"Feeling Unwell" Employee Organizing Carts Ultimately Dies in 'Jjimttang' Mart Parking Lot

While Organizing Shopping Carts in a Large Mart Parking Lot
"Not Feeling Well," Collapsed and Died on One Side
Colleagues Criticize Work Environment: "No Air Conditioning Even When It's Hot"

A man in his 30s working in the parking lot of a large supermarket suddenly died amid the heatwave, raising concerns about poor working conditions.

According to an MBC report on the 27th, Mr. A (31), who was organizing shopping carts in the parking lot of a large supermarket in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, around 7 p.m. on the 19th, was taken to the hospital but passed away. Mr. A had been working since 11 a.m. that day and collapsed while resting in a corner of the parking lot, saying, "I don't feel well."

On that day, the area was under a heatwave advisory for the second consecutive day, with the daytime high temperature reaching 33 degrees Celsius. The parking lot where Mr. A worked was open on all sides to the outside, exposing it to sunlight, and the air conditioning was not used much. Colleagues said that air conditioning operation times were set to save cooling costs, and the outdoor air circulation system was not continuously running.

Colleague Mr. B said, "The temperature in the parking lot is so high that even customers shopping say, 'Why is it so hot here?'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Under these conditions, Mr. A was pushing bundles of metal carts, about 200 every hour, starting from 11 a.m. A cellphone message he sent to a colleague two days before his death revealed complaints about walking a total of 43,000 steps over approximately 10 hours.

The supermarket had a break room, and workers were reportedly given 15 minutes of rest every three hours. However, colleague Mr. C explained, "If you go up to the fifth floor where the break room is, the break time is almost over, so I usually don't rest there."

The supermarket did not provide an immediate response when asked whether their heatwave measures for workers were insufficient. A representative of the supermarket said, "Please go through the official procedures with the headquarters."

Meanwhile, cases of heat-related illnesses suffered during work are considered industrial accidents. According to industrial safety and health standards, employers must provide shaded areas for rest during breaks when workers perform tasks outdoors exposed directly to heatwaves.

Additionally, the government recommends providing 10 minutes of rest every hour during the caution stage (heatwave advisory) when the perceived temperature is 33 degrees Celsius or higher, and 15 minutes of rest during the warning (heatwave alert) stage at 35 degrees or higher and the danger stage at 38 degrees or higher.

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