20 Serious Accidents Including Welding Falls in 5 Years... Hyundai Heavy Industries Special Labor Inspection

Ministry of Employment to Conduct Special Inspection from 17th to 28th

At Hyundai Heavy Industries Ulsan Shipyard on February 5th, a worker in his 40s died in an accident, and labor-management officials are seen inspecting the site. (Image source=Yonhap News)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government will conduct a special labor inspection on Ulsan Hyundai Heavy Industries, where 20 serious accidents have occurred over the past five years, including a worker's death due to a fall during welding work.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that from the 17th to the 28th, it will carry out a thorough investigation into the causes of accidents at Ulsan Hyundai Heavy Industries and implement measures to prevent recurrence through a special inspection.

Previously, on the 8th, a fall accident occurred during welding work on an oil tanker at Hyundai Heavy Industries. On February 5th, a worker died after being struck by a steel plate at the large assembly plant. On May 21st last year, a suffocation accident occurred during argon purging work on the pipeline of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship.

The special inspection will be led by the Busan Regional Employment and Labor Office. A total of 46 personnel, including industrial safety inspectors and experts from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, will conduct a detailed inspection of safety management practices at both the headquarters and the site.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor plans to focus the inspection on whether a proper safety and health management system is established and functioning effectively from Hyundai Heavy Industries' headquarters to the field.

Ahead of the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, the inspection will focus on ▲ the awareness and leadership of the CEO and management regarding safety and health management, ▲ safety management goals, ▲ personnel, organizational and budget execution systems, ▲ risk factor management systems, ▲ collection of workers' opinions, and ▲ enhancement of safety and health management capabilities of subcontractors.

To this end, a special analysis team composed of safety and health experts will operate to thoroughly analyze Hyundai Heavy Industries' safety and health management system, identify problems, and propose measures to prevent recurrence.

Additionally, safety and health issues at Hyundai Heavy Industries' sites will be intensively examined, and strict actions will be taken against violations of the Industrial Safety and Health Act.

In particular, the Ministry plans to comprehensively analyze the issues pointed out during the site inspection and the results of the safety and health system analysis to identify the fundamental safety and health problems at the site and demand improvements accordingly.

Kwon Kisub, Director of Labor Policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, said, "Serious accidents have been occurring frequently in port, shipbuilding, and steel industries recently, which makes us feel a heavy responsibility. We plan to actively guide and supervise so that the safety and health management system operates properly from headquarters to the field through proactive measures such as special inspections and safety and health diagnoses at high-risk workplaces where accidents occur."