35 Industrial Accident Deaths at Public Institution Workplaces Last Year... "Must Prevent Recurrence"

Ministry of Employment Holds Meeting with Public Institutions Prone to Major Accidents

Chemical Industry 142 Deaths from 2016 to 2020
"Creation and Distribution of Self-Inspection Checklists"

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] On the 11th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that it held a meeting with major public institutions such as Korea Rural Community Corporation, Korea Expressway Corporation, Korea Railroad Corporation, and KT at the Sejong City Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Reexamination Committee. The meeting was organized to urge accident prevention targeting major public institutions where serious accidents, including worker deaths, have frequently occurred, ahead of the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act on the 27th.

From 2016 to 2021, there were 244 deaths due to industrial accidents in projects ordered and executed by public institutions over six years. Last year alone, 35 people died. During the same period, 64 deaths (26% of the total) occurred in projects ordered and executed by the institutions attending the meeting, including Nong-eochon Gongsa, Doro Gongsa, and Cheoldo Gongsa. KT was invited to the meeting because it had a particularly high number of industrial accident deaths among the three major telecommunications companies (KT, SK Telecom, LG Uplus). From 2016 to 2021, there were 32 deaths due to industrial accidents in projects ordered and executed by the three major telecom companies, and 22 (69%) were related to KT. The Ministry of Employment and Labor stated, "Since expectations for safe workplaces are high, public institutions must set an example," and urged, "Please carefully review the preparation status of the law and thoroughly analyze the causes of past accidents to do your best to prevent similar accidents from recurring."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency have created and distributed a self-inspection checklist for safety and health management systems for small and medium-sized enterprises in the chemical industry. The chemical industry manufactures and handles large quantities of flammable materials that can lead to major fires and explosions. From 2016 to 2020, there were 142 deaths due to accidents in the chemical industry. By accident type, there were 46 caught-in incidents, 32 explosions or ruptures, and 22 falls. The self-inspection checklist includes inspection items by core elements such as ▲ top management leadership ▲ participation of on-site workers ▲ identification of risk factors, as well as detailed inspection items by risk factors.

Kwon Gisub, Director of the Industrial Safety and Health Headquarters at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, said, "When accidents occur in the chemical industry, many workers suffer casualties and various damages occur to nearby residents," and urged, "Please use the self-inspection checklist to work safely."

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