Participants pose for a photo at the MOU signing ceremony for environmental and chemical safety management capacity building and accident prevention, held Tuesday at Samsung Heavy Industries' DT Campus in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province. [Korea Environment Corporation]
Participants pose for a photo at the MOU signing ceremony for environmental and chemical safety management capacity building and accident prevention, held Tuesday at Samsung Heavy Industries' DT Campus in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province. [Korea Environment Corporation]

The Korea Environment Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday with Samsung Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean and HSG Seongdong Shipbuilding at Samsung Heavy Industries' DT Campus in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, to strengthen environmental and chemical safety management and prevent industrial accidents.

The agreement reflects the nature of the shipbuilding industry, where large-scale production facilities handle a wide range of chemical substances. It aims to expand field-oriented training and information sharing while improving environmental and chemical accident prevention at worksites and building the safety management capabilities of frontline workers.

Under the MOU, the four organizations agreed to cooperate on five areas: expanding participation in legally mandated training for environmental technicians and safety education for hazardous chemical substances; developing and operating customized curricula tailored to shipbuilding worksite conditions; sharing policy, regulatory and technical information in the environmental and hazardous chemical fields; identifying and supporting collaborative projects related to ESG management; and strengthening worksite environmental and chemical accident prevention and voluntary environmental management capabilities.

The Korea Environment Corporation plans to draw on its experience running legally mandated training for environmental technicians and hazardous chemical safety education to develop and deliver curricula suited to the processes and working environments of the shipbuilding industry.

It will also move quickly to incorporate on-site training needs and changes in relevant laws and regulations into its curricula, raising frontline workers' understanding of environmental regulations and their capacity to prevent and respond to accidents.

Samsung Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean and HSG Seongdong Shipbuilding will share worksite-specific training needs and safety management cases, identify field-tailored education programs and collaborative initiatives through regular working-level consultations, and pool efforts on outreach and administrative support to boost employee participation in training.

"This agreement is a starting point for public institutions and the shipbuilding industry to join forces and collectively address environmental and chemical safety challenges on the ground," said Shin Jin-su, president of the Korea Environment Corporation. "We will actively support the establishment of a voluntary and systematic safety management culture at industrial sites by continuously expanding customized education and collaborative projects that reflect the characteristics of each industry."


thlee@heraldcorp.com