Winter safety campaign runs through December in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Daegu and Ulsan
Foundation offers free parts replacement and cold-weather gear for delivery workers, along with health consultations
Emotional support for service workers and cold-illness prevention for parcel couriers also planned
As icy roads and falling temperatures raise the risk of accidents for delivery workers this winter, the Korea Labor Foundation has launched a free motorcycle safety inspection program and is distributing cold-weather gear. The foundation plans to extend support beyond delivery and parcel workers to include emotional laborers, protecting the physical and mental health of vulnerable workers throughout the season.
The foundation said Wednesday it held a winter safety campaign at the parking lot of the Ulsan Buk-gu Culture and Arts Center, offering delivery and mobile workers free motorcycle safety inspections, cold-weather supplies and health consultations.
The campaign is the winter installment of the foundation's seasonal worker safety initiative, a year-round program tailored to working conditions and occupational hazards of each season. Running under the slogan "Safety for All," the campaign began Monday and continues through December across Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Daegu, Ulsan and other areas.
The foundation has conducted seasonal safety activities since spring, starting with motorcycle inspections, followed by heat-illness prevention in summer and parcel fire-safety measures in autumn. For winter, the program has expanded to cover not only traffic accidents caused by icy roads and cold-related illnesses, but also mental health concerns — including stress, depression and fatigue linked to reduced sunlight.
Delivery workers who spend long hours outdoors in winter are particularly vulnerable to accidents on slippery roads in low temperatures. In response, the foundation provided free detailed motorcycle inspections and parts replacements, and distributed cold-weather gear to help workers avoid health problems caused by the cold.
Warm beverages and health consultations were also made available so mobile workers could take a brief rest during their shifts and check on their well-being.
The foundation plans to continue motorcycle safety inspections Thursday at Geomdan-deul Park in Daegu. It will also roll out a series of activities in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, including mental wellness workshops for emotional laborers and cold-illness prevention campaigns for delivery and parcel workers.
"Vulnerable workers can face serious difficulties on the job because rapidly changing winter weather conditions make it hard to prepare for safety and health risks," Korea Labor Foundation Secretary General Park Jong-pil said. "We will take the lead in creating a work environment where people can feel secure, by providing tailored, on-the-ground support so workers can stay safe and healthy even in these seasonal conditions."
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