The Ministry of Labor (MOL) invited CEOs, general managers, and executives of 91 business units such as China Steel Corporation, Dragon Steel Corporation, Feng Hsin Steel Co. Ltd., Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corp., Evergreen Steel Corporation, Tung Mung Development Co., Ltd., and Gloria Material Technology Corp. to hold the “Self-management Symposium of executives of Steel and Iron Industries” today (23rd). The symposium was co-chaired by Minister Ming-Chun Hsu and Chairman Chao-Tung Wong of the Taiwan Iron and Steel Industries Association, which was to exchange ideas on major occupational accident cases and industrial safety improvement strategies in the iron and steel industries, to improve the overall industrial safety level and ensure the safety of workers.

The Ministry of Labor pointed out that the occupational disasters in the iron and steel industries have caused 7 deaths so far this year (2020), which is significantly higher. In order to urge the executives of the iron and steel industries to implement the leadership of industrial safety and strengthen their determination to prevent disasters, the MOL specifically works with the Taiwan Iron and Steel Industries Association to hold this symposium, in hope that by reviewing major occupational disaster cases, sharing experience and having a dialogue with executives, it can assist factories under the Iron and Steel Industries Association to strengthen risk assessment, contractor management and safety and health autonomous management efficiency.

Minister Ming-Chun Hsu said that the promotion of occupational safety and health in business units depends on the attention and support of employers and executives. If leaders take work safety seriously, they will naturally be as models and shape the company’s work safety culture. Occupational disasters are usually caused by executives’ negligence on industrial safety and insufficient on-site control ability of manufacturing units. Today, many executives such as CEOs and general managers are willing to spend time joining the symposium to learn from the past and take about industrial safety practices, seeking better disaster reduction strategies together, which should be praised. There is no room for compromise in workers’ safety. Painful experiences remind us that “nothing is more important than safety” and that “safety is the cornerstone of the sustainable development of an enterprise.”

At today’s Self-management Symposium of executives of Steel and Iron Industries, apart from the sharing of industrial safety improvement strategies by Dragon Steel Co., Ltd. and Feng Hsin Steel Co. Ltd., participants also had an in-depth discussion about the safety and health management issues in the steel and iron industries, such as process risk assessment and contractor managements. Leaders of all companies recognize and promise to play a good role guiding others in industrial safety, fulfill their social responsibilities, and cooperate with the MOL to promote occupational safety and health, not only can it prevent major occupational disasters, but also create a win-win situation for the safety of employers and workers.