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Serious Accidents Punishment Act & Occupational Safety and Health Act

Practical Operations of the Occupational Safety and Health Committee | From Agenda Receipt to Follow-up Management of Resolutions
2026.10.16 13:05
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Serious Accidents and Occupational Safety and Health Act

Practical Operations of the Occupational Safety and Health Committee | From Agenda Receipt to Follow-up Management of Resolutions

If quarterly meetings are held but no one knows how far the decisions made at the last meeting have been implemented, the Occupational Safety and Health Committee will remain merely on paper. This article is From the stage of receiving agenda items to the stage of implementing resolutions and reporting to the next meeting We have organized the order in which the person in charge should actually handle matters, dividing them into legal standards and practical recommendations.

short answer
The Occupational Safety and Health Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) The number of worker representatives and employer representatives is the same. It is a joint labor-management deliberative and decision-making body composed of (Article 24 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act). Regular meetings are Every quarter The Chairperson convenes the meeting, and the worker members and employer members quorum attendance The meeting shall be held and decisions shall be made by a majority vote of the members present (Article 37 of the Enforcement Decree). Minutes shall be prepared. Preserved for 2 years ...and (Article 164 of the Act), the results of the resolution must be promptly notified to the workers (Article 39 of the Enforcement Decree), and both the employer and the workers [must] notify the resolution matters faithfully carried out It must be done (Article 24, Paragraph 4 of the Act). In practice, the place most frequently missed is not the meeting itself, but... Confirmation of Responsibility, Deadline, and Completion After Resolution no see.

📌 First, check if your company is subject to the formation of an Occupational Safety and Health Committee.

The eligibility for the composition of the Occupational Safety and Health Committee is determined by the industry type and the number of permanent employees (Article 34 of the Enforcement Decree, Appendix 9). Since the determination is made on a workplace basis even within the same company, if the headquarters and the factory or branch are separated... Industry and personnel by workplace You need to check this separately.

division Applicable industries (Attachment 9) Composition criteria
9 industries including manufacturing Earth and stone mining, manufacturing of timber and wood products (excluding furniture), manufacturing of chemical substances and chemical products (excluding pharmaceuticals, detergents, cosmetics, polishes, and chemical fibers), non-metallic mineral products, primary metals, metal processing products (excluding machinery and furniture), automobiles and trailers, other machinery and equipment (excluding office use), and other transportation equipment (excluding combat vehicles). Regular employees 50 or more people
11 industries including services, IT, and finance Agriculture, fisheries, software development and supply, computer programming, system integration and management, video and audio provision services, information services, finance and insurance, rental services (excluding real estate), professional, scientific and technical services (excluding research and development), business support services, social welfare services Regular employees more than 300 people
Construction industry construction work Construction cost over 12 billion won (Civil engineering business is 15 billion KRW or more)
Other industries Businesses excluding the above sectors (e.g., wholesale and retail trade, transportation, accommodation and food service, etc.) Regular employees 100 or more people
Even if it is below the legal standard For matters that originally require a resolution from the Occupational Safety and Health Committee, such as the drafting or amendment of safety and health management regulations, if the Committee does not exist Consent of the employee representative You must receive [this] (Article 26 of the Act). While workplaces below the standard may voluntarily establish a labor-management safety and health council, it is recommended to specify its nature in internal regulations to avoid confusion with the statutory Occupational Safety and Health Commission in terms of name or effect.

👥 Committee Composition | Who Nominates Whom

The core of the composition consists of two things: worker representatives and employer representatives. The numbers must be the same. (Article 24, Paragraph 1 of the Act), the worker members Nominated by the workers' representative ...is (Article 35, Paragraph 1 of the Enforcement Decree). The worker representative is the labor union if one is organized by a majority of the workers, or a person representing the majority of the workers if none exists (Article 2, Subparagraph 5 of the Act). The method of the company directly selecting worker members is inconsistent with the legal structure.

division Member (Article 35 of the Enforcement Decree) Nomination and Qualification Criteria
Workers' Committee ① Worker Representative ex officio
Workers' Committee ② Honorary Industrial Safety Supervisor If it is a workplace where an employee representative has been appointed, 1 or more people nomination
Workers' committee ③ Workers at the relevant workplace The workers' representative Up to 9 people Nomination (If there is a ② member who is a worker, subtract that number from 9)
User Committee ① Representative of the business For workplaces in other regions, the safety and health manager of that workplace
User Committee ② 1 Safety Manager · ③ 1 Health Manager Limited to workplaces subject to appointment. If the work has been outsourced to a specialized agency, the person in charge at the relevant workplace at the specialized agency.
User Committee ④ Occupational health Limited to cases where appointment has been made
User Committee ⑤ The head of the department designated by the representative Up to 9 people Businesses with 50 or more but fewer than 100 regular employees can be excluded from formation.

The chairperson is chosen from among the members. Line ..., and one person each from among the worker members and employer members Co-chairpersons They may also be elected (Article 36 of the Enforcement Decree). When a workers' representative, honorary industrial safety supervisor, representative, safety manager, or health manager is unable to attend the meeting, one person engaged in the relevant business may be designated to act as a substitute (Article 37, Paragraph 3 of the Enforcement Decree). Members pursuant to the law term of office Since the term of office and replacement procedures are not fixed, it is recommended to specify them in the Safety and Health Management Regulations or the Occupational Safety and Health Committee Operation Regulations.

Confirm 2026 revision · Starting August 1, 2026, if a workers' representative recommends an Honorary Industrial Safety Inspector from among their affiliated workers, the Minister of Employment and Labor must appoint them (Newly added Article 23, Paragraph 2 of the Act). Since the Honorary Industrial Safety Inspector is directly linked to the composition of the workers' committee, if the workers' representative is proceeding with the recommendation Reconfirm the list of committee members after the appointment Please do so. As of October 16, 2026, no recent amendments have been confirmed to the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Commission (Article 24 of the Act, Articles 34–39 of the Enforcement Decree) itself.

🗂️ Agenda items that must be deliberated and decided

Article 24, Paragraph 2 of the Act states that the employer [is subject to] the Occupational Safety and Health Commission' Matters requiring deliberation and resolution We are establishing this. To prevent meetings from becoming report-oriented, the starting point is to organize the annual agenda according to this list.

Matters for statutory deliberation and resolution reason Examples to present at the meeting
Establishment of a workplace industrial accident prevention plan Article 24(2)1 · Article 15(1)1 of the Act Annual Safety and Health Plan, Budget and Personnel Allocation Plan
Drafting and Amending Safety and Health Management Regulations Article 24②1 · Article 15①2 · Article 26 of the Act Proposed Regulation Amendments (Reflection of Organizational Changes, New Processes)
Safety and health education Article 24(2)1 · Article 15(1)3 of the Act Annual training plan, supplementary measures for non-completionists
Work environment inspection and improvement, including work environment measurement Article 24②1 · Article 15①4 of the Act Process improvement plan exceeding measurement results
Health management, such as health checkups Article 24(2)1 · Article 15(1)5 of the Act Health Examination Implementation Plan, Follow-up Management Policy
Recording and maintenance of industrial accident statistics Article 24②1 · Article 15①7 of the Act Quarterly Disaster Status, Near Miss Statistics
Investigation into the causes of serious accidents and measures to prevent recurrence Article 24②2 · Article 15①6 of the Act Measures to prevent recurrence in the event of a serious accident
Safety and health measures when introducing hazardous machinery, equipment, and facilities Article 24(2)3 of the Act Review of protective measures prior to the introduction of new facilities
Other matters necessary for maintaining and promoting worker safety and health Article 24(2)4 of the Act Sharing of risk assessment results, post-accident psychological support measures

In addition to this, such as deliberation when preparing process safety reports (Article 44, Paragraph 2 of the Act), deliberation when establishing safety and health improvement plans (Article 49, Paragraph 2 of the Act), requests for explanatory meetings on work environment measurement results (Article 125, Paragraph 7 of the Act), and requests for explanations of health examination results (Article 132, Paragraph 2 of the Act) Procedure for designating the Occupational Safety and Health Commission in other provisions It exists. If this applies to your workplace, please include it in the annual agenda. Meanwhile, the Occupational Safety and Health Commission [regarding] laws, collective agreements, employment rules, and safety and health management regulations You cannot pass a resolution with contradictory content. (Article 24, Paragraph 5 of the Act).

🔄 Step-by-Step Operation | From Proposal Receipt to Follow-up Management

Among the order below court The indication is a procedure based on laws and regulations, and Recommended Although there is no prescribed method for the marking, it is a recommended practice to minimize operational gaps.

STEP 1. Submission of Agenda (3~4 weeks before the meeting)

  • Recommended We keep channels open for receiving agenda items from both worker and employer representatives. We guide the process so that the opinions of on-site workers are received through the worker representatives.
  • Recommended Among the matters under Article 24, Paragraph 2 of the Act, items to be covered this quarter (e.g., results of education in the first half, plans for health checkups in the second half) are pulled from the annual agenda.
  • Recommended Status of implementation of resolutions from the last meeting Fixed agenda We will leave it as is. If this item is omitted, follow-up management will be discontinued.

STEP 2. Preliminary Review and Convocation (1–2 weeks prior to the meeting)

  • court The regular meeting is The chairperson convenes every quarter And, an extraordinary meeting shall be convened when the chairperson deems it necessary (Article 37, Paragraph 1 of the Enforcement Decree).
  • Recommended If the department in charge distributes a one-page summary (current status, issues, proposals, and necessary budget) for each agenda item in advance, meeting time is focused on the decision-making.
  • Recommended Members who are unable to attend check in advance whether they can designate a proxy (whether they are subject to Article 37, Paragraph 3 of the Enforcement Decree).

STEP 3. Holding the Meeting and Resolution

  • court Worker representatives and employer representatives quorum attendance with Approval by a majority of the members present It is decided as follows (Article 37, Paragraph 2 of the Enforcement Decree). It is not opened if only one side has a majority.
  • Recommended In the wording of the resolution What, who, until when Write it down. If it ends like 'Decided to review', you cannot check whether it has been implemented.

STEP 4. Preparation and Preservation of Meeting Minutes

  • court The minutes shall record ① the date and time and place of the meeting ② the members present ③ the contents of the deliberation and matters resolved or decided ④ other matters discussed (Article 37, Paragraph 4 of the Enforcement Decree).
  • court The meeting minutes are Preserved for 2 years (Article 164, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 2 of the Act). Failure to preserve is subject to a fine of not more than 3 million won (Article 175, Paragraph 6 of the Act).
  • Recommended If undecided agenda items and incomplete measures are recorded as they are, they serve as grounds for continuing to address them at the next meeting.

STEP 5. Employee Notice

  • court The Chairperson shall notify employees of the contents of the deliberation and resolution and the arbitration decision through appropriate methods such as internal broadcasting, internal newsletters, postings, and regular meetings. quickly Notice (Article 39 of the Enforcement Decree).
  • Recommended If you leave the posting date and location (bulletin board, intranet URL), you can check the implementation of the notice later.

STEP 6. Implementation of Resolutions and Reporting to the Next Meeting

  • court The employer and the employee [decide on] matters faithfully carried out Must do (Article 24, Paragraph 4 of the Act).
  • Recommended For each resolution item, the responsible department, person in charge, deadline, completion date, and supporting documents are managed in a ledger, and the progress status is reported as the first agenda item at the next regular meeting.
  • Recommended For items that have exceeded the deadline, the reason for the delay and the new deadline are re-decided at the meeting and recorded.

⚖️ When a decision cannot be reached | Arbitration Procedure

If the matters under Article 24, Paragraph 2 of the Act could not be resolved, or if there is no agreement regarding the interpretation or method of implementation of the resolved matters, in accordance with the agreement between the worker members and the employer members. mediation body within the Occupational Safety and Health Commission Solve it by placing or Third-party arbitration [It] must be obtained (Article 38, Paragraph 1 of the Enforcement Decree). If an arbitration decision is made, it shall be deemed to have been approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Commission, and the employer and the employee must abide by that decision (Paragraph 2 of the same article). In practice, rather than establishing an arbitration body after a conflict arises, Predetermining the arbitration method (method of organizing an internal arbitration body or method of selecting external arbitrators) in the operating regulations We recommend this.

🏗️ What is the difference from labor-management councils and contractor councils?

division Industrial Safety and Health Committee Labor-management council Contractor Consultative Body
reason Article 24 of the Act · Articles 34–39 of the Enforcement Decree Article 75 of the Act · Articles 63–65 of the Enforcement Decree Article 64(1)1 of the Act · Article 79 of the Enforcement Rules
Target Appendix 9 Business Types and Sizes A contractor for construction projects with a project cost of 12 billion KRW (15 billion KRW for civil engineering) or more select Sea composition When a worker of a related contractor works at the client's workplace
composition The number of worker representatives and employer representatives is the same. Equal number of worker representatives and employer representatives (including related contractors) All of the client and the contractor
Regular meeting Every quarter Every two months At least once a month
validity Deliberation and resolution, duty of faithful implementation It is considered that the Occupational Safety and Health Committee and the Contractor Consultative Body were established separately at the time of formation. Consultation on work start time, contact methods, evacuation methods, risk assessment, etc.

If it is a manufacturing business that operates both an office and a factory with resident partner companies Occupational Safety and Health Commission (quarterly) and Contractor Consultative Body (Monthly) You may need to manage them separately. While it is possible to hold two meetings consecutively on the same day, it is safer (recommended) to keep separate minutes for each meeting body.

🧭 2026 Risk Assessment Revision and Occupational Safety and Health Committee Agenda

With the amendment effective June 1, 2026, worker participation in risk assessments has become a legal obligation (Article 36, Paragraph 2 of the Act), and worker representatives must be included if requested (Paragraph 3 of the same article). The Enforcement Rules [regarding] the method of participation Workplace巡回 inspection Establishing the basis (Article 37-2), sharing the schedule prior to implementation and the results of the determination of hazardous and dangerous factors and risks, improvement measures, and implementation results after implementation with workers (Article 37-3), and the results including participating workers and worker representatives Preservation for 3 years It was mandated to do so (Article 37-4).

The results of the risk assessment are not listed as a separate item in Article 24, Paragraph 2 of the Act. However, if the improvement measures require a budget or changes to facilities, they must be submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Commission under the 'Industrial Accident Prevention Plan' or 'Other Necessary Matters'. Manage the implementation of improvement measures together in the resolution ledger. We recommend this approach. If worker members participate in the巡回 inspection, it is also natural for the Occupational Safety and Health Committee to receive a report on the results.

💸 Fine for violation (Appendix 35 of the Enforcement Decree)

Violation reason 1st 2nd 3rd time or higher
If the Occupational Safety and Health Committee is not formed Article 24(1) · Article 175(5) of the Act 5 million won 5 million won 5 million won
If a regular meeting is not held (per meeting) Article 24(1) of the Act · Article 37 of the Enforcement Decree 500,000 won 2.5 million won 5 million won
If the employer fails to faithfully implement the resolution Article 24 (4) of the Act 500,000 won 2.5 million won 5 million won
In cases where an employee fails to faithfully implement a resolution Article 24 (4) of the Act 100,000 won 200,000 won 300,000 won
Cases where the deliberation and resolution of the Occupational Safety and Health Committee (or consent of the workers' representative) was not obtained when drafting or amending safety and health management regulations Article 26 of the Act 500,000 won 2.5 million won 5 million won

For workplaces with fewer than 100 regular employees, 90%, 80%, or 70% of the above amounts are applied according to size, and for violations detected during cause investigations and supervision at workplaces where serious accidents have occurred, the amount for the third offense or higher is applied (Attached Table 35, Subparagraphs 2 and 3). What is more important than the administrative fine is that when a serious accident occurs Meeting minutes and records of implementation of resolutions This serves as data showing whether the safety and health management system actually worked.

✅ Quarterly Meeting Pre- and Post-Meeting Inspection Checklist

Before the meeting

☐ The number of worker and employer representatives is equal, and no vacancies arose due to resignations or transfers.
☐ The worker committee member was appointed by nomination from the worker representative, and the nomination document remains.
☐ The date and agenda for this quarter's regular meeting were shared with the committee members.
☐ The status of implementation of the resolutions from the last meeting is on the fixed agenda.

Meeting day

☐ Confirmed the attendance of a majority of both the worker and employer representatives.
☐ The responsible department and deadline were set for each resolution item.
☐ The undecided agenda items and whether mediation was necessary were recorded.

After the meeting

☐ The meeting minutes were prepared with four required items and a location for preservation for two years was determined.
☐ The results of the meeting were announced to the workers, and the date and method of announcement were noted.
☐ Transferred the person in charge and deadline to the resolution ledger and scheduled the report for the next meeting.

⚠️ Common mistakes

  • The company designates worker representatives — Worker representatives are appointed by the worker representatives. The method by which the HR team selects and notifies departmental representatives needs to be reconfirmed.
  • Personnel imbalance There are many cases where the number of employer members increases due to the nomination of department heads, or where the equal number is broken because worker members are not replaced after resigning.
  • Meetings where only reports are made — If it ends with a performance report and lacks a resolution clause, it is difficult to regard the matters under Article 24, Paragraph 2 of the Act as having been 'deliberated and resolved'.
  • Lack of follow-up management — Although a resolution was passed, there is no assigned person or deadline, so the same agenda item will be repeated in the next quarter.
  • Missing Notice — This is a case where there are meeting minutes but no records of employee notifications.

❓ FAQ

Q1. If there is no labor union representing the majority of workers, how are worker representatives appointed?

A person representing the majority of workers (workers' representative) is appointed first, and that worker representative nominates the worker members. Since there are no detailed procedures in the law regarding the method of appointing the worker representative, it is recommended to document the election notice, voting method, and results.

Q2. Can we hold the regular meeting online?

There are no provisions in the law restricting the method of holding meetings (in-person or non-face-to-face). However, since a majority of members must be present and a majority of those present must vote in favor, it is advisable to include records of video conference access or methods for verifying approval or disapproval in the minutes.

Q3. If a serious accident occurs during the quarter, do I have to wait until the next regular meeting?

An extraordinary meeting may be convened when the Chairperson deems it necessary (Article 37, Paragraph 1 of the Enforcement Decree). Since the investigation of the cause of serious accidents and measures to prevent recurrence are matters subject to deliberation and resolution, it is recommended to hold an extraordinary meeting rather than waiting for a regular meeting. Measures to support the psychological recovery of employees who witnessed the accident can also be discussed at the same meeting.

Q4. What should be the term of office for committee members?

The term of office for members of the Occupational Safety and Health Committee is not fixed by law. Many workplaces specify the term of office (e.g., 1 to 2 years) and the deadline for filling vacancies in their operational regulations. Please manage the list of members and appointment dates in one place to ensure that the number of members is not broken due to the expiration of terms or resignations.

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📚 Source and Verification Criteria

This content is intended to provide general information regarding the operation of the Occupational Safety and Health Committee and does not substitute for legal judgment by individual workplaces. For matters requiring workplace-specific judgment, such as industry classification, calculation of the number of regular employees, and committee composition, please verify with the competent Regional Employment and Labor Office or the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency. Date of legal verification: October 16, 2026.

👉 Next step

When the Occupational Safety and Health Committee establishes measures to prevent recurrence following an accident or conflict, consider discussing support for the psychological recovery of field employees as well. Nudge EAP operates psychological support for crisis situations and a regular counseling channel.

Inquire about EAP Implementation →
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Comments4
  • Unknown User4
    회의록은 있는데 근로자 공지 기록이 없다는 거 공감이요ㅠ 게시판에 올리고 따로 남겨두지 않은 적이 많네요
  • Unknown User3
    산안위랑 도급인 협의체 비교표 도움 됐습니다. 협력업체가 상주하는 곳이라 둘을 같이 해도 되는지 늘 헷갈렸어요
  • Unknown User2
    회의는 분기마다 하는데 지난번 의결사항이 어디까지 됐는지 보고하는 순서가 없었네요. 고정 안건으로 넣어봐야겠어요
  • Unknown User1
    근로자위원은 근로자대표가 지명하는 거라 인사팀이 정해서 통보하면 안 된다는 부분 뜨끔했어요;; 저희가 딱 그렇게 하고 있었거든요

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