KICT 한국건설기술연구원

To mark its acquisition of ISO 45001 certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in March 2024, the KICT held a signboard-hanging ceremony in the lobby of its Ilsan head office on March 11. The ceremony was attended by KICT President Kim Byung-suk, Vice President for Research Kim Hyeon-jun, Vice President for Industrial Innovation Kwak Ki-seok, and other KICT executives and staff.

ISO 45001 certification, which confirms that an organization has implemented advanced and established occupational health and safety management systems, places the KICT in global high esteem for its health and safety practices. The international certification was preceded by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency Management Systems (KOSHA-MS) certification.

When President Kim took office in April 2021, the KICT carried out an overhaul of its health and safety system, which included the establishment of the Health and Safety Office, its setting of a Health and Safety Policy, and improvement of its lab environments. The KICT’s acquisition of the KOSHA-MS certification in 2022 coincided with its acquisition of the Safe Laboratory Certification, another national accreditation. In the same year, the KICT was also officially recognized for its excellence in COVID-19 response and disaster management. In the Korean government’s 2022 public institution safety management rating, the KICT earned the highest rating for its achievements, and at the end of 2023 was officially recognized for the major disaster prevention system it had in place. The KICT has since received requests from a range of organizations for assistance in their efforts to improve their own health and safety systems, with delegations from a number of such organizations, including government-funded science and technology agencies, paying visits. 

“Safety is the foundation of all our activities and a value at the core of our daily life that demands a level of attention that goes beyond mere compliance,” commented President Kim regarding the ISO 45001 certification. “The KICT will cement its culture of putting health and safety first to ensure our global health and safety leadership, and will keep striving to make the safest environment possible for everyone involved.”