[Report] First Day of Serious Accident Punishment Act at Construction Sites... "Just Clear Everything First"

On the first day of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act enforcement on the 27th, which allows for the punishment of management officials when serious accidents such as worker fatalities occur, managers are conducting safety inspections at an apartment construction site in Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

All Work Suspended Ahead of Seollal

Only Safety Managers Reported to Work

Focus on Safety Over Quality

[Asia Economy Reporters Minyoung Kim, Hyemin Kim, Seoyul Hwang] The Serious Accidents Punishment Act, criticized for excessive penalties and vague regulations, came into effect on the 27th. On the morning of that day, we visited an apartment construction site in Gyeonggi-do. All work was halted ahead of the Seollal holiday, but all 25 safety management personnel from the construction company reported to work. They were inspecting various parts of the site, focusing on facility management.

A site official said, "A safety workshop for employees is scheduled for today." When asked what had changed with the enforcement of the law, a welder we met on site briefly replied, "We have received a lot of training and are making efforts to raise awareness."

We toured the construction site with personnel equipped with safety helmets, safety shoes, gaiters, and protective glasses. They checked whether the installed ropes were tightly secured by pulling them and carefully inspected the safety nets for any tears by inserting their fingers into the holes.

Among the safety managers, one checked whether the ladders on site belonged to the head office. The manager said, "Sometimes subcontractors bring in equipment arbitrarily, and if an accident occurs with such ladders, it is unclear who is responsible. So, we decided to remove all equipment that does not belong to the head office."

On one side, safety managers were busy removing leftover steel materials from scaffolding. This was to clear materials that could obstruct the work environment as much as possible.

Site officials expressed concerns that while the Serious Accidents Punishment Act might have a positive effect by tightening safety controls on site, it could also lead to side effects by prioritizing safety over quality. Mr. A, a site manager at a major construction company, said in a phone interview, "Nowadays, not only safety managers but also the construction teams in charge of execution prioritize safety over quality. This has resulted in requiring more time and manpower for construction."

Another site official voiced dissatisfaction, saying, "There are unforeseen accidents, but the Serious Accidents Punishment Act requires judging in advance whether someone might die or not. For example, if a worker with high blood pressure does not disclose their condition and collapses in cold weather, the site manager is held responsible."

The Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which took effect on this day, applies first to workplaces with 50 or more employees. If a fatal industrial accident occurs on site, an investigation is conducted, and responsible persons such as the CEO may face imprisonment of one year or more, or fines up to 1 billion KRW. Although the law aims to promote workplace safety, there is significant controversy over its unprecedentedly severe penalties and the ambiguous criteria for judging various cases occurring on site.

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