[Death in the Bread Factory]②SPC Accident Log: The Stories of Three Workers

The Moment Their Bodies Were Trapped in the Machines

Editor's NoteWill everything be resolved if, as President Lee Jaemyung has sternly ordered, night overtime is eliminated and labor intensity is reduced? The core issue behind the recurring fatal entrapment accidents at SPC Group factories lies in the fact that workers operating unmanaged machines could not stop the equipment when they sensed danger. Asia Economy reconstructed the sequence of three fatal entrapment accidents and the machines involved, examining the moments when these tragedies could have been prevented.

SPC Samlip Sihwa Factory, Siheung, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Asia Economy has produced 3D graphics to illustrate the hazards of the machines involved in these accidents. Please be advised that some of the graphics and descriptions contain distressing scenes.

At the 24 factories operated by SPC Group, there are dangerous machines that can pull in and crush a worker’s body in an instant if they lose focus, even for a moment. Based on testimonies and analyses from factory workers, police, and experts in industry, engineering, and medicine, we have reconstructed the circumstances of three fatal machine entrapment accidents.

◆Accident While Applying Lubricant Without Stopping the Conveyor (3 a.m., May 19, 2025)

On the evening of May 18 this year, at 7 p.m., Ms. Yang (55, female) arrived at the SPC Samlip factory in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, for her night shift. The night shift runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day. Ms. Yang was responsible for managing the "spiral cooling conveyor" on the cream bread packaging line. This cylindrical machine has a conveyor belt arranged in a spiral around a central axis. Bread circulates on the belt for 35 to 40 minutes to cool. Because the bread needs to cool for an extended period, the conveyor moves slowly. Once cooled, the bread exits on the second floor for packaging.

"Creak, creak." Before she knew it, it was already 3 a.m. Ms. Yang heard an unusual sound coming from the spiral cooling conveyor belt. While Siheung police described the noise as simply a "creaking sound" based on employee statements, workers say the noise from the old spiral cooling conveyor was actually a piercing, metal-scraping sound. When a machine malfunctions, the noise is so severe that it is impossible to ignore and continue working.

Normally, an automatic lubricant sprayer applies oil to the conveyor belt to keep it running smoothly and prevent such metal-scraping noises. However, at the time, the automatic sprayer on this machine was broken.

Ms. Yang (55, female) died on May 19th at 3 a.m. while working on the "spiral cooling conveyor" at the SPC Samlip factory in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province. A 3D reconstruction shows Ms. Yang entering the lower part of the machine to apply lubricant. Studio Uta

As she had done many times before, Ms. Yang grabbed the lubricant and crouched under the running machine. The gap between the lowest conveyor belt and the floor was about 80 cm. According to the "8th Korean Anthropometric Survey" conducted by the Korea Agency for Technology and Standards in 2020-2021, the average height for women in their 50s is 157 cm, with a sitting height of 86 cm. While individual differences exist, if Ms. Yang was of average height for her age group, she would have had to enter the space under the machine in a very uncomfortable position. The lower section was also too cramped for work. The space between the central axis and the conveyor belt was just enough for a woman to squat.

The operation of the 'Spiral Cooling Conveyor' at the SPC Samlip factory in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, where an accident occurred at 3 a.m. on May 19 this year, was recreated in 3D. Mr. Yang entered the lower part of the operating machine to spray lubricant. There was no emergency stop button at the lower part of the machine. Studio Uta

Ms. Yang began applying lubricant to the conveyor belt in the dark beneath the machine. She then reached out further to apply lubricant to a more distant spot. At that moment, her hand got caught in the conveyor belt. She tried to pull it out, but it was no use. The conveyor belt, moving counterclockwise, continued to drag her body. According to the police, Ms. Yang’s upper body was pulled between the pillar of the spiral cooling conveyor and the conveyor belt. The gap between the pillar and the belt was only about 10 cm. Starting with her hand, her arm, shoulder, and chest were sequentially pulled into the narrow space. Part of her head was also drawn in. A coworker, seeing Ms. Yang trapped, quickly stopped the machine, but it was too late to save her.

According to the verbal opinion of the National Forensic Service, Ms. Yang died from multiple fractures, including not only her arm but also her torso and head, as shown in the graphic. Medical experts agree that had only her arm been caught, she likely would have survived. The fatal outcome resulted from her chest being pulled in by the machine’s force, causing compression and fractures. Professor Johangju, a trauma surgeon at Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital, explained, "If a hand is pulled into a machine, nerve damage can render the arm unusable, but the survival rate depends on how much of the torso is drawn in."

According to the verbal opinion of the National Forensic Service, Yang Mo (55, female), who died while working on the 'Spiral Cooling Conveyor' at the SPC Samlip factory in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, at 3 a.m. on May 19 this year, died due to multiple fractures including not only her arms but also her torso and head, as shown in the graphic. Photo by Studio Uta

◆Accident While Adjusting Dough Amount Without Stopping the Lift (12:33 p.m., August 8, 2023)

On August 8, 2023, Ms. Go (55, female) arrived at work at 7 a.m. and was busy with her tasks. Her job was to divide the dough on the cheesecake production line at the Shani factory in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. She was a so-called "veteran," having joined the company on May 1, 2013, and worked there for 10 years and 3 months.

The machine Ms. Go operated was a "dough lift." After placing the mixed dough into a bowl and attaching it to the lift, the machine would raise the bowl up to 230 cm to pour the dough into a divider. The divider would then dispense the dough onto the conveyor belt in small bread shapes. When the descent button is pressed in automatic mode, the bowl, which was above the worker’s head, descends to the floor in 20 seconds-moving at a rate of 11.5 cm per second. Once the bowl descends, the lift and divider are so close that only a fist can fit between them, making it impossible for a person to enter the space.

Ms. Go (55, female) died on August 8, 2023, at 12:33 PM while working at the dough lift in the Shani factory in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. A 3D reconstruction was made showing Ms. Go reaching out her arm to adjust the nozzle in order to control the dough portion size. Studio Uta

Around 12:33 p.m., Ms. Go and her coworker Ms. Lee (55, female) operated the dough lift to raise the bowl filled with dough. Ms. Go then pressed her abdomen against the divider and reached out to adjust the dough portion size. Her body was naturally positioned between the lift and the divider.

Despite Ms. Go still working, Ms. Lee pressed the lift descent switch as she moved away, and the machine continued to descend in automatic mode without stopping. On-site workers explain, "When work is busy, it’s common to press the machine switch and then go off to do something else."

The accident that occurred while working at the "Dough Lift" of Shani Factory in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, on August 8, 2023, at 12:33 PM was recreated in 3D. Although workers were adjusting the dough quantity and performing other tasks, they were able to approach the machine. There was no warning sound, making the accident unavoidable. Studio Uta

The bowl continued to descend toward Ms. Go. She did not see the bowl, which was descending rapidly at 11.5 cm per second. She also could not see the emergency stop switch, which was hidden behind a pillar. She became trapped between the transfer device holding the bowl and the divider. Given the speed of the descending machine, it was impossible to escape once contact was made. Her upper body was compressed in the narrow space between the lift and divider, causing cardiac arrest.

The fire department was immediately notified and transported Ms. Go to a nearby hospital. She arrived at the hospital at 1:12 p.m., about 30 minutes after the accident. Although her breathing and pulse returned and she underwent emergency surgery, she ultimately died.

On August 8, 2023, at 12:33 PM, Ms. Go (55, female) died while working at the "Dough Lift" in Shani Factory, Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province. She died due to intestinal rupture caused by abdominal compression. Studio Uta

The cause of Ms. Go’s death was intestinal rupture due to abdominal compression. The red area in the graphic indicates the site of compression. Medical experts note that it is rare for death to occur from intestinal rupture due to abdominal compression alone. They also add that Ms. Go likely experienced extreme pain during the process. Professor Namkoong In of Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital’s emergency medicine department explained, "Intestinal rupture only occurs when the upper body is compressed to less than half its normal width. Such injuries from abdominal compression are extremely rare in everyday life." Workers on site were exposed daily to machines capable of causing fatal injuries.

◆Accident While Loosening Clumped Sauce in the Mixer Without Stopping the Machine (6:18 a.m., October 15, 2022)

On October 14, 2022, Ms. Park (23, female), who was on the night shift at the SPL factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, arrived at work at 7:50 p.m. Ms. Park, a recent graduate of a specialized culinary high school, was a newcomer aspiring to become a baker. If nothing had happened, she would have returned home safely at 8 a.m. the next morning.

For about a year, Ms. Park was responsible for sauce mixing, primarily operating the "sauce mixer." This machine, 240 cm wide and 105 cm high, has mixing blades inside the left container that rotate 18 times per minute. On the right side are the operation buttons and an emergency stop switch. The distance between the mixing container and the emergency stop switch is about 108 cm.

The accident that occurred on October 14, 2022, at the sauce mixer of the SPL factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, was recreated in 3D. The emergency stop button was located on the right control panel but was out of reach without moving closer. Studio Uta

With less than two hours left in her shift, Ms. Park used the sauce mixer to make sandwich sauce. She added 80 kg of mayonnaise and started the mixing blades. However, because the mixer was old, the sauce did not mix well and clumped on one side. Ms. Park reached into the machine, which did not have its lid closed, to manually loosen the clumped sauce.

Around 6:18 a.m., Ms. Park’s right arm became caught in the mixer blades. There are two main reasons suspected for this: she may have been rushing to complete a heavy workload before the end of her shift and failed to avoid the blades, or her concentration may have lapsed due to the early morning hours.

Studio Uta

Ms. Park tried to resist being pulled in by using her right arm. However, the mixer blades are powerful enough to crush a 15 kg block of hard butter instantly-far beyond what a woman’s strength can withstand. As she resisted, her body was instead rotated 180 degrees, causing her upper body to fall into the mixing container filled with sauce.

The team leader witnessed the accident and called for help. Other staff, including the maintenance team, rushed over and began scooping out the sauce. The rescue attempt began around 6:27 a.m. At 6:44 a.m., the 119 rescue team arrived, but Ms. Park was already deceased. It took about 26 minutes from the time of the accident for the rescue team to arrive.

According to the autopsy conducted by the National Forensic Service, Park Mo (23, female), who died while working at the "sauce mixer" of the SPL factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province on October 14, 2022, died from airway obstructive asphyxiation. Foreign substances were found inside the lungs, and there were no injuries to the head or brain. Studio Uta

According to the autopsy conducted by the National Forensic Service, the cause of Ms. Park’s death was airway obstructive asphyxiation. In the graphic, the blue area indicates asphyxiation, and the red area indicates a fracture of the right arm. Airway obstructive asphyxiation means that the airway was blocked by foreign substances. Foreign material was found in her bronchial tubes and lungs, but there was no injury to her head or brain. Typically, it takes about six minutes to die from asphyxiation, but medical experts note that loss of consciousness can occur in just one minute. In other words, Ms. Park had only about one minute to escape from the dangerous situation on her own.

Asia Economy has used pseudonyms for informants who did not wish to have their real names disclosed to protect their identities.