Foreign Worker Dies at Construction Site During Heatwave... Body Temperature Exceeds 40 Degrees

"Foreign Workers, Elderly Workers... Need More Attention"
"Work Within Two Hours, Take at Least 20 Minutes of Rest"

As the heatwave continues day after day, incidents of foreign workers collapsing or losing their lives while working under the scorching sun are occurring.

According to the Yeongju Branch of the Daegu Regional Employment and Labor Office on July 8, at around 4:40 p.m. the previous day, a Vietnamese subcontract worker in his twenties was found dead at an apartment construction site in Sandong-eup, Gumi.

On the 8th, as the heatwave continues day after day, workers are resting in the break room at a construction site in Jangwi-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. This photo is for illustrative purposes and is unrelated to the content.

At the time he was found, his body temperature had already reached 40.2 degrees Celsius.

At around 5 p.m. on July 3, in a field in Isan-myeon, Yeongju, Gyeongbuk Province, a male seasonal worker from the Philippines in his thirties collapsed after complaining of dizziness while doing weeding work. He was transported to the intensive care unit unconscious and was classified as suffering from a heat-related illness. After treatment, it was determined that his life was not in danger.

The Yeongju Branch plans to provide employers with industrial accident investigation forms and to monitor the health status of foreign seasonal workers.

Lee Dohui, head of the Yeongju Branch, emphasized that during heatwave conditions, workers must take at least a 20-minute break within every two hours. Lee also stated, "Water, shade, and cooling equipment should be provided near the worksite," and added, "Foreign workers and elderly workers are particularly vulnerable to unfamiliar climate conditions and heat-related illnesses, so they require extra attention."

If an employed worker or a foreign worker dies from a heat-related illness, the employer may be subject to criminal penalties under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (if there are five or more regular employees) and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.