Rescue workers are moving at the Shinansan Line underground tunnel construction site in Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do, where a collapse accident occurred on the 14th. Photo by Yonhap News
The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on the 17th that it will conduct an emergency inspection of all tunnel construction sites nationwide.
This inspection is a measure to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents following the serious damage caused by the tunnel collapse accident at the Shinansan Line double-track railway construction site on the 11th.
The Ministry will check collapse prevention measures at 207 tunnel construction sites across the country where construction is underway. The inspection will be carried out together with local labor offices and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency and will be completed by the end of next month.
The main inspection items include the installation status of tunnel support members, procedures for confirming signs of collapse, measures against falling rocks or flammable gases, and safety measures to prepare for anticipated risks and emergencies during underground excavation.
The Ministry plans to immediately improve any violations of laws through correction orders.
For Posco E&C, the construction company at the accident site, industrial safety supervision will be conducted at 13 tunnel, railway, and road construction sites nationwide.
Local labor offices plan to take strict measures such as legal action if any violations of laws are found.
Kim Jong-yoon, Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Headquarters at the Ministry of Labor, emphasized, "Construction collapse accidents seriously threaten not only workers but also the safety of the general public," adding, "Safety must be the top priority in all processes of construction work, including planning, design, and construction."
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