Four Workers in Their 20s Fall to Death in One Month... Youths Angry Over Stolen Youth

Young Workers Left in Unsafe Conditions... Safety Corporation's Corrective Actions Ineffective
Specialized High School Union: "Lawmakers' Sons Receive 5 Billion Won in Industrial Accident Claims... Cruel Inequality Must Be Addressed"
Experts: "Chronic Fall Accidents... Subcontracted Workers' Incidents Are Environmental Issues, Not Personal Negligence"

Amid a series of recent fatal falls involving young workers in their 20s, public criticism regarding workplace safety issues has intensified. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] "Another one fell to their death today!", "Stop the procession of deaths!"

Recently, accidents involving young workers in their 20s falling to their deaths while cleaning the exterior walls of high-rise buildings have been occurring continuously. Along with issues regarding corporate management and supervision responsibilities, voices among young people are calling for changes to the working environment where workers risk their lives. Experts emphasize that structural problems faced by subcontracted workers in our society must be addressed.

On the morning of the 27th of last month, around 10:48 AM, a man in his 20s, Mr. A, fell approximately 40 meters to the ground while cleaning the exterior glass windows on the 15th floor of an apartment in Songdo International City, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, and died.

Earlier, in September, a 23-year-old died while cleaning the exterior walls of an apartment in Guro, followed by a 27-year-old working at a ventilation duct construction site near Gongdeok Station on the 9th, and a 25-year-old fell several tens of meters at a logistics warehouse in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province on the 10th, all losing their lives. Four workers in their 20s died from falls within a month.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor's industrial accident status analysis, as of 2020, industrial accidents increased by more than 18,000 cases over the past five years, with 2,800 of those occurring among the 18-29 age group. In terms of percentage, while overall industrial accidents increased by about 20%, the 18-29 age group saw a 34% increase. This is the highest rate excluding those aged 60 and above.

It has been revealed that young workers have been working in environments where safety is not properly guaranteed. According to the Industrial Safety and Health Act, employers such as contractors must install temporary equipment necessary to prevent and protect against risks of falls, drops, and collapses to prevent workers from falling.

However, despite prior correction requests before Mr. A's fatal fall, auxiliary ropes to protect the workers were not provided. The cleaning company that instructed Mr. A received a corrective order from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency on the 24th to equip safety gear such as auxiliary ropes and corner protectors but took no significant action. It is pointed out that they ignored the correction because the work speed would slow down, resulting in higher costs.

In previous accidents, safety equipment was also not properly provided. Mr. B, who died while cleaning the exterior walls of an apartment in Guro in September, used already worn ropes before starting work, and at the time of the accident, no auxiliary rope was connected.

The Specialized High School Labor Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a candlelight vigil in front of a hospital in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, to mourn the young worker who lost his life in a fall on the 27th. / Photo by the Specialized High School Labor Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions

As these tragic deaths of young people continue, young workers took to the streets holding candles in protest. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions' Specialized High School Labor Union held a memorial candlelight vigil on the 29th of last month in front of a hospital in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, appealing, "Young workers are dying from falls and being crushed yesterday, today, and every day."

The young people holding candles gathered from Chungnam, Incheon, Seoul, and other areas. Some young workers wore protective gear such as helmets and belts and held auxiliary ropes in both hands, which Mr. A did not have, during the rally. They claimed, "The patchwork Enforcement Decree of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act is useless," and "We cannot tolerate companies that drove young workers to death."

Union leader Choi Seohyun criticized, "While the son of a member of the National Assembly receives 5 billion won under the name of industrial accident compensation, some workers have no choice but to work as day laborers at heights of 163 meters," adding, "We must change this horrific procession of deaths and cruel inequality so that young workers can work safely without dying."

Experts point out that the most fundamental problem is that subcontracted workers are left unprotected under the Industrial Safety and Health Act.

Park Hyeyoung, a labor health solidarity labor attorney, explained in an interview with CBS Radio, "This is a chronic problem that has continued for a long time. Despite significant technological advances, subcontracted workers are not a focus of attention," adding, "In Korean society, it is common to blame individuals for accidents, but we must recognize that the issue lies in the environment, not the workers' carelessness." She further explained, "Subcontracted workers are forced to complete tasks quickly within a set time to generate profit."

She emphasized, "The smaller the site, the greater the risk," and "At the sites, workers are often unaware of the Industrial Safety and Health Act and are likely to remain so. The government should allocate more budget to safety and health to ensure that basic safety rules are followed at the sites."

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