Another SPC worker dies in fatal bread factory accident
This photo shows a conveyor belt at an SPC factory in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, provided by the Siheung Fire Station, May 19. Yonhap
A worker died Monday in a fatal accident at a bread factory affiliated with bakery giant SPC Group, police said.
The accident occurred at SPC's factory in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, at around 3 a.m., when the worker, known only as a woman in her 50s, reportedly had her upper body caught in the conveyor belt during lubrication work.
When rescuers arrived at the scene, she was lying on the floor after being separated from the machine, with her head damaged. She was responsible for spraying lubricant to ensure the conveyor belt runs smoothly during the process of cooling hot bread.
Police are investigating the exact cause of the accident and will consider booking factory officials on charges of occupational negligence resulting in death if any violation of safety rules is found. The labor ministry will also investigate whether the Industrial Safety and Health Act and Serious Accidents Punishment Act were violated at the factory.
SPC's factories have been beleaguered by various workplace accidents in recent years.
In October 2022, a 23-year old employee was killed after her upper body was caught in a sauce mixer at the group's factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.
In August 2023, a 50-something worker died after being trapped in a dough machine at a Seongnam factory of Shani, an affiliate of SPC.