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The Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) announced, Sunday, its plan to release safety and health education materials in 16 languages to assist foreign workers in understanding industrial safety protocols more easily.

This initiative addresses the growing concerns over workplace accidents stemming from language barriers, as the number of foreign workers in Korea continues to rise.

KOSHA translated educational videos into 16 languages to prevent common industrial accidents, such as welding-related fires and suffocation in confined spaces. The languages are English, Nepalese, Tetum (East Timor), Lao, Mongolian, Burmese, Bengali, Sinhala, Uzbek, Indonesian, Chinese, Khmer, Kyrgyz, Thai, Urdu and Filipino.

In response to the rising number of foreign workers and the increase in severe accidents in the shipbuilding industry, the agency also produced nine types of foreign language safety and health education One Page Sheets (OPS).

These materials are designed to provide critical safety information in a concise and accessible format, aiming to enhance safety and reduce the risk of accidents by ensuring that all workers, regardless of their native language, can easily comprehend essential safety information.

Education materials for foreigners developed by the agency can be found on the official KOSHA website, YouTube and the Crisis Escape Safety and Health app.

In the second half of this year, the agency plans to translate four types of machine equipment work safety guidelines, including those for forklifts and conveyors, into 16 languages.

Additionally, the agency will produce and distribute safety and health posters featuring images and related pictograms to the shipbuilding industry, making it easier for foreign workers to quickly understand essential safety rules at a glance.