Ministry of Employment Launches Serious Accident Investigation into 'Pangyo Fall Death'... "Will Thoroughly Identify Cause"

Fall accident at Pangyo construction site... 2 dead
(Seongnam=Yonhap News) On the 8th, a fall accident occurred at a new building construction site in Pangyo 2nd Techno Valley, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, resulting in the deaths of two workers.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor is investigating the accident with the possibility of applying the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. The photo shows the accident site. 2022.2.8
[Provided by Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters. Resale and DB prohibited]
photo@yna.co.kr
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[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Junhyeong] The Ministry of Employment and Labor has launched an investigation into allegations of violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act related to a fall accident that occurred in Pangyo, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province.

On the 8th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that it has begun investigating Yojin Construction Industry, the contractor of the newly constructed building in Pangyo where the fatal accident occurred, for violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Earlier that day, around 10 a.m., a fall accident occurred at the Pangyo building construction site where Yojin Construction Industry was responsible for construction. Two workers installing an elevator fell from the 12th floor above ground to the 5th basement level. The two workers were immediately transported to the hospital but ultimately both passed away. The Ministry of Employment and Labor ordered a work stoppage at the site on the day of the accident.

The Ministry is investigating the circumstances of the accident while keeping open the possibility of applying the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. Enacted on the 27th of last month, the Act stipulates that if a serious accident occurs at a workplace with 50 or more employees resulting in one or more deaths, management officials can be held accountable. Yojin Construction Industry, with over 200 employees, is subject to this Act.

The Gyeonggi branch of the Ministry plans to investigate whether the management officials of Yojin Construction Industry, as the contractor, lawfully established and implemented a safety and health management system in accordance with the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. The Ministry intends to thoroughly investigate whether proper legal measures were taken to identify and improve the risks of fall accidents, especially during the high-risk elevator installation work. Regarding the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the investigation will focus on whether both the primary contractor and subcontractors fulfilled their specific obligations to prevent fall accidents.

Kwon Gisub, Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Headquarters at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, stated, "We will thoroughly identify the causes and hold accountable companies that neglected foreseeable typical accident risks leading to fatal accidents." He added, "We will utilize all available administrative measures such as work stoppage orders, safety inspections, and safety and health plan establishment orders to ensure that safety and health management systems are in place to prevent fatal accidents."

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