Hyundai Heavy Industries to Receive Special Supervision from Ministry of Employment and Labor... "Implement Fundamental Measures for Fatal Accidents"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The government has decided to place Hyundai Heavy Industries, which has recently experienced consecutive fatal accidents, under special management.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor decided on the 28th to place Hyundai Heavy Industries under special management, deeming its "safety management extremely poor," after a fatal accident occurred immediately the day after a special inspection was completed due to a series of fatal accidents.

Earlier, on the 21st, a subcontractor worker died while performing pipe welding work on an LNG carrier at Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan. The cause is presumed to be suffocation from argon gas. This is the fourth fatal accident at Hyundai Heavy Industries this year.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has demanded that Hyundai Heavy Industries establish and implement a "company-wide fundamental countermeasure" to prevent recurrence of serious accidents and publicly announce a plan for countermeasures as soon as possible.

Additionally, the ministry has required the operation of a "Special Committee for Safety and Health Improvement," composed of the Ulsan Employment and Labor Office, the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, and experts, to provide advice on countermeasure development and to monitor implementation status.

The ministry will enforce intensive close management until Hyundai Heavy Industries' safety management system functions properly. Following the recent special inspection, violations of the primary contractor's safety obligations were detected, and responsible parties will be strictly punished regardless of rank to raise awareness of "safety management."

Under the leadership of the Busan Employment and Labor Office, a "permanent inspection team" dedicated to Hyundai Heavy Industries will be formed for close management. In the second half of the year, a shipbuilding industry safety guardian will operate to recommend improvements for insufficient safety measures. If not implemented, technical guidance from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency and inspections by the Ministry of Employment and Labor will be linked.

Furthermore, Hyundai Heavy Industries has been instructed to strengthen its own safety and health management system by establishing a system to check and manage subcontracted workers' workplaces.

Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jae-gap expressed deep regret over the consecutive fatal accidents at large companies like Hyundai Heavy Industries, stating, "As a world-class company, the top management must take the lead in preparing effective fundamental measures to ensure that workers no longer die from accidents at the workplace."

He added, "We hope this special management will serve as an opportunity for Hyundai Heavy Industries to clearly recognize that workers' lives must be prioritized above all else in corporate management."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.