Worker Dies in Burial Accident at Starch Manufacturing Plant... Prime Contractor Representative Prosecuted under Serious Accident Punishment Act

Regarding the worker burial accident that occurred last April at a starch manufacturing factory in Incheon, the CEOs of the primary contractor and subcontractor companies have been brought to trial on charges of violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

The Criminal Division 6 of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Eom Jae-sang) announced on the 29th that CEO A (63) of the starch manufacturing company and CEO B (41) of the subcontracted factory management company were indicted without detention along with their corporations on charges of violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. The prosecution also sent the factory manager of the starch manufacturing company and the site manager of the subcontractor to trial without detention on charges of professional negligence causing death and violation of the Industrial Safety and Health Act.

A and others are accused of causing the death of subcontractor worker C (then 57) by failing to properly implement safety measures during corn storage work at the starch manufacturing factory in Sipjeong-dong, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, last April.

C was sucked into a suddenly opened hole while clearing the corn inlet clogged with impurities and was buried under a pile of corn. Investigations revealed that both the primary contractor and subcontractor failed to take proper safety measures while allowing C to perform the work.

A prosecution official stated, "We will continue to thoroughly investigate serious accident cases and handle them strictly," adding, "We will do our best to prevent serious accidents and ensure workers' safety."

Meanwhile, the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office previously investigated a worker death accident at a construction site in Incheon last March and indicted construction company CEO C on charges of violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. C was sentenced to one year in prison with a three-year probation in the first trial on June 1 and is currently undergoing an appeal trial.