172 Deaths in Elevated Work Platform Accidents Over 9 Years

Three out of Four Vehicle-Mounted Users Violate Safety Rules
77.5% 'Falls' Due to Vehicle-Mounted and Safety Rail Dismantling
50% 'Caught' Accidents in Scissor Lifts Without Over-Ascend Prevention Devices

Ministry of Employment and Labor Publishes 'Aerial Work Platform Safety Management Manual'

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Since 2012, 172 workers who worked on aerial work platforms have died, according to investigations. For vehicle-mounted platforms, falls were the most common cause of death, while for scissor lifts, crush injuries were predominant. Most accidents occurred due to failure to follow safety regulations.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency announced on the 17th that they will produce and distribute the "Aerial Work Platform Safety Management Manual" ahead of the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act on the 27th. They also disclosed the status of fatal accidents involving aerial work platforms from 2012 to 2020.

Among the 172 fatalities, 135 (78.5%) were construction workers. By accident type, falls (80 cases, 59.3%) were the most frequent. There were 24 fatalities (14%) in the manufacturing industry.

In the case of vehicle-mounted platforms used for exterior building work, 79 workers (approximately 77.5%) died from falls. Most cases involved violations such as unauthorized removal of safety railings and failure to wear safety harnesses. For scissor lifts, 30 workers (about 50%) died from crush injuries. Causes included inadequate or missing overtravel prevention devices.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Employment and Labor included necessary content for inspecting safety railings, overtravel prevention devices, fatal accident status, cases, and causes in the manual. It especially covers inspection methods for safety devices such as overload prevention and automatic safety devices, which are difficult to check on platforms. The ministry plans to promote amendments to related laws to mandate safe usage methods and installation standards for overtravel prevention devices. The manual will be posted on the ministry’s website, and the ministry will actively guide workers to familiarize themselves with it during the purchase and rental process in cooperation with platform manufacturers and rental companies.

Kwon Ki-seop, head of the Industrial Safety and Health Headquarters at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, said, "By simply adhering to basic safety rules such as prohibiting the removal of safety railings and installing overtravel prevention devices, fatal accidents on platforms can be effectively prevented." He urged, "At aerial work platform sites, it is important to remember that even small attention to safety can save lives."

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