Establishment of Taean Thermal Power Plant Fatal Accident Countermeasure Headquarters
Ministry of Employment and Labor: "Supervision Plan to Be Finalized and Implemented Promptly"
On June 9, the Ministry of Employment and Labor held the first meeting of the "Taean Thermal Power Plant Fatal Accident Countermeasure Headquarters," which was established in response to the fatal accident that occurred at Korea Western Power's Taean Thermal Power Plant on June 2. The meeting was chaired by the head of the Ministry's Industrial Safety and Health Headquarters.
The accident countermeasure headquarters was formed not only with the industrial safety and labor standards supervision departments from the headquarters and local offices, but also with the serious accident investigation department, in order to ensure a swift and systematic response to the accident and thorough implementation of follow-up measures. Moving forward, the headquarters plans to hold meetings as needed to monitor all related situations and proceed with follow-up actions.
At today's meeting, the Ministry decided to conduct an inspection equivalent to a special supervision of the Taean Thermal Power Plant, as well as to launch a planned inspection of coal-fired power plants operated by the five major power generation companies. The participants also discussed in detail the targets and scope of the inspections, the composition of the inspection teams, and the inspection schedule.
The Ministry stated, "Recognizing the gravity of this accident, we have established a joint accident countermeasure headquarters between the headquarters and local offices to conduct prompt supervision and investigation," adding, "Based on today's discussions, we plan to finalize and implement the supervision plan as soon as possible."
The Ministry previously formed a dedicated investigation team consisting of a total of 20 labor inspectors from the Daejeon Regional Employment and Labor Office and the Cheonan Branch, in order to investigate possible violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
The investigation team is conducting an in-depth review of the circumstances of the accident based on the results of the joint on-site inspection carried out on the day of the incident, as well as previously secured CCTV footage and witness statements.They are also examining whether safety devices were installed, and whether the two-person team work rule was established and implemented in accordance with public institution safety management guidelines.
Meanwhile, on the afternoon of the same day, a worker in his 50s collapsed while working at the No. 2 indoor coal storage facility at the Taean Thermal Power Plant and was rushed to a nearby hospital. On June 2, a subcontractor employee, Kim Chunghyun (50), died after being caught in machinery.
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