An Analysis of Barriers to Safety Communication among Migrant Workers in South Korean Industries : Focusing on Safety Training, Organizational Factors, and Industry Context

Foreign workers are increasingly employed in high-risk industries in South Korea, where effective safety communication is essential for preventing occupational injuries and promoting worker well-being. However, linguistic, cultural, and organizational barriers may limit the effectiveness of safety communication among migrant workers. This study aimed to identify key barriers to safety communication and examine the effects of safety training and workplace characteristics on safety communication outcomes among foreign workers in South Korean industries. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 52 foreign workers employed in the shipbuilding, manufacturing, and agriculture sectors. The survey assessed demographic and occupational characteristics, safety training exposure, training frequency and language, perceived safety communication barriers, understanding of safety rules, emergency response preparedness, and satisfaction with safety communication. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA were used for group comparisons. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of safety communication satisfaction. Language was the most frequently reported barrier to effective safety communication (65.4%), followed by supervisor attitude (23.1%) and cultural factors (19.2%). Workers who received safety training reported significantly higher safety rule understanding, emergency response preparedness, and satisfaction than those without training (all p ≤ 0.005). Training frequency was significantly associated with all safety outcomes, whereas training language alone showed no significant effects. Significant differences were observed across industries, with shipbuilding workers reporting higher safety communication outcomes than manufacturing and agriculture workers (p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis revealed that industry type, duration of stay, visa status, Korean language proficiency, and recognition of language and cultural barriers independently predicted satisfaction with safety communication.