KEPCO to Eliminate Contact Work with Electrified Power Lines Due to Electrocution Risk... Announces Special Measures

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) has announced special measures regarding the subcontractor worker electrocution fatality that occurred last year. The company will immediately eliminate 'live-line work,' where workers come into direct contact with power lines, and will continuously expand 'work after power outage,' which poses no electrocution risk even if power supply is interrupted, as well as 'indirect live-line work,' where workers do not touch power lines.

On the 9th, KEPCO President Seung-il Jung officially apologized at the KEPCO Art Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, regarding the electrocution fatality of a subcontractor worker and announced special measures to eradicate safety accidents.

KEPCO has established a principle that work will only be conducted if predetermined safety requirements are met for the three major fatal accidents that repeatedly occur: electrocution, entrapment, and falls.

This special measure was implemented following the death of a subcontractor worker in his 30s who was electrocuted while performing electrical connection work on a utility pole at an officetel construction site in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, last November. The work was supposed to be conducted in pairs according to KEPCO’s safety regulations, but it was reported that Mr. Kim was sent alone by the subcontractor at the time. In response, President Jung personally convened the entire management team for a final discussion.

KEPCO plans to physically separate workers from hazards by immediately eliminating live-line work, expanding work after power outage, and continuously expanding indirect live-line work to eradicate electrocution accidents. Although indirect live-line work has been transitioning since 2018, about 30% of work is still conducted as live-line work.

KEPCO stated, "To increase the field application rate of indirect live-line work, which has no electrocution accident cases and is safer than live-line work, we will develop an additional nine methods by 2023, in addition to the nine currently in use."

To eradicate entrapment accidents, the installation of anti-slip devices such as chocks will be mandated on insulated bucket trucks used by electrical workers. The plan is to confirm the installation of chocks through a remote monitoring system before work begins. To prevent fall accidents, workers will be completely prohibited from climbing utility poles directly.

KEPCO explained, "All distribution construction work will, in principle, use insulated buckets, but exceptions will be applied restrictively only when insulated buckets cannot access the site or when electrical contractors face equipment supply difficulties, after prior safety measures are reviewed and approved by the relevant office."

Additionally, KEPCO plans to complete the installation of fall prevention devices on 43,695 steel towers nationwide by 2023, three years ahead of schedule. They are also considering adjusting the installation location of fall prevention nets to 10 meters below the lowest arm of the steel towers.

KEPCO will also apply the principle of 'one safety officer per construction site' to improve the management system of electrical contractors.

To block illegal subcontracting practices, KEPCO will introduce a real-name system for personnel and equipment to verify that the pre-reported information matches the actual construction site, with safety officers conducting thorough inspections. They plan to discuss with the government the introduction of a 'one-strike-out' system that disqualifies companies and business owners found engaging in improper practices from participating in KEPCO projects.

Furthermore, KEPCO is considering introducing systems to alleviate the financial burden on electrical contractors by supporting safety management costs or directly purchasing and providing necessary equipment.

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