Serious Accidents Punishment Act Training · Not a statutory mandatory course

🧭 Serious Accidents Punishment Act: Management Officer Course

A 2-hour special lecture for CEOs and executives. We turn the nine required measures into “what to check, when, and what records to keep.”

Who it’s for

CEOs, executives overseeing the business, executives in charge of safety and health, and heads of management support

Training hours

2-hour lecture (standard) · 4-hour half-day (includes case studies and drafting your company’s checklist)

Class size

Up to 30 per class recommended — executive sessions work best with 10–20

Format

On-site at your company (nationwide) · Live on Zoom · Can be scheduled right before board or management meetings

Legally required?

This is not statutory mandatory training. It builds the evidence that you have met your obligations, rather than just filling required hours

What courts dispute in Serious Accidents Punishment Act trials is not the accident itself. It is whether the company had a safety and health management system in place before the accident, and whether it actually ran it. That is why the evidence submitted in court is not the accident report but the paper trail built up over time: semiannual inspection records, budget execution details, and evaluation results.

This course is not a reading of the statute. We turn the nine measures set out in the Enforcement Decree into what to do, when, who does it, and where it is recorded, and you fill in a single table with your company’s current status. You leave with a form you can use as-is for your semiannual review.

Why this training

Indictment takes 18 months on average, and the evidence is already fixedDocuments created after an accident are often used against you. Checking what is missing now is the whole point of this training.
Delegating does not transfer responsibilityEven if you appoint an executive for safety and health, the CEO remains the management officer as long as the authority to represent and oversee the business stays with the CEO. In both the first ruling and the first prison sentence, the defendant was the CEO.
Principal contractors are punished for subcontractor accidentsThe first verdict under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act was a guilty verdict against a principal contractor’s CEO, and the first prison sentence involved the death of a subcontractor’s worker. Failing to set standards for contracting, outsourcing, and delegation is itself a violation.
Neglecting training is itself a violationArticle 5 of the Enforcement Decree places a direct duty on the management officer to check at least once every half year that safety and health training has been carried out. A worksite that skips the 16 annual hours for supervisors faces both a fine under the Occupational Safety and Health Act and a violation of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

Curriculum

This is the standard 2-hour (120-minute) format. Extending to a 4-hour half-day adds 120 minutes of industry-specific case studies and discussion to “Turning the nine measures into a checklist” and “What the rulings actually weighed.”

20 min

What counts as a serious industrial accident

One death, two injuries requiring 6+ months of treatment, or three occupational illnesses within a year. We identify which accidents at your workplace fall under this definition and how it differs from a serious accident under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

15 min

Who is the management officer?

Who counts as the responsible executive: the CEO, the executive in charge of safety and health, or the plant manager? When delegation shifts responsibility and when it does not. How to decide in affiliate and site-separated structures.

35 min

Turning the nine measures into a checklist

We turn the nine measures in Article 4 of the Enforcement Decree into a table showing who records what, when, and where. Participants fill in their own company’s column on the spot, and the five items that require semiannual review go on your calendar.

30 min

What the rulings actually weighed

We walk through the first construction ruling (principal contractor’s CEO found guilty) and the first manufacturing prison sentence (final at the Supreme Court), broken down by facts, issues, and sentencing reasons. See how settlement with bereaved families, prior record, and recurrence-prevention measures shifted the sentences.

20 min

The 72 hours after an accident

Stopping work, reporting, preserving the site, responding to the investigation, and making statements. Three common mistakes at this stage, and the 20-hour training requirement for responsible executives.

What you take away

The training ends in two hours, but the semiannual inspections go on. That is why we provide the templates too.

Management officer compliance checklist — nine measures × owner, frequency, and where the evidence is kept
Semiannual review form — a single page covering only the items in Articles 4 and 5 of the Enforcement Decree that require review every six months
Checklist for training required under safety and health laws — including the status of statutory training completion, such as 16 hours per year for supervisors
Training log and attendee sign-in form (for records)

Common points of confusion

If we appoint a safety and health executive, is the CEO off the hook? — No ruling has settled it that way yet. The Act defines the responsible executive as “the person who represents the business and holds the authority and responsibility to oversee it,” or “a person in an equivalent role who handles safety and health matters.” Prosecutors look at who actually held the authority. What matters is not the title but the approval chain and budget authority.

Does ISO 45001 exempt us? — No. However, the documents and internal audit records of a certified system can serve as evidence for a good part of the nine measures. Finding the overlap and reusing it is the realistic place to start.

Isn’t there still a grace period for workplaces under 50 workers? — The grace period ended on January 26, 2024. Since January 27, 2024, the Act applies to any workplace with 5 or more regular workers regardless of size, and in construction it also covers projects under KRW 5 billion (≈ US$3,740,800). Of the 605 workplace fatalities in 2025, 351 occurred at workplaces with fewer than 50 workers.

Is this training eligible for Employment Insurance reimbursement? — No. To receive reimbursement, the course must be delivered as commissioned training under a program approved by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Nanum Consulting does not hold that program approval, so on-site training is not eligible. If reimbursement is a condition for budget approval, please tell us when you first contact us.

Construction and manufacturing — what changes by industry

Tell us your industry and we will tailor the curriculum to the cases below.

🏗️ Construction — what’s different

Of the 605 workplace fatalities subject to accident investigation in 2025, 286 (47%) were in construction, up 10 from the previous year. The first ruling under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act also involved a construction site.

Scope of application	For projects of KRW 5 billion (≈ US$3,740,800) or more, the Act has applied since 27 Jan 2022; for projects under KRW 5 (≈ US$1) billion, since 27 Jan 2024. It now applies to any workplace with 5 or more regular employees, regardless of project value.
Dedicated unit	Construction companies ranked in the top 200 by construction capacity must have a dedicated organization that oversees safety and health.
The weakest link	These are the standards for contracting, outsourced services, and delegation. You must set standards and procedures for assessing a contractor’s ability to prevent industrial accidents, along with standards for safety and health costs and construction schedules, and check them at least twice a year. A record showing that contractors were chosen on lowest price alone will count as evidence against you.
Supervisors	Designate one per site. Naming a single person at headquarters does not meet the requirement.
Accident types	Falls, collapses, and collisions are the main types, and in 2025 these types increased from the previous year.

First ruling under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act — prime contractor CEO found guilty

Uijeongbu District Court, Goyang Branch · 6 Apr 2023

In May 2022, a subcontractor’s worker fell and died at a nursing-hospital extension site in Goyang. The court found that the required measures under the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Rules, such as fall-protection harness anchor points and a written work plan, had not been taken, and that the principal contractor had not properly met its duty to build and operate a safety and health management system.

The prime contractor’s CEO received a 1-year-6-month prison sentence suspended for 3 years, the company a KRW 30 million (≈ US$22,400) fine, and the site manager a KRW 5 million (≈ US$3,740) fine. Neither the prosecution nor the defendants appealed, so the ruling became final.

The apology and condolence payment to the bereaved family, and the fact that the family did not seek punishment, were reflected in the sentence. It also means that without those circumstances, a prison sentence was possible.

At a site the principal contractor effectively controls, operates, or manages, an accident involving a subcontractor’s worker is also the responsibility of the principal contractor’s executive.
Simply having a site manager and a safety manager is not considered a functioning system. What matters is whether they were actually given authority and budget.
Missing individual measures required by regulation, such as work plans and safety harness anchor equipment, are used as evidence of an inadequate system.

🏭 Manufacturing — what’s different

In 2025, manufacturing accident deaths fell by 17 to 158 (150 cases). They are declining, but still account for a quarter of all deaths, and the first prison sentence and the first ruling finalized by the Supreme Court under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act both came from manufacturing sites.

Scope of application	The Act applies to workplaces with 5 or more regular employees. The grace period for workplaces with fewer than 50 employees ended on 26 Jan 2024.
Dedicated unit	Companies with 500 or more regular employees must have a dedicated organization overseeing safety and health.
The weakest link	These are non-routine tasks such as equipment repair, cleaning and maintenance. A risk assessment that covers only routine work misses the tasks where accidents actually happen.
Occupational diseases	If three or more workers develop occupational illnesses such as acute poisoning from the same hazard within one year, it counts as a serious industrial accident even with no deaths. Workplaces that handle chemicals should check this provision separately.
Accident types	Caught-in and struck-by accidents are the main types. Both declined from the previous year in 2025.

First prison sentence, first final Supreme Court ruling — death of a subcontractor’s worker

Changwon District Court, Masan Branch → Busan High Court, Changwon Division → Supreme Court (ruling of 28 Dec 2023, Case No. 2023Do12316) · First-instance ruling 26 Apr 2023 · Finalized by the Supreme Court 28 Dec 2023

In March 2022, at Korea Steel in Haman, South Gyeongsang, a subcontractor’s worker died when a heat-dissipation plate weighing about 1.2 tons fell during equipment repair work. The court of first instance sentenced the CEO to one year in prison and took him into custody in the courtroom.

CEO sentenced to 1 year in prison (final), corporate fine of KRW 100 million (≈ US$74,800). This is the first prison sentence since the Act took effect, and the first one upheld by the Supreme Court.

The main reason given for the prison sentence was a record of repeated punishment for violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The Supreme Court held that the offense of causing death under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act offense arising from the worker’s death, and professional negligence resulting in death are in a relationship of ideal concurrence.

A past record of Occupational Safety and Health Act violations weighs heavily at sentencing. Organizing your corrective-order and fine history is where preparation starts.
First check whether non-routine work such as equipment repair and maintenance, and work done by contractors, is included in your risk assessment.
Even with no deaths, three workers with occupational illnesses such as acute poisoning within one year make it a serious industrial accident.

When Nanum Consulting delivers it

The 2-hour lecture is our standard. Executives rarely have long blocks of time together. Most often, we schedule it just before or after a board or management meeting.

We do not read the statute aloud. Half the session is spent filling in the checklist with your own company’s current status, and you leave with a form you can use as-is for your semiannual review.

This course covers safety and health laws and court rulings, so we assign instructors who meet the instructor qualifications set by the safety and health training regulations. Tell us your industry (construction, manufacturing) and workplace structure in advance, and we will tailor the course to cases from your industry.

Add the Supervisor Course on the same day to finish 2 hours for executives plus 4 hours for on-site supervisors in a single day. Supervisor hours count toward the statutory 16 hours per year.

On-Site Training · Get a Quote

Tell us the training hours, headcount, and industry, and we will send a schedule proposal and quote within 24 hours.

Quote calculator Message us to plan your program Call +82 10-2414-3329

Published rates: KRW 1.2 million (≈ US$900) for lectures of 2 hours or less · KRW 600,000 (≈ US$450) per hour for 3–4-hour half-day sessions · KRW 500,000 (≈ US$375) per hour for 6–8-hour full-day sessions. VAT, materials, and travel are extra. If sessions are split by shift or site, the price is multiplied by the number of sessions.

Management Officer Course — FAQ

Does the Serious Accidents Punishment Act require responsible executives to receive training?

There is no advance training requirement. The Act mentions training in two places. One is Article 5 of the Enforcement Decree, which requires the responsible executive to check at least once every six months whether the training on hazardous work required under safety and health laws has been delivered, and to take action without delay if it has not. The other is Article 8 of the Act, under which the responsible executive of a corporation or institution where a serious industrial accident has occurred must complete safety and health training of up to 20 hours in total; failure to do so without justifiable reason carries an administrative fine of up to KRW 50 million (≈ US$37,400). In other words, preventive training is not about filling statutory hours; it is about leaving evidence that you have met your obligations.

Is the responsible executive the CEO or the executive in charge of safety and health?

The Act defines the responsible executive as “the person who represents the business and holds the authority and responsibility to oversee it,” or “a person who, equivalently, is in charge of safety and health matters.” Even if you have appointed an executive for safety and health, if final approval over budget and personnel rests with the CEO, the CEO may be judged the responsible executive. In fact, the defendants in both the first guilty verdict and the first prison sentence under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act were CEOs.

Is a principal contractor also responsible for accidents involving subcontractors’ workers?

Yes. The Serious Accidents Punishment Act imposes duties on the principal contractor’s management officer wherever the company has real control, operation, and management responsibility over a worksite, including under contracting, service, and outsourcing arrangements. In the first ruling under the Act (April 2023, Goyang Branch of Uijeongbu District Court), a subcontractor’s worker died in a fall at a nursing hospital extension site. The court sentenced the principal contractor’s CEO to 1 year 6 months in prison, suspended for 3 years, and fined the company KRW 30 million (≈ US$22,400). There was no appeal, so the ruling became final.

Does the Act apply to workplaces with fewer than 50 workers now?

Yes, it applies. The three-year grace period for workplaces with fewer than 50 regular workers and for construction projects under KRW 5 billion (≈ US$3,740,800) ended on January 26, 2024. Since January 27, 2024, the Act applies to any workplace with 5 or more regular workers, regardless of size. Workplaces with fewer than 5 regular workers are not covered.

How long is the training, and what does it cost?

The 2-hour lecture is our standard, at a published rate of KRW 1.2 million (≈ US$900) (VAT excluded). The 4-hour half-day format is KRW 600,000 (≈ US$450) per hour, or KRW 2.4 million (≈ US$1,800). If sessions are split by shift or workplace, the price is multiplied by the number of sessions. Adding a supervisor course on the same day is priced as a full-day program.

Legal basis · Sources

This page provides general information to help you understand the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. It is not legal advice. Applicability, scope of obligations, and penalty levels depend on a workplace’s size, industry, and contract structure, on amendments to the law, and on the facts of each case. For specific matters, please consult an attorney, a certified labor attorney, or the local employment and labor office. Cited rulings summarize press reports and publicly released case materials and may differ from the full text of the judgment. As of September 2026.