1211 Deaths Over 5 Years at Construction Sites... The Leading Cause is 'Falls'

Min Hongcheol's Office Analyzes Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Statistics

The 'fall' accident at the Seoul-Sejong Expressway construction site, where 10 workers died or were injured due to a bridge collapse, has been identified as one of the most common recurring cases at construction sites.

1211 Deaths Over 5 Years at Construction Sites... The Leading Cause is 'Falls'

The "fall" accident at the Seoul-Sejong Expressway construction site, where 10 workers died or were injured due to a bridge collapse, has been identified as one of the most common recurring cases at construction sites. Photo by Getty Images

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to Min Hong-cheol, a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, the number of deaths from 'falls' over the five years from 2020 to 2024 totaled 622, making it the highest cause. This accounts for half of the total 1,211 deaths. By year, the numbers were 111 in 2020, 148 in 2021, 130 in 2022, 127 in 2023, and 106 in 2024.

In the past five years, other major causes of death included 'being crushed' (221), 'being struck by an object' (121), 'being caught' (64), 'burns' (38), and 'collisions' (22).

On the 25th of last month, the bridge deck structure being installed on a pier at the Seoul-Sejong Expressway construction site collapsed, causing 10 workers to fall from above and be killed or injured. The photo shows the site the day after the accident. Photo by Yonhap News

During the same period, 30,340 people were injured in construction accidents, averaging 6,068 injuries per year. Among the causes of injury, 'tripping' was the most common with 7,109 cases, followed by 'falls' (4,612), 'being struck by an object' (4,056), 'being caught' (3,112), 'collisions' (2,528), and 'cuts and lacerations' (2,144).

This statistic was calculated based on accidents registered in the Construction Safety Information Network (CSI) of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Construction companies are required by the Construction Technology Promotion Act to report accidents resulting in death or requiring more than three days off work. However, considering unreported accidents, the actual human toll may be higher.

Assemblyman Min said, "Deaths and accidents caused by construction disasters continue unabated," adding, "It is necessary to establish more thorough industrial accident prevention measures to prevent the tragic repetition of precious lives being lost at workplaces."