Air Busan's 4 domestic branches earn top workplace safety rating

Air Busan has earned outstanding workplace risk-assessment recognition at its major domestic airport branches in succession, credited for building a self-managed safety system that proactively identifies and addresses hazards specific to airport operations.

Air Busan announced Thursday that four of its domestic branches have received the "outstanding workplace for risk assessment" designation from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA).

The airline secured the recognition sequentially — starting with its Incheon branch in October last year, followed by the Jeju branch in January, the Busan branch in April and the Gimpo branch in June.

KOSHA awards the designation to workplaces that demonstrate a preventive safety framework in which employees independently identify, improve and manage hazardous factors. It serves as an external benchmark of a company's industrial safety management standards.

In the aviation industry, workplace safety management at airport sites — covering ground handling, maintenance support and passenger services — has grown in importance alongside flight safety. Attention to safety management systems across flight operations and airport worksites has intensified since an Air Busan aircraft fire at Gimhae International Airport last year.

Air Busan designates each branch manager as the overall safety and health officer and assigns a dedicated safety manager within each branch as a supervisory officer, operating a site-level safety management structure. The airline conducts risk assessments tailored to the working environment and conditions at each airport, and continuously identifies and addresses hazards through regular safety inspections.

The airline also runs toolbox meetings — pre-shift safety briefings known as TBMs — in which workers share potential hazards and precautions before starting work, ensuring on-site staff are aware of accident risks in advance.

Air Busan has also established channels for gathering employee input. The airline holds a quarterly industrial safety and health committee to hear directly from frontline workers, and operates a voluntary safety reporting system through which employees can flag hazards on their own initiative.

"This recognition is a meaningful achievement that once again demonstrates Air Busan's strong safety management capabilities, built on the voluntary and proactive participation of our employees and the establishment of a healthy safety culture," an Air Busan official said. "We will continue to do our utmost to create a safe workplace where all employees can work with peace of mind."