Korea’s forests have become lush over the past few decades thanks to the efforts of many people. Sustainable forest management requires the safety of workers in the forest. Working in the forest is high-risk labor due to weather changes and geographical hazards.
In the past five years, about 15 workers have died annually in forest projects, and around 1,000 have been injured. More than 90% of forest projects are small-scale with fewer than 20 people, and many workers are over 60 years old. This reality shows that a moment of carelessness can lead to fatal accidents.
The Korea Forest Service is pushing to include safety and health management costs in forest project budgets and to strengthen penalties for safety violations. However, safety is not achieved by regulations alone; practical implementation on-site is crucial. Strengthening management and supervision to ensure that safety activities and budgets are properly executed is essential.
There needs to be a shift in perception that safety is an ‘investment’ rather than a ‘cost.’ The field already knows that the budget and time spent on safety return as accident prevention and life protection. Basic procedures such as checking workers’ health, ensuring the use of protective gear, and clarifying work routes must be thoroughly implemented to prevent accidents.