In response to a series of recent fire accidents at Pohang Steelworks, POSCO Group Chairman Jang In-hwa has taken decisive action to address lapses in work discipline and safety. On November 26, 2024, Chairman Jang sent an urgent email to key executives, expressing concern about the relaxation of work standards as the year comes to a close. He noted that as attention shifted to short-term production goals, operational profits, and reducing maintenance costs, safety protocols may have been compromised, leading to the unfortunate accidents at the steel plant. The focus, Jang emphasized, must return to normal, safe operations and ensuring the well-being of all employees at POSCO.
This was not the first instance of safety issues at the Pohang Steelworks this year. Earlier in 2024, a series of incidents, including the explosions and fires at the 3 Finex plant, raised serious concerns about the company’s safety practices. Two significant fires broke out within just two weeks, one on November 10 and another on November 24, shortly after the plant had resumed test operations. These repeated incidents prompted not only internal reassessments but also investigations by local authorities into potential issues with safety management at the plant.
To address these ongoing concerns, Chairman Jang has announced that POSCO will allocate additional resources, including manpower and financial support, to improve safety across all its facilities. He outlined plans to form a task force team, which will be responsible for conducting thorough inspections at all of POSCO’s domestic and overseas steel mills, including the Pohang and Gwangyang plants. The task force will focus on assessing the condition of major equipment and determining whether any immediate repairs or upgrades are needed. In addition, the group will formulate both short-term stabilization plans and mid- to long-term robustness strategies to enhance the overall safety infrastructure at POSCO facilities.
Chairman Jang also emphasized that POSCO executives would shift to a more disciplined work schedule. While they had previously operated on an alternating five-day workweek, this will now be implemented full-time. Jang hopes this move will reinforce the commitment to improving work discipline and safety across all levels of the company. He also highlighted the importance of executives leading by example in enforcing safety protocols, ensuring that all employees return home safely after their shifts and that minor accidents, which can escalate into larger issues, are prevented.
The safety-related incidents at the Pohang Steelworks are now the subject of an official investigation by the local police. According to the Pohang Nambu Police Station, authorities are looking into the possibility that negligence or poor safety management practices may have contributed to the recent explosions and fires at the 3 Finex plant. The police are also scrutinizing the fact that the fire occurred again just days after the plant had resumed test operations following the initial explosion. A joint inspection is planned with the National Forensic Service to conduct a detailed investigation into the plant’s safety protocols and determine whether POSCO had followed appropriate measures to prevent such incidents.
Chairman Jang’s focus on work discipline and safety management comes at a critical time for POSCO, as the steel industry faces increasing pressure to ensure worker safety while meeting production demands. The recent accidents at Pohang have brought into sharp focus the need for robust safety systems and proper management practices within the company. While POSCO has long been one of the world’s leading steel producers, it now faces the challenge of maintaining its reputation for high-quality production while ensuring the safety and well-being of its workers.
In his communication, Chairman Jang emphasized that the company’s safety culture must improve and that the trend of accidents and safety lapses observed this year must be reversed. By reinforcing the importance of safety and work discipline at all levels, POSCO hopes to restore the trust of its employees and stakeholders, ensuring that similar incidents do not occur again. The task force’s immediate inspections and the shift in management approach mark a new chapter in POSCO’s commitment to operational excellence and safety in an increasingly challenging industrial environment.
The recent developments at POSCO highlight the broader issues facing the global steel industry, which continues to deal with the twin pressures of improving safety standards while maintaining high levels of productivity. As POSCO takes significant steps to address the issues at Pohang Steelworks, it sends a message to the industry that safety must be prioritized at all costs, even in the face of challenging production targets. The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether these changes can restore safety and prevent further accidents at POSCO’s facilities.
