Abstract
Objectives: The successful implementation of the Port Safety Special Act is a very important matter. Now that one year has passed since its introduction, this study aims to review the achievements so far and identify future tasks. Methods: The provisions of the Special Act on Port Safety were analyzed and the latest literature related to port safety management was reviewed. In addition, an in-depth interview was conducted with a business owner. Results: The achievements over the past year are as follows. As business operators took greater responsibility for safety management, blind spots in safety were resolved to an extent. Specialized training for the port unloading industry was provided, and a safety management system was established for unloading docks. In addition, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries was able to intervene in the prevention of safety accidents at ports through the deployment of port safety inspectors. In 2022, the port industry accident frequency and death rate declined compared to the previous year. Conclusions: The "Port Safety Special Act" has become relatively well established in the port industry over the past year. However, since the Serious Disaster Punishment Act was implemented in January of the same year, there is a limit on determining what is necessarily the effect of the Special Act. Future tasks include unifying contracts centered on cargo handling companies, supporting safety management costs, increasing the number of port safety inspectors, producing reliable port disaster statistics, and cooperating between the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
