It goes without saying that the most important aspect when it comes to Hyundai Glovis logistics is “safety.” The Safety & Health Team and Safety Policy Team are responsible for maintaining the safety of all Hyundai Glovis worksites—from the company’s headquarters to its regional offices—to ensure a safe working environment for all staff members. We met with the two teams to learn more about how they are building a safe working environment through smart networks.
Safety and health are essential for the sustainable management of the company. The obligations and responsibilities of companies to secure the safety and health of their workforce were recently reinforced with the enactment of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act in 2022. Socially, the importance of ESG management is also being emphasized. More importantly, however, ensuring safety and health within the workplace is crucial for ensuring the happiness and well-being of everyone in the company and their family members.
At Hyundai Glovis, the Safety & Health Team and Safety Policy Team are responsible for employee safety and are linked by the common goal of safety. The Safety & Health Team is made up of the Operation Support, Safety Culture, and Cooperation Support working groups and is in charge of operating, supporting, and evaluating safety management, not only at Hyundai Glovis worksites, but also at the worksites of partner companies. The Safety Policy Team is in charge of responding to safety-related laws and regulatory agencies and managing safety certifications and manuals.
Team Leader Jeong Seong-uk of the Safety & Health Team (left) and Team Leader Kim Jun-young of the Safety Policy Team
We support safety-related tasks!
The Operation Support W/G, Safety & Health Team
The Operation Support W/G is in charge of inspections and support work to ensure safety at worksites. Its main responsibilities include providing safety guidebooks and risk assessments. The group is also responsible for worksite inspections and HGSMS operation and management tasks, which enable safety managers to smoothly perform safety-related tasks.
“Following the publication of our safety guidebook in 2022, we then produced our first risk assessment guidebook in 2023. Since both guidebooks deal with subjects that managers directly performing tasks must understand and comply with, we used photographs and illustrations to emphasize key points and to help with overall comprehension.”
Senior Manager Choi Joo-hwan said that they decided to produce the two guidebooks because other people frequently told him that more information was needed on safety and health requirements for worksite inspections. The safety guidebook will be regularly published and updated to reflect regulatory changes that are made every year. He also plans to register any guidebook revisions or additions in the HGSMS system so that they can be immediately viewed at worksites whenever needed.
Worksite inspections are subdivided into regular (support) inspections and intensive inspections (risk assessment). Regular (support) inspections are conducted by worksite managers who are part of the Safety & Health Team for the purpose of providing support. Intensive inspections focus on reducing risks by applying improvement measures rather than on simply finding faults. An intensive assessment was conducted at the Okcheon Vehicle Release Center, operated by the Vehicle Logistics Group, this past February. The center director and staff in charge of safety and health all actively participated in the inspection, which successfully concluded with everyone forming a consensus on means for improvement of identified issues.
“Our team is currently preparing to introduce the use of QR codes for carrying out safety inspections at worksites. Managers will be able to connect to a URL through the QR codes attached to equipment and facilities and perform inspections using their mobile device as well as view inspection performance rates on the company’s HGSMS.”
Manager Kim Jong-yeop transferred to the Operation Support W/G last year after being responsible for safety tasks as part of the Domestic Biz Subdivision. He said that, unlike the existing manual inspection method that involves printing out a checklist on a piece of A4 paper, using QR codes not only allows for intuitive and convenient inspections, but also makes it possible to manage safety measures for identified safety issues. He expects that more advanced safety inspections will be performed in the future. He also emphasized that communication, interest, and participation are essential for the completion of safety-related tasks.
“Safety standards or guidelines are useless if they are not applied in the field. There are times when we make requests for improvement to worksites. I believe that worksites are making important contributions to realizing workplace safety when they accept our requests and actively participate in safety inspections.”
Members of the Operation Support W/G unanimously said that they feel the most rewarded when their safety guidebooks are utilized in various ways at worksites and when people recognize and improve areas identified as needing improvement during safety inspections. This is why the group tries to communicate more with worksites and continue to improve and develop safety measures.
A word from the Operation Support W/G leader!
“When accidents or issues occur in the workplace, there may be difficulties communicating with clients and contractors. At times like these, you can achieve good results by seeking assistance from your colleagues. We’ll always provide you with support whenever you need it. Thank you always and let’s do this!
– Senior Manager Choi Joo-hwan
Q. Please introduce yourself.
Hi, I joined Hyundai Glovis in June 2021 and at that time was put in charge of safety at the Domestic Biz Subdivision. I then transferred to the Safety & Environment Center in 2022.
Q. You support safety managers at various worksites so that they can smoothly conduct safety-related tasks. How do you communicate with them?
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to personally connect with numerous safety & health managers while visiting worksites for inspection from 2021 to 2022, and that experience helps me with my work today. I’m grateful that I can discuss worksite conditions and other issues with the worksite managers, and the fact that they appear to sympathize with our efforts to find directions for support. We were able to publish our safety and risk assessment guidebooks through the inspection activities conducted at different worksites.
Q. Is there something you would like to say to the safety & health managers at worksites?
They may think that safety is not a very important task. However, since safety is the most fundamental and essential responsibility in our company, I’d like to tell them to take greater pride in what they do. Even though safety management always takes priority, they also need to have a proper understanding of processes and operational tasks. If they actively communicate in all areas at the worksite, they will have an easier time fulfilling their safety management responsibilities.
Q. What are the future plans and goals of Operation Support W/G?
After dedicating much time and thought to finding ways to enhance the work efficiency of worksite safety managers, we are preparing to implement QR inspections, risk assessment evaluations, work permit system, and safety guides. In 2023, we plan to focus on operating and stabilizing these tasks. In addition, we are looking for ways to promote our company’s excellent safety management system to those outside our company.
A word from the Operation Support W/G!
“I think a phrase that was popular last year, ‘The important thing is an unwavering spirit,’ can also be applied to our attitude towards safety in the workplace. Safety inspections, training, campaigns, and council activities may seem like formalities, but if we do these things with our utmost sincerity, we can make today safer than yesterday. I will do my best so that people always think of ‘safety’ when they think of Hyundai Glovis.”
– Manager Kim Jong-yeop
Safety depends on voluntary and active participation
The Safety Culture W/G, Safety & Health Team
“We want to develop our safety culture so that the belief that safety is imperative for sustainable work activities can firmly take root in the minds of our staff. Our goal is to help all members of the company easily understand safety and approach it with a sense of fun.”
The Safety Culture W/G carries out safety day campaigns, contests, and workshops in order to increase employees’ interest in safety. Senior Manager Shin Sang-hoon says that voluntary and active participation by employees and company partners is crucial for creating a safety culture.
The Safety Day campaign is held on the 27th of every month in accordance with the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (enacted on January 27, 2022). The campaign is held at all worksites operated and staffed by Hyundai Glovis and includes watching videos and taking quizzes intended to improve safety awareness. Manager Choi Sung-woo says that he strives to raise employees’ safety awareness by holding campaigns that promote a culture prioritizing safety.
“Whenever we hold the monthly campaign, we listen to the opinions of all participants. We listen attentively to the various issues that are raised out in the field. I feel very rewarded when people tell me that it was easy to learn about safety through the videos we produced. It is as if, after watching our videos, they understand how maintaining safety is not something difficult and inconvenient, but is rather something that’s simple and easy to do.”
There is also an annual contest hosted by the Safety & Environment Center that is held under easily relatable themes. In 2022, a safety postcard contest and safety photo contest, open to Hyundai Glovis employees and their children, were held under the theme of “safety accident prevention.” The 120 pieces of work that were submitted were made into postcards and framed and distributed to all participants and also exhibited at different worksites. In addition, safety workshops are conducted every year to educate employees on core safety management plans, risk assessment methods, and accident investigation techniques. All of these events serve as opportunities for safety managers to share safety management issues that occur at worksites and to network with one another and representatives of the Safety & Environment Center.
Senior Manager Shin Sang-hoon said that he is working hard to create avenues through which safety managers can participate in activities alongside safety supervisors. Manager Choi Sung-woo expressed his determination to create a culture in which safety is given top priority so that employees will be aware of its importance at all times.
A word from the Safety Culture W/G leader!
“Voluntary and active participation is crucial for safety. The role of a safety manager is to prevent accidents caused by equipment or the outside environment that cannot be controlled by individuals. Therefore, personal safety is the responsibility of the individuals themselves. I believe that safety at Hyundai Glovis will rise to an even higher level when all of us make active efforts to create safer work environments.”
– Senior Manager Shin Sang-hoon
Q. Please introduce yourself.
It has been 10 years since I started working in the field of safety. As the importance of safety in logistics increased, I became more interested in the area and came to join Hyundai Glovis in January 2020.
Q. How do you rate the safety awareness of Hyundai Glovis employees?
In 2021, in preparation for the enactment of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, we had a safety assessment conducted by an outside professional institution. The results showed that although executives and mid-level managers had a relatively high interest and engagement in safety activities, our company was relatively lacking in terms of training opportunities. In response to these assessment results, in order to improve our safety awareness and culture, we have been striving since 2022 to provide diverse training opportunities, such as online sessions, workshops, and special CPR trainings.
Q. Can you describe the safety culture needed at worksites, such as the release centers, that see the frequent movement of vehicles?
The biggest threat at worksites with frequent vehicle movement is collision. Collisions between vehicles are dangerous, but if a person collides with a vehicle, it can result in a severe injury, so this type of accidents in particular must be prevented. In the case of vehicles, it is difficult to install additional safety devices that go beyond each vehicle’s own safety specifications. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a culture in which drivers observe the speed limit at the worksite, and pedestrians always walk around with a high level of awareness of moving vehicles nearby.
Q. What are the future plans and goals of the Safety Culture W/G?
In order to prevent safety accidents, we must recognize dangerous trends and conditions, and comply with safety regulations. We will continue to promote these goals by holding safety day campaigns. In addition, we are planning to appropriately award those working hard to prevent safety accidents with the intention of encouraging active participation in creating a strong safety culture within the company.
A word from the Safety Culture W/G!
“To achieve our goal of ‘Zero Serious Accidents,’ we intend to promote awareness of worksite safety by planning more activities in 2023 compared to last year. We will make every effort to provide as much support as we possibly can. I hope that the worksites will also make efforts and give us a positive response. If you have any questions about or need anything related to worksite safety, please don’t hesitate to contact us!”
– Manager Choi Sung-woo
We achieve safety through two-way communication with our business partners
The Cooperation Support W/G, Safety & Health Team
The Cooperation Support W/G is in charge of evaluation, safety consultations, and working-level safety councils that are designed to help partner companies take an interest in safety and comply with safety regulations. Since 2022, the W/G has been holding working-level safety councils together with all partners once every six months. The group also holds safety evaluations for partners every year onsite to promote safety awareness.
“We conduct evaluations by assessing risks associated with potential legal violations and identity risk factors for safety accidents, using checklists that align with the standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. We place the greatest emphasis on safety activities, such as daily inspections and risk assessments, conducted by supervisors, such as directors and managers, who know the most about the worksite’s work history and risk factors.”
When conducting a partner safety evaluation, Senior Manager Shin Kyung-sic places the highest priority on whether the supervisors at the workplace carried out safety activities. He assesses the partner company’s safety and health and conducts safety consultations, while providing guidance for improving and building safety and health systems. He also identifies relevant laws and regulations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act and helps partner companies comply with all relevant laws. In addition, by sharing safety-related information, providing support services, and listening to diverse opinions through working-level safety councils, Senior Manager Skin uses two-way communication to implement practical safety management at worksites.
“Earlier this year, we reorganized our accident management processes, such as our accident reporting and investigation processes. We hope that these processes will properly take root at all worksites, resulting in a more transparent reporting and detailed analysis of how to prevent accidents. Furthermore, through the support activities we provide to our partners, we are contributing in small ways to improving our partners’ level of safety management, which in turn strengthens the foundations of our own.”
Manager Kim Dong-hoon, who has been in charge of all tasks related to safety accidents for three years since joining the company, emphasizes that accident prevention and safety-related tasks go hand in hand. He stresses that responsible safety management is the key to preventing workplace accidents and that the importance of responsibly completing tasks, such as inspections and safety training for accident prevention, is something that cannot be over emphasized.
A word from the Cooperation Support W/G leader!
“If we all take just a little more interest in safety, everyone will be able to leave work each day healthy and smiling.”
– Senior Manager Shin Kyung-sic
Q. Please introduce yourself.
Hello. I joined Hyundai Glovis in June 2021 and I have been working in the safety field for 10 years.
Q. It must be pretty important to maintain close relations with the company’s partners.
I think communication is the most important thing when it comes to our partners. Rather than blindly make requests, we must earnestly try to understand the difficulties being experienced by our partner companies and to make every effort to address them.
Q. What is the procedure for handling and managing a safety accident when it occurs?
When an accident occurs, it is important to promptly report it rather than trying to hide it. It is necessary to analyze the root causes of the accident so that identical or similar accidents can be effectively managed and prevented. If an accident occurs that requires someone to receive three days of medical care or more, an industrial accident investigation report must be submitted to the Ministry of Employment and Labor within 30 days. We also have to analyze the exact causes of the accident and put measures in places so that the same accident does not happen again.
Q. What are the future plans and goals of the Cooperation Support W/G?
Our goal is to minimize safety risks by improving the level of safety management at partner worksites through mutually beneficial, cooperative consultations and other forms of support. We also hope to contribute to preventing similar accidents by analyzing causes of accidents within our company and at worksites.
A word from the Cooperation Support W/G!
“Ultimately, we believe that safety should not be quantified. Rather than just trying to reduce the number of accidents, we hope that people will take a greater interest in safety so that we can all work together towards realizing ‘Zero Accidents.’ The thought that I can contribute to preventing accidents is the force that drives me to do my best in my work.”
– Manager Kim Dong-hoon
We strive to establish worksite-friendly policies
The Safety Policy Team
The Safety Policy Team conducts tasks related to safety policies such as KPIs and safety-related laws. Senior Manager Choi Jun-young, along with his team, is striving to build a mature corporate culture in which company employees voluntarily participate in safety activities.
“Hyundai Glovis seeks to improve the health and quality of life of its staff by increasing awareness that safety is the greatest value for the management of the company. To improve the lives of company employees, we eliminate potential risk factors through substantiated risk assessments and preemptively respond to identified risks in compliance with relevant laws and regulations.”
In terms of safety management, the team focuses on regulatory changes that will be made in 2023 rather than on laws that have already been amended. Last year, the government announced a roadmap for reducing serious accidents, seeking to move away from the current passive and heteronomous regulations aimed at “punishment and supervision,” to an “autonomous prevention system” centered on risk assessment. This new focus is expected to cause many changes to related laws, including the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The Safety Policy Team closely monitors trends in safety regulation and immediately shares any legal changes within the company. Since the team is in charge of managing ISO45001 certification, it also establishes safety and health policies based on ISO45001 standards, ensures appropriate policy implementation, and works to continuously improve the current safety and health management system.
“Even if we establish the best safety plans possible, they are meaningless if the worksites don’t cooperate to implement the policies on site. We work to establish worksite-friendly policies by sharing the rationale and application plans behind each policy and by being attentive to feedback from the worksites. We used Teams to communicate in real time with those in charge of worksite safety. We also worked to form a consensus about the company’s safety and health management plan by holding a workshop for safety managers this past February.”
When it comes to completing KPI and worksite safety manager evaluations, Senior Manger Choi Jun-young places great importance on communicating with worksites. Manager Lee Seok-jo also emphasizes the importance of establishing safety policies and plans that are based off of a consensus from those in the field.
“We are committed to raising safety awareness by establishing appropriate policies and plans that those in the field can accept and implement. This year as well, we will strive to form positive relations with safety managers and supervisors at worksites who are working hard to promote safety.”
The Safety Policy Team is separate from the Safety & Health Team but both work at the Safety & Environment Center with the common goal of ensuring safety. This year, both teams are determined to present employees with dependable safety management plans.
A word from the Safety Policy Team leader!
“Safety begins with interest and participation. Safety is not only the job of the Safety & Health Team or safety managers, but is something for which we all must take responsibility. If we all take greater interest in safety-related education and policies and start by making small changes, I believe we will soon be able to create a happy workplace without any accidents.”
– Senior Manager Choi Jun-young
Q. Please introduce yourself.
Hello. After working in the field of safety management for 16 years in the shipbuilding industry, I joined Hyundai Glovis in September 2022.
Q. What areas do you pay particular attention to in terms of safety manuals and regulations?
I believe that safety standards should be easy to understand. We take special care so that anyone can easily find the right safety standard when needed, and so that even people who are unfamiliar with safety standards can easily understand them. For example, for safety guides, which are most frequently used at worksites, we include photographs to help readers understand the contents more easily, and we publish the guides as portable booklets so that people can refer to them any time.
Q. What kinds of efforts are needed to receive a good worksite safety evaluation score?
Most worksites receive positive evaluations because they diligently carry out safety activities. If all workers, not just managers, participate in safety activities, come up with ideas for safety improvements, and then implement them, I believe the worksite can receive a good safety evaluation score.
Q. What are the future plans and goals of the Safety Policy Team?
In 2022, we dedicated a great deal of effort to establishing a safety and health management system in accordance with the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. In 2023, we plan to promote diverse activities to substantiate this management system and to encourage the active participation and creation of a strong, onsite safety culture.
A word from the Safety Policy Team!
“Safety is an essential factor for happiness in our daily lives. Our workplace can become safe when we all recognize the importance of and take an interest in safety. I will continue to strive to create a working environment where you will feel secure. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our safety policies.”
– Manager Lee Seok-jo
Safety & Health Team and Safety Policy Team
By the Editorial Department
2023.03.07