Series of Fatal Entrapment Accidents... Ministry of Employment and Labor Launches Intensive Inspection of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has launched an intensive on-site inspection at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, equivalent to a special inspection, following a series of fatal entrapment accidents involving workers at the company.

On August 18, the ministry announced that it would conduct a rigorous inspection targeting not only the Ulsan and Gunsan shipyards of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, but also its headquarters and factories that were designated as high-risk worksites earlier this year. The inspection team has been expanded to include not only local labor offices but also regional offices. A large-scale team consisting of a total of 62 members, including ministry inspectors and experts from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, has been mobilized.

Yard view of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.

The ministry stated that it plans to conduct a focused inspection on all aspects of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, including adherence to key safety rules for major industrial accidents such as entrapment, collision, falls, fire and explosion, and suffocation. In addition, the ministry will thoroughly review the implementation status of improvement measures taken after previous accidents, determine whether the company's safety and health management system at the headquarters level is functioning properly, and assess the effectiveness of risk assessments. Any violations identified during the inspection will lead to immediate legal action and strict enforcement measures.

The ministry plans to strongly guide the company to devise practical solutions that workers can truly feel in the workplace for any areas requiring improvement. Moreover, as the same type of fatal accident has occurred repeatedly, the ministry will not treat this as a one-off inspection. After the current inspection is completed, follow-up inspections will be conducted to verify whether improvement measures continue to be carried out.

Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Younghoon stated, "The repetition of the same type of serious industrial accidents indicates that the company's safety management system is not functioning properly," adding, "We will strictly enforce a zero-tolerance policy for companies where the same type of serious accident recurs."

Previously, on July 18, a subcontracted worker of Uzbek nationality died in an entrapment accident during operations at the Ulsan shipyard of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. Then, on July 24, another subcontracted worker died in an entrapment accident on the assembly line of the panel plant at the Gunsan shipyard.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.