By Lee Hyo-sik
A series of fatal industrial accidents have occurred in recent weeks, ringing an alarm for both employers and employees over deteriorating workplace safety.
Experts say the lack of safety awareness is the main culprit behind a growing number of man-made tragedies, stressing that the government should enforce stricter safety regulations at construction sites and other workplaces vulnerable to various accidents.
They also say workers themselves should take all possible safety precautions and abide by rules, with management paying more attention to their employee’s well-being.
At 1 a.m. Friday, one worker was found dead inside a manhole in Yongsan, central Seoul, while two others were discovered unconscious. The two workers were immediately taken to a nearby hospital.
They went down the manhole to survey the structure three meters underground as part of a project to create an up-to-date city-wide geographical information system.
It is suspected that they suffocated from toxic gases generated by various organic and chemical substances in the sealed space.
“It is likely that they inhaled hazardous gases underground. High temperatures and high humidity these days have created an environment in which various microorganisms proliferate. They decompose organic matters while absorbing oxygen. They then emit carbon dioxide and other toxic gases in the confined space,” said Yoo Jang-jin, senior manager at the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency.
He said before entering previously sealed rooms, workers should gauge the levels of oxygen and toxic gases. If the levels are high enough to pose a threat to human health, the gases should be removed.
“Workers also need to ventilate the site before beginning work. They need to wear a mask and other necessary safety gear. The three workers would have been safe if they had learned a lesson from what happened at the basement facility of an E-Mart outlet in Tanhyeon, Gyeonggi Province, early this month,” Yoo said.
On July 2, four workers were found collapsed in a machinery room of an E-Mart. They were taken to the hospital immediately, but all died.
They were inspecting large refrigerators, which are about 10 times bigger than those used in households, for the outlet’s air conditioning system. They were suffocated by toxic gases.
Yoo cited the lack of the safety awareness among employers and employees as the primary culprit behind such accidents.
“In cooperation with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, we have been publicizing the dangers of toxic gases accumulated in confined spaces through regular campaigns and educational sessions. We have also strengthened supervising problematic workplaces,”the senior manager said.
On July 20, two workers died after being buried under a pile of debris, following the collapse of a decades-old commercial building in northeastern Seoul. At the time, they were laying water-pipes underground inside the building.
It was found that the owner of the building began the remodeling project without obtaining a permit from the respective district office.
The police have been questioning the owner and a remodeling contractor about how the accident happened, adding that if they are found to have broken the law, they will be prosecuted.