The company must provide protective equipment

Protective equipment is not something you buy yourself. The employer must supply equipment suited to the task, free of charge.

Types of equipment

• Helmet — falling objects, impacts
• Safety shoes — heavy items, nails, glass
• Goggles and face shields — fragments, welding sparks, chemical splashes
• Dust and gas masks — dust, welding fumes, solvents
• Ear plugs and muffs — noise
• Safety harness — work at height
• Chemical-resistant gloves and aprons — chemicals

The employer's duties

1. Supply suitable equipment free of charge
2. Supply the right size — oversized gloves and ill-fitting masks are dangerous
3. Replace damaged equipment
4. Train you how to wear it
5. Maintain and inspect it

Steps

1. Identify what your task requires, from KOSHA materials or training.
2. Ask the company. Putting it in a message helps.
3. If refused, report it to 1350 or KOSHA 1544-3088.
4. Do not do dangerous work without it. See the refuse-dangerous-work guide.

What you need

• Your task description
• A record of your request (messages, photos)
• Site photos

Where to go

• 1544-3088 KOSHA · www.kosha.or.kr
• 1350 Ministry of Employment and Labor
• Your local support centre for foreign workers

Questions people ask

They deduct the cost from my wages. That is illegal. Take your payslip to 1350.

The mask is stuffy so I don't wear it. Dust and fumes come back as lung disease years later. Ask for a mask that fits — if it is stuffy, it may be the wrong type.

The gloves are too big and I'm afraid of them catching in the machine. Demand the right size. On some rotating machinery gloves are themselves a hazard — confirm this in training.

I'm the only one not given equipment. That is discrimination. Keep records and tell 1350 or 1544-3088.

Take care

"Just this once, do it anyway" is how accidents start. You may refuse work without protective equipment. That is a right the law gives you.

Related

safety-training · refuse-dangerous-work · occupational-disease · workplace-injury-first-steps

Source

KOSHA www.kosha.or.kr / As of 2026-08