Samsung Electronics has made the Five Major Safety Regulations, including a ban on the use of cell phones while walking, mandatory in its main worksites. The company seems to be making an effort to improve safety in its workplaces after the Serious Accidents Prevention Act was enforced on January 27.

On February 2, Samsung Electronics announced that it notified its workers of the official implementation of the Five Major Safety Regulations for a Safe Workplace. The regulations state no using cell phones while walking, no jaywalking, no using cell phones while driving, remaining within the speed limit in work sites and no speeding while driving, and wearing helmets while riding a bicycle. In particular, the company had recommended workers to refrain from using cell phones while walking--also known as smombie (smartphone zombie)--in the workplace since 2016, but this time made it a mandatory regulation.

Visitors at Samsung worksites as well as Samsung employees will be subject to the safety regulations. Visitors who violate the regulations could be restricted from entering the worksites for a certain period of time.

Since last year, Samsung Electronics has established and implemented ways for partner companies to actively exercise their right to suspend operations. The right to suspend operations allows workers on site to immediately stop operations if they discover any dangerous factors. Samsung Electronics has been reflecting the number of times partner companies exercised the right to suspend operations in its evaluations since January 2021. In 2010, the right to suspend operations was exercised on 245 occasions in Samsung’s semiconductor sector, but the figure jumped to 1,200 in the first half of 2021 alone. The company also meets with the CEOs of partner firms every month and shares the trends in environment and safety legislations.

Samsung C&T, which is Samsung’s construction affiliate, has allowed workers to exercise the right to suspend operations if they deem that it is not safe, even if it is not an urgent danger, since last March.