"Really risking their lives to deliver" What do you think about delivery orders during heavy rain?

Delivery Through Heavy Rain... Poor Visibility and Accident Risks
Experts Say "Platform Operators Need to Improve Conditions"

On the 24th, a photo of a delivery rider delivering food in heavy rain was posted on social networking services (SNS), sparking controversy. The photo shows a delivery rider making a delivery in heavy rain, posted on Twitter. Photo by Twitter

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Kim Seul-gi] As heavy rain pours nationwide, casualties have occurred in Busan, causing a series of human losses. Amid this, delivery workers who have no choice but to deliver food even in heavy rain are pointed out to be exposed to the risk of casualties without any protection. Some have even suggested refraining from placing delivery orders in situations close to natural disasters such as heavy rain. Experts empathize with the vulnerable position of delivery workers under adverse weather conditions and suggest that efforts are needed to improve the working environment by delivery platform operators.

On the 23rd, heavy rain accompanied by strong winds of 30 to 50mm per hour fell nationwide. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) as of 6 a.m. on the 24th, a total of three deaths related to the heavy rain were recorded, with casualties continuing in Busan, Ulsan, and other areas.

Meanwhile, some have drawn criticism for ordering delivery food. It is pointed out that the safety of delivery workers was not considered even in situations where casualties were feared due to heavy rain.

On that day, a photo was posted on social networking services (SNS) such as Twitter with the comment, "Busan Station flooded, water disaster, Busan is in chaos, yet someone is ordering delivery and someone is delivering. Really." The photo shows a delivery rider walking through water rising up to their knees, holding a plastic bag that appears to contain delivery food.

Netizens who saw this continued to criticize, saying, "Don't people usually avoid ordering delivery in such situations?" and "If you have even a minimum conscience, you shouldn't order delivery on days when heavy rain pours. Both the person who ordered the delivery and the business owner who told them to deliver are too much."

Park, a man in his 40s who works in an office, said, "I hope people refrain from ordering delivery during bad weather such as heavy rain," emphasizing, "I hope this kind of movement increases." He added, "I shared this message with acquaintances via KakaoTalk, and everyone responded positively."

In Busan, where torrential rain exceeding 80mm per hour poured down and coincided with high tide, turning the downtown area into a sea of water, three people who were trapped in a flooded underpass due to the sudden rise in water died. Firefighters conducting search operations on the road./Photo by Yonhap News

Delivery workers continued to work despite harsh weather conditions such as heavy snow and heavy rain. Especially due to the nature of delivery work using motorcycles, they face difficulties driving in harsh weather conditions like heavy rain or snow, yet no safety measures have been put in place.

According to the 'Survey on the Working Conditions of Riders Belonging to 24 Companies' announced by the Rider Union in 2018 at the Seoul Moving Workers Hapjeong Shelter in Mapo-gu, Seoul, 30.9% of riders responded that they delivered even during heavy rain or snow. However, among them, only 35 out of 55 riders received additional pay during rainy or snowy weather.

Also, the delivery companies' manual stating that "delivery areas can be reduced due to bad weather" was found to be poorly followed due to reasons such as sales.

Gu Gyo-hyun, Planning Team Leader of the Union, said, "When it rains, visibility is not properly secured and the roads are slippery, so delivery riders have to work in dangerous situations," adding, "There are cases where hazard pay is given during rain or snow, and some platform operators increase delivery fees during rain. However, there has been no significant improvement or change in the treatment of delivery workers yet."

A(35), who works as a delivery worker at a lunchbox company, said, "The number of deliveries tends to increase when it rains," adding, "When it rains, it's harder to see ahead, so delivery is a bit difficult. Also, the floor is slippery, so the motorcycle moves slowly, which creates pressure to deliver within the time limit."

A delivery worker is heading to the floating island to deliver goods at Banpo Hangang Park, which is submerged in water.
Photo by Yonhap News

Experts emphasized that the safety of delivery workers, who may be exposed to risks due to adverse weather, must be sufficiently guaranteed.

Jung Woo-jun, Secretary-General of the Labor Health Solidarity, pointed out, "It is already well known that outdoor workers are vulnerable to weather, but delivery workers actually experience a surge in work when it rains. However, delivery platform operators are aware of this but have not properly prepared safety measures for workers."

Secretary-General Jung explained, "For example, one delivery platform provides a service that delivers the rider's location and delivery status to customers in real time. Platform operators could improve the GPS system of such services when it rains or weather conditions worsen, but in reality, they do not consider these at all."

He added, "When the weather is bad, workers suffer doubly. Due to poor road conditions, food may spill or get wet, causing emotional labor conflicts with customers, and the nature of the job requiring delivery within a set time increases the risk of accidents," adding, "While companies like McDonald's and Lotteria provide additional pay, most platform operators do not inform customers of the risks caused by bad weather or prepare special measures considering workers' safety."

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