A Study on the Problems and Improvement Plans for Safety Management in Remodeling Construction of University Hospitals - Focused on Comparison with the Manufacturing -

Purpose: This study highlights the need for more standardized safety procedures in university hospitals and suggests further research and policy development to address these gaps. Methods: Aging university hospitals often undergo remodeling to stay competitive with newer institutions. However, these renovations pose significant risks to patients, staff, and visitors since operations must continue without interruption. In order to enhance risk management during university hospital remodeling projects, a comparison with the manufacturing industry was conducted to identify areas for improvement. Result: A comparison between safety management in university hospitals and manufacturing sectors revealed key differences. University hospitals have safety protocols under the Medical Act, but they lack specific guidelines for safety management during remodeling. In contrast, the manufacturing industry follows stringent safety procedures, such as Process Safety Management (PSM), during renovations. A fact-finding survey of six university hospitals and six manufacturing companies revealed that while manufacturing companies had consistent safety procedures, university hospitals showed significant variability. Conclusion: Key safety procedures such as “Safety management regulations,” “Safety education before remodeling,” “Pre-construction risk assessments,” “Safety inspections during remodeling,” and “Safety work permit operations” were inconsistently applied across the hospitals.Based on this comparison, a new “safety management procedure during remodeling of university hospitals” was proposed. The goal is to align university hospital safety procedures with those used in manufacturing, ensuring a uniform and high level of safety management.