Prevention is the best medicine

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Prevention is the best medicine


As Donald J. Trump has been elected the 45th president of the United States, uncertainty over the fate of the U.S.-centered political and economic order, which has been maintained since World War II, is growing. The world is in unpredictable chaos. In addition to the unprecedented crisis in domestic politics, Korea is troubled at home and abroad.

This year, the size of Korea’s exports has fallen from sixth largest in the world to eighth. Worldwide waves of trade protectionism, America’s withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, accumulating household debts and the decline of the working age population are considered major negative factors for the Korean economy.

At this juncture, there is an area that society could neglect. It is safety. This year, there has been a series of safety-related accidents. As the economy is sluggish, companies may reduce manpower and cost in safety-related areas, and the situation could get worse.

As experiences and statistics show, safety management should be prioritized in all fields beyond economic theories. A safety-related accident could lead to tremendous social costs and negative consequences for the company and society, affecting the efforts to improve the economy. Efforts to maintain safety would ultimately help the national economy by preventing the social cost of accidents.

The Korea Gas Safety Corporation has been working to reduce gas safety accidents to realize the obvious truth that prevention is the best way. Korea’s casualty rate from gas-related accidents is second lowest in the world.

Some say accidents will happen, because human efforts to prevent accidents are limited. But we’ve seen too many accidents caused by lack of prevention and slack safety awareness. These accidents are preventable if we exercise caution.

The nation is in a crisis. In the troubled time, we need to look around and pay attention to the safety of our families and neighbors. For safety, prevention is the best medicine.
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