Including Farmers, Fishermen, and Public Officials, "Over 10,000 'Labor Accident Deaths' in 4 Years"

Yong Hye-in "Comprehensive Statistics Needed Including Farmers and Fishermen in Industrial Accident Data"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] An analysis revealed that the number of labor-related fatal accidents, including agricultural and fishery workers and public officials in addition to workers counted under the Labor Standards Act, has exceeded 10,000 in the past four years.

On the 11th, Yoon Hye-in, a member of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee from the Basic Income Party, compiled data received from related ministries and corporations, showing that from 2017 to last year, 10,195 people died due to labor-related accidents. This is 2,014 (24.6%) more than the 8,181 industrial accident deaths counted under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act.

While the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act applies to all workers, it does not cover businesses compensated under the Public Officials Accident Compensation Act, Military Personnel Accident Compensation Act, Seamen Act, Fishing Vessel Crew and Fishing Vessel Accident Compensation Insurance Act, Private School Teachers' Pension Act, or agriculture, forestry, fishery, and hunting industries with fewer than five regular workers.

Among labor-related fatalities, deaths due to accidents under the Agricultural and Fishery Workers' Safety Insurance (1,045) were the second highest after industrial accidents, followed by fishing vessel crew accidents (409), public official accidents (281), military personnel accidents (177), seamen accidents (85), and private school teachers' accidents (17).

As of last year, the rate of occupational accident deaths per 10,000 insured workers (accident fatality rate) was 13.57 for fishing vessel crew accidents, 10.82 for seamen accidents, 3.05 for agricultural and fishery workers' safety insurance, 0.53 for military personnel accidents, 0.46 for industrial accident compensation insurance, and 0.21 for public official accidents. This indicates that fishing vessel crew, seamen, and agricultural and fishery workers are particularly vulnerable to occupational accident fatalities.

The rate of fatal accidents considering both disease and accident deaths was also 16.36 for fishing vessel crew accidents, which is 15 times higher than the 1.09 rate under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act.

Assembly member Yoon stated, "The start of industrial accident prevention is to have statistics by occupation and comprehensive statistics," and demanded, "A comprehensive labor accident statistics system should be established, including agricultural and fishery workers and fishing vessel crew accidents that are missing from industrial accident statistics."

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