipment, or recurring accidents, it is advisable to supplement existing training materials by reflecting on-site standards rather than using them as is.

Education and Role Item	Verification criteria
Regular training	Verification of eligible candidates and completion status by job function and industry
Training upon hiring	Check pre-placement training status for new hires
Training when work content changes	Verify whether risk factors of the changed work are reflected
Special education	Separate management of workers subject to hazardous and dangerous work
Supervisor training	Verification of supervisor list and training completion status
Educational materials	Reflecting our workplace risk factors and accident cases
Management of non-completioners	Re-guidance, supplementary training, completion record management
Field application	Verification of compliance with actual work procedures after training

Education is not merely “collecting certificates,” but a practical tool for reducing on-site risks.

5. Verify the safety and health standards for contracted, service, and outsourced work.

Workplaces working with subcontractors, contractors, and service providers must also verify safety and health standards within the contracting, service, and consignment relationships. They must examine who performs the actual work, where risk factors occur, and whether safety measures and training were conducted prior to work.

The mere presence of safety and health clauses in a contract is not sufficient. Pre-work risk assessments, visitor training, work permits, protective equipment, emergency contact networks, and accident reporting procedures must be actually implemented.

This aspect is difficult to manage by the safety and health manager alone. Purchasing, general affairs, HR, site managers, and subcontractor representatives must work together to align standards from the contract stage to the post-work evaluation.

Confirmation items	Practical standards
Contract stage	Specifying safety and health responsibilities, training, protective equipment, and accident reporting standards
Before work	Sharing risk factors, work permits, access training, and verifying emergency contact networks
Working	巡回 inspections, wearing of protective equipment, management of hazardous work
In case of an accident	Reporting standards, emergency measures, investigation cooperation procedures
Record management	Keeping meeting minutes, training records, work permits, and checklists
Renewal and evaluation	Reflecting the level of safety and health implementation in the evaluation criteria

6. Establish response procedures in advance in the event of an accident.

When a major accident or near-miss occurs, the sequence of initial response is critical. Immediately after the accident, priority should be given to rescue, emergency measures, prevention of further risks, internal reporting, and response by relevant agencies, rather than determining liability first.

HR and safety and health managers must predetermine who will call 119, report to management, preserve the scene, and support victims and witnesses in the event of an accident. If these procedures are not established, delays in reporting, missing records, and the spread of anxiety among employees may occur in actual situations.

After an accident, it is necessary to verify the facts and implement measures to prevent recurrence. In this process, rather than leading the accident investigation itself, it is advisable for HR to take on a role that includes providing psychological support to victims, witnesses, colleagues, and managers, facilitating their return to work, adjusting work schedules, and jointly reviewing internal communication standards.

step	Checklist
Immediate response	Rescue, first aid, 119 call, on-site danger prevention
Internal report	Executive Officer, Safety and Health Officer, HR Reporting Line
On-site preservation	Prevention of unauthorized alteration, securing photos, videos, and data
Response by relevant agencies	Cooperation with necessary reporting and investigations
Accident investigation	Confirmation of causes, work procedures, training, protective equipment, and risk assessment
prevention of recurrence	Improvement measures, person in charge, deadline, budget, re-examination
Member support	Psychological support for victims, witnesses, colleagues, and managers
Return support	Work adjustment, working hours, counseling, health check

Accident response procedures must be organized in advance to reduce confusion in actual situations.

HR & Safety & Health Manager Verification Standards

item	HR Verification criteria	Safety and health verification standards
Safety and Health Management System	Roles, Personnel, Training, and Records Management	Identification, improvement, and inspection of risk factors
Supervisor	Designation, Training, and Role Guide	On-site inspection and work management standards
Risk assessment	Linking education, participation, and job adjustment	Evaluation, Improvement, and Re-examination Records
Safety and health education	Participants, Completion, Supplementary Education	Reflection of training content and on-site risks
Contracting, Services, Outsourcing	Contract, Visitor, and Partner Management	Risk sharing and inspection before work
Incident Response	Victim, Witness, and Reintegration Support	Structure, investigation, prevention of recurrence
Record management	Separation of personnel, training, and counseling records	Storage of inspection, improvement, and accident records
EAP linkage	Psychological support and managerial counseling	Post-accident tissue recovery support

Practical Checklist

Confirmation items	inspection
Safety and health objectives and management policies are documented.	☐
The roles of safety and health personnel and supervisors are defined.	☐
The safety and health budget and personnel are allocated in accordance with actual work.	☐
The risk assessment reflects actual work and risk factors.	☐
Following the risk assessment, there are records of the person in charge of corrective measures, the deadline, and completion.	☐
Channels for listening to workers' opinions and for suggestions and reports are being operated.	☐
The subjects for regular training, training upon hiring, special training, and supervisor training were classified.	☐
Those who have not completed the course and those subject to supplementary training are managed separately.	☐
Safety and health standards for contracted, service, and outsourced work were reflected in the contracts and on-site.	☐
Procedures for rescue, reporting, notification, and scene preservation in the event of an accident are outlined.	☐
There are procedures for accident investigation and the establishment of measures to prevent recurrence.	☐
There are standards for psychological support for victims, witnesses, colleagues, and managers.	☐
There are procedures for adjusting duties and verifying the health of returning employees.	☐
Safety and health records, HR records, and counseling records are classified by purpose.	☐
This guide distinguishes between EAP counseling and legal accident investigation procedures.	☐

Common mistakes

First, there are cases where the response to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act is viewed solely as a matter of organizing documents.
Even if safety and health management system documents exist, their effectiveness is diminished if risk factors are not improved at the site. The person in charge must verify that the documents, the site, training, and corrective measures are interconnected.

Second is the case where HR is considered unrelated to safety and health work.
HR is connected to training, supervisor designation, staffing, return-to-work support, counseling support, and grievance response. In responding to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, HR is not merely a support department for safety and health personnel, but a department that collaborates in establishing operational standards.

Third, there are cases where only the risk assessment results are kept and corrective measures are missed.
Once risk factors have been identified, you must document the improvement plan, person in charge, deadline, budget, and completion status. If there is only an evaluation sheet and no record of improvements, it is difficult to explain whether actual implementation took place.

Fourth, there are cases where supervisor training is treated like general training.
Supervisors play a key role in managing on-site risks. Rather than simply checking whether they have completed the required training, you must provide guidance on the inspection and reporting roles they are responsible for.

Fifth is the case where psychological support is missed after an accident.
Following serious accidents or near misses, not only the victims but also witnesses, colleagues, and managers can be psychologically affected. We must not stop at accident investigations and legal responses alone, but must also establish a recovery support system.

Sixth is the case where EAP is misunderstood as an incident response procedure.
EAP is a system that supports psychological counseling and organizational recovery, but it does not replace rescue, reporting, investigation, or prevention measures. In the event of an accident, the priority is calling 119, securing safety at the scene, responding to relevant agencies, and internal crisis response procedures.

If EAP support is needed

In responding to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, the EAP is not a system that replaces legal response or safety and health measures. In the event of an accident, rescue, reporting, securing on-site safety, coordination with relevant agencies, accident investigation, and measures to prevent recurrence must be carried out first.

However, following an accident, not only the victim but also witnesses, colleagues, and managers may experience psychological trauma. Separate from the accident investigation, HR can identify employees' anxiety, sleep problems, guilt, burden of returning to work, and tension within the team, and refer them to EAP counseling or organizational recovery programs if necessary.

situation	EAP Directions for use
Accident witness complained of anxiety and sleep problems	Post-accident psychological support, individual counseling
The victim or the returning employee feels burdened by returning to work	Counseling before and after return, work adaptation support
Cases where colleagues feel anxious after an accident	Group psychological support, organizational recovery program
Managers feel the burden of incident response and explanation.	Managerial consultation, communication coaching
Team conflict intensifies during accident investigation	Conflict mitigation, support for organizational communication
Tension at the scene is rising due to repeated near misses.	Job stress counseling, manager response support

The guidance text can be used as follows.

If you are experiencing anxiety, sleep problems, guilt, the burden of returning to work, or the pressure of dealing with managers following a major accident or near-miss, you can utilize EAP counseling channels. EAP does not replace accident investigations or legal action; it is a channel designed to support employees' psychological well-being and organizational recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Is it sufficient for only the safety and health manager to handle the response to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act?
No. Even if the Safety and Health officer manages risk factors and on-site measures, HR must also manage training, supervisory roles, staffing, return-to-work support, counseling support, and grievance response. The two departments must divide their roles and collaborate for the response system to function effectively.

Q2. Is having the safety and health management system document sufficient?
Documents alone are insufficient. You must verify whether actual risk factors have been identified, corrective measures implemented, worker feedback reflected, and records of training and inspections remain.

Q3. How should HR participate in the risk assessment?
HR does not need to perform the entire risk assessment itself. However, it must review aspects connected to training, job placement, employee engagement, return-to-work support, supervisory roles, and counseling support.

Q4. If an accident occurs, should I provide the EAP first?
No. In the event of an accident, the priorities are rescue, calling 119, securing the scene, internal reporting, response by relevant agencies, accident investigation, and measures to prevent recurrence. EAP is a complementary system that provides necessary psychological support to victims, witnesses, colleagues, and managers, and assists with organizational recovery thereafter.

Q5. Do I also need to check for accidents involving partner companies?
When work is carried out under contract, service, or entrustment relationships, both the contract and site standards must be verified. It is advisable to check whether procedures for sharing risk factors, access training, protective equipment, work permits, and accident reporting are actually being implemented prior to work.

Next step

Responding to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act does not end with merely reviewing legal provisions or drafting documents. It requires the integrated operation of a safety and health management system, risk assessment, training, supervisory roles, management of contracting, services, and outsourcing, accident response, return-to-work support, and EAP counseling linkages.

If you wish to go beyond simple checklist management in responding to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and comprehensively organize post-accident psychological support, on-site manager coaching, organizational recovery, and EAP counseling linkages, review the support system tailored to your organization through a Nudge EAP implementation consultation.

👉 Go to Nudge EAP Implementation Consultation →

Source and Information

This content is intended to provide general information for corporate practitioners to refer to. Specific legal matters, labor relations, employment, occupational safety and health, the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, personal information protection, medical issues, and psychological counseling may vary depending on workplace conditions and the latest laws, so review by relevant experts may be necessary.

Serious Accidents Punishment Act & Occupational Safety and Health Act