Korea Hydro CEO vows thorough safety management for happier workplace

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power announced Wednesday that it conducted a joint workplace safety inspection involving management, labor and partner companies in observance of Industrial Safety and Health Month.

According to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), President Kim Hoe-cheon visited Saewul Nuclear Power Plant on Tuesday alongside union chairman Kang Chang-ho and other executives and employees to inspect safety management conditions at Saewul Unit 1, which is currently undergoing scheduled preventive maintenance.

The inspection was the first joint labor-management-partner safety check since Kim took office. Participants came together on the shared understanding that safety is everyone's responsibility, jointly identifying hazards on site and reaffirming their commitment to creating a safe working environment.

Participants toured key work areas at the plant, reviewing safety management during the scheduled maintenance and focusing on working conditions and protective measures to prevent heat-related illness during the extreme summer heat.

They confirmed the implementation of on-site safety measures — including the operation of heat-relief rest areas, the provision of personal protective equipment and heat-wave response systems — and gathered input from workers on the ground to discuss field-centered safety management approaches.

The union also listened to concerns raised by members working on site during the heat wave and communicated with the company and partner firms on ways to improve industrial accident prevention.

KHNP said plant managers and local union branch chairs are also conducting joint safety inspections at individual facilities across the country, as the company continues to build a safety culture rooted in labor-management cooperation.

"Starting with this joint safety inspection, management, labor and our partner companies will communicate constantly to embed safety as an absolute value on the ground," Kim said. "Through thorough, field-centered safety management, we will work together to build a happy workplace where every worker can feel secure."