Government Conducts Joint Inspection of Primary Contractor and Affiliated Workplace in the Death Accident of Late Lee Seonho

Ministry of Employment and Others Hold 'Pyeongtaek Port Fatal Accident Related Agencies Countermeasure Meeting' on 14th
Emergency Inspection of All Workplaces by Dongbang, the Primary Contractor of 5 Ports and Pyeongtaek Port Accident

President Moon Jae-in paying his respects at the funeral hall of the late Lee Seon-ho, set up at Anjung Baek Hospital in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on the afternoon of the 13th. (Image source=Yonhap News)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government announced on the 14th that it has imposed a fine of 19.3 million KRW on the primary contractor 'Dongbang,' which was ordered to halt operations following the death of young worker the late Lee Seonho at Pyeongtaek Port last month, and will conduct joint inspections of all Dongbang workplaces.

On the same day, the government held the first meeting of the 'Pyeongtaek Port Fatal Accident Related Agencies Joint Task Force (TF)' chaired by Park Hwajin, Vice Minister of Employment and Labor. Vice Minister Park leads the team, which includes related agencies such as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Gyeonggi Province, Pyeongtaek City, the National Police Agency, and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency. The purpose of forming the TF is to prevent similar accidents from recurring. At the first meeting, the agencies shared their respective measures taken so far and discussed specific plans to prevent recurrence of accidents.

First, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the National Police Agency announced that they identified 17 violations by Dongbang and imposed a fine of 19.3 million KRW. The industrial safety and health inspection of Dongbang’s Pyeongtaek branch conducted on the 26th and 27th of last month revealed that safety and health measures such as installing industrial accident prevention safety passages and preparing work plans were not properly implemented. It was also found that workplace patrol inspections were not conducted. On-site supervisors were also found to have neglected safety and health duties.

From the 17th to the 28th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and Gyeonggi Province will conduct joint inspections and supervision targeting the five major ports nationwide and Dongbang-affiliated workplaces. When inspecting and supervising the five major ports, if Dongbang has a branch at the port, it will be included in the inspection and supervision targets. In particular, focused supervision will be conducted on safety and health measures related to cargo handling at ports.

For example, they will check whether passage facilities were installed when the depth of the hatch floor exceeded 1.5 meters above the deck surface, and whether ships of 300 tons or more have installed hatch ladders and safety nets. Additionally, they will inspect whether the contractor (primary contractor) has properly fulfilled the basic obligations under the Industrial Safety and Health Act. This includes checking whether safety and health measures were properly implemented, whether hazardous machinery and equipment were provided, and whether safety and health education was conducted. A government official said, "After the joint inspection and supervision are completed, violations of the Industrial Safety and Health Act will be strictly dealt with," adding, "We also plan to promote joint institutional improvements by ministries for safe port cargo handling operations in the future."

They also decided to promptly create and distribute a 'Container (FRC) Loading Work Guide.' This is to minimize risks when performing tasks similar to those involving the container involved in the recent accident. Through unannounced site inspections (patrol inspections) and Gyeonggi Province’s labor safety guardians such as Suncheol, they will guide the establishment of safety rules according to the guide at the site. If the guide’s safety rules are not followed, the Ministry of Employment and Labor will conduct supervision and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency will conduct inspections. If orders are not followed after supervision, strong measures such as work stoppage will be taken.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will conduct a full inspection of the domestic container management status of 24 container-owning companies in Busan, Incheon, Masan, and Gunsan from the 17th of this month to the 11th of next month.

A government official said, "All related agencies of the TF will actively collaborate and manage the progress of the announced measures to continuously monitor and prevent similar accidents from occurring."

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