On the 2nd of last month, a fall accident occurred at an apartment construction site in Godeok New Town, Godeok-myeon, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi Province, resulting in the deaths of two workers who were working at the site. The two were confirmed to be a married couple. (Provided by Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters)
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] During the third quarter (July to September) of this year, a total of 14 worker fatalities occurred at the worksites of the top 100 construction companies.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport disclosed on the 21st the list of the top 100 construction companies by construction capability evaluation where fatal accidents occurred during the third quarter, as well as the list of ordering agencies where fatalities happened.
Among large construction companies, Dongbu Construction had the highest number of fatalities during the three months of the third quarter, with 3 construction workers dying at Dongbu Construction sites during this period.
On July 30th, at the Daegu 'Marriott Hotel and Serviced Residence New Construction' site, a worker died when a masonry wall collapsed during the dismantling process of the existing masonry wall, burying the worker. On the 2nd of last month, a couple of workers fell from the 6th floor height along with a construction lift at the 'Pyeongtaek Godeok A-1BL Apartment Construction (Section 6)' site and died, resulting in a total of 3 worker fatalities.
Additionally, among the top 100 construction companies, a total of 12 companies including ▲Daelim Industrial ▲GS Construction ▲POSCO Construction ▲Daewoo Construction ▲Hyundai Engineering ▲Hanshin Engineering & Construction ▲Hyosung Heavy Industries ▲Geukdong Construction ▲Isu Construction ▲Geumgwang Enterprise ▲Youngmoo Construction experienced worker fatalities during the third quarter. Among these, GS Construction, Daewoo Construction, and Hanshin Engineering & Construction had fatalities in both the second and third quarters.
By ordering agency, two fatalities each occurred at Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), Korea Rail Network Authority, Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-Water), and Daegu City. Additionally, one fatality each occurred at ▲Busan Regional Land Management Office ▲Jeongseon Land Management Office ▲Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) ▲Pohang Regional Maritime and Port Office ▲Defense Facilities Headquarters ▲Korea Rural Community Corporation ▲Gangseo District Office ▲Namwon City ▲Jinan County ▲Cheongwon District ▲Hamyang County.
Among small-scale private construction sites permitted by local governments, Gyeonggi Province had the highest number of fatalities with 10. This includes ▲Bucheon City (3) ▲Pyeongtaek and Hwaseong Cities (2) ▲Anyang, Icheon Cities, and Yangpyeong County (1 each). Following were ▲Seoul with 6 ▲Jeonnam with 3 ▲Incheon with 2 ▲Gyeongnam with 2 fatalities.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport conducted special and surprise inspections over three months from July to September at 143 large construction sites where fatalities occurred during the second quarter to prevent further deaths.
As a result of the inspections, a total of 206 inappropriate cases were detected. The Ministry plans to impose penalty points on 4 of the 9 cases that were not corrected on site and issue a fine for 1 case. Penalty points and fines will be finalized after administrative procedures such as objections are processed by the local land management offices.
Minister Kim Hyun-mi of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport emphasized, "We urge top construction companies to take the lead in making construction sites safer workplaces," and added, "We will continue to conduct focused 'punitive site inspections' targeting companies where fatalities have occurred to encourage the industry to proactively prevent safety accidents."
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