ESG POLICY & STRATEGY

5 Things Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Enterprises Must Check Before Adopting AI Industrial Safety Technologies

At the 2026 Korea Safety Technology Awards, AI human-detection and fire/industrial safety response technologies were selected as major award winners. In the first half of 2026, the number of industrial accident fatalities in manufacturing increased to 92, with more than half of all fatalities occurring in workplaces with fewer than 50 employees. Even when AI safety equipment is introduced, it is difficult to expect practical safety management effects without responsible personnel and follow-up response procedures. Management of false positives and false negatives, integration with risk assessments, and data logging linked to the management's reporting system must be designed together. For small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises, the adoption of AI industrial safety is less about purchasing equipment and more about how to integrate the technology with existing safety and health management systems.