Six Locations Searched Including HJ Shipbuilding & Construction Headquarters
Labor authorities and the police are conducting searches and seizures at six locations, including the headquarters of HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, the contractor, in connection with the recent collapse accident at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant.
On the 13th, heavy machinery was deployed at the site of the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant boiler tower collapse accident to find the last buried person, dismantling the boiler tower structures. Photo by Yonhap News
The Busan Regional Employment and Labor Office and the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 20th that they are carrying out searches and seizures related to the accident that occurred on the 6th at the Ulsan Thermal Power Plant in Nam-gu, Ulsan, where the collapse of a boiler tower resulted in the deaths of seven workers and injuries to two others.
Approximately 50 labor inspectors and police officers have been deployed for this search and seizure. They plan to secure work-related documents and records of previous incidents at six locations, including the HJ Shipbuilding & Construction headquarters and the accident site office, and to examine whether the necessary safety measures to prevent collapse risks during dismantling operations were properly implemented.
The Busan Regional Employment and Labor Office stated, "Based on the evidence obtained through this search and seizure, we will verify the chain of command between the primary and subcontractors, construction methods, and the safety management system," adding, "We will thoroughly investigate the structural causes of the accident, and if violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act or the Serious Accidents Punishment Act are found, strict accountability will be pursued."
The Ministry of Employment and Labor stated, "In addition to the investigation into this serious accident, we will work closely with relevant ministries to reassess the risks associated with the decommissioning of aging thermal power plants," adding, "Through detailed discussions on matters requiring institutional improvement, we will establish comprehensive government-level measures to prevent similar accidents from occurring."
Previously, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that in cases where major fatal accidents occur or where the same type of accident is repeatedly caused by failure to comply with minimum safety regulations, it would actively utilize compulsory investigations such as searches and seizures and arrests.
This accident occurred when Boiler Tower No. 5, measuring 63 meters in height, 25 meters in width, and 15.5 meters in length, collapsed at Korea East-West Power's Ulsan Thermal Power Plant. As a result, seven out of nine workers at the site were buried and killed. The project was commissioned by Korea East-West Power, constructed by HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, and subcontracted to Koreakako.
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