Korea Construction Industry Research Institute Report
1.59 Deaths per 10,000 People
6.6 Times Higher Than the UK, 5.5 Times Higher Than Germany
South Korea's construction industry fatality rate has been found to be the highest among surveyed countries, exceeding twice the average of the top 10 OECD economies. It is 6.6 times higher than that of the United Kingdom and 5.5 times higher than that of Germany, both of which are considered leaders in safety standards.
According to the report "Comparison of Construction Industry Accident Fatality Rates among the Top 10 OECD Economies in 2023," released on August 15 by Choi Sooyoung, a research fellow at the Korea Construction Industry Research Institute, the domestic construction industry fatality rate in 2023 was 1.59 per 10,000 people. This is 2.04 times the OECD top 10 average of 0.78.
Canada ranked second with 1.08, followed by the United States with 0.97. Italy (0.92), Spain (0.72), Japan (0.68), Australia (0.34), and Germany (0.29) followed in order. The United Kingdom had the lowest fatality rate at 0.24 per 10,000 people.
On the 6th, Min Byungduk, chairman of the Euljiro Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, and committee members inspected the construction site of the Posco E&C highway project in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, where a worker suffered serious injuries and fell unconscious. On the 4th, a male worker in his 30s of Myanmar nationality, Mr. A, went down to check a malfunctioning underground pump and was electrocuted, resulting in cardiac arrest and being transported to the hospital. Yonhap News
Even when comparing all industries, South Korea ranked near the top. The overall industrial fatality rate in Korea was 0.39 per 10,000 people, second only to Canada (0.50), and 1.6 times the OECD top 10 average of 0.24. This is 9.8 times higher than the United Kingdom (0.04), 5.6 times higher than Germany (0.07), and 3 times higher than Japan (0.13).
The construction industry fatality rate was higher than the all-industry average in all 10 countries surveyed. On average, it was 3.25 times higher, but in Korea, the gap was particularly large at 4.08 times. The United Kingdom had the largest gap at 6 times, followed by Japan (5.23 times) and Italy (4.60 times). These figures demonstrate that the construction industry is globally more hazardous than other industries.
The report analyzed that countries with higher overall industrial safety levels also have better construction industry safety indicators. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia, which have low overall industrial fatality rates, also have low construction industry fatality rates.
2023 Construction Industry Fatality Rate by Country (left), Construction Industry Fatality Rate Gap. Provided by Korea Construction Industry Research Institute
Choi Sooyoung stated, "The construction industry involves a high proportion of outdoor work, employs many older workers, and features complex processes, all of which contribute to numerous risk factors." She added, "To narrow the safety gap, it is necessary to strengthen customized safety management systems tailored to the industry's characteristics and to invest more in safety than other industries."
Choi further emphasized, "A lifelong safety culture innovation that encompasses homes, schools, and workplaces is essential to achieve safety indicators at the level of advanced nations. In addition to industry-level strategies, a comprehensive national strategy must also be pursued in parallel."
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