Labor Sector: "Third Death Accident at One Company, Stop Lukewarm Response"

On the 18th, the labor community voiced criticism toward Hyundai BNG Steel and labor authorities following an accident in which one worker was injured and another died.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor and labor unions, at around 2:57 p.m. that day, two workers inspecting and maintaining equipment used to thin steel plates at the rolling mill inside Hyundai BNG Steel in Seongsan-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, were pinned under a steel table weighing approximately 400 kg.

On the 20th, the Gyeongnam branch of the Metal Workers' Union and others held a press conference criticizing Hyundai BNG Steel, where fatal accidents have occurred recently following incidents in September and October last year, and called for a strict investigation by labor authorities.

The Metal Workers' Union Gyeongnam Headquarters and others are urging strict punishment for employers related to fatal industrial accidents.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

They stated, "Investigations into last year's serious accidents are still ongoing, yet another fatal accident has occurred," and raised their voices demanding, "The Ministry of Labor should apply for arrest warrants for management officials and order a safety and health inspection of the entire process."

They continued, "Those responsible for violating the Industrial Safety and Health Act must be punished, and management officials held accountable to prevent any recurrence of serious accidents," adding, "The reason serious accidents have not decreased even after the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act is due to the Ministry of Labor's lukewarm supervision and lenient punishment policies."

After the press conference, the union representatives met with officials at the Changwon branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

At the meeting, they emphasized, "This accident occurred because the screws fixing the table were worn out due to age, causing the table to become loose and tip over onto the workers," and "Hyundai BNG Steel had no separate manual, maintenance log, or risk assessment for the repair of the guide table involved in the accident."

They explained that four maintenance personnel were responsible for repairs across the entire plant, and that the cranes within the factory were over 40 years old.

Officials from the Changwon Branch of the Gyeongnam Employment and Labor Office and members of the Metal Workers' Union Gyeongnam Branch are having a meeting.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

They appealed, "A colleague who worked alongside us passed away overnight. Management and investigation should not only occur after a life is lost; potential accident factors must be eliminated and managed proactively," and "Not only should work be stopped in the process where the accident occurred, but operations across the entire workplace should be halted to conduct a safety and health inspection."

They demanded ▲ suspension of all processes including the accident site and safety inspections ▲ implementation of flaggers as directed by the labor office ▲ special labor supervision ▲ rapid inspection of similar equipment ▲ expansion of work stoppage scope in case of accidents and government-led mandatory full shutdown.

They also called for ▲ installation of safety devices and replacement of aging equipment through facility investment ▲ increase in personnel ▲ union participation in safety and health inspections ▲ disclosure of safety inspection reports ▲ disclosure of accident-related information and preventive education within the workplace ▲ urgent arrest and application for arrest warrants for safety officers including the CEO.

An official from the Changwon branch stated, "We have requested the CEO side to inspect and verify the structure and equipment, including machine design and operating principles, and to reinforce personnel," adding, "Since accidents could occur in other processes, a comprehensive risk assessment of all processes will be conducted thoroughly."

They also said, "The application for arrest warrants against the business owner can be made by the central labor inspector, and a special inspection of all workplaces of the accident company will be conducted under the Ministry of Labor's supervision."

"The branch office will conduct a strict investigation to prevent recurrence of accidents and will recommend speeding up the case process," they added, "If there are any shortcomings in the response from the company or others, please inform the branch office through on-site workers or the union."

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