DL E&C hit for repeated fatal industrial accidents

Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung-sik, right, shakes hands with DL E&C CEO Ma Chang-min during a meeting at the Korea Press Center building in Seoul, Friday. Newsis

By Park Jae-hyuk

DL E&C has become the main target of the government's investigation into construction worker deaths since the implementation of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (SAPA) in January last year. This is because the largest number of fatal industrial accidents, among such companies, have occurred under the company's watch.

The law states that a company's CEO can be sent to jail if a serious worksite accident occurs when the company has not taken sufficient safety precautions.

Since March last year, eight workers have died at sites managed by the building developer.

In response to the multiple fatal industrial accidents, Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung-sik ordered the Occupational Safety and Health Office last Monday to conduct a thorough investigation into DL E&C.

“Large building developers should be role models for smaller ones, so it is unacceptable that the company continues to be involved in fatal accidents,” he said.

On Friday, the minister convened the CEOs of Korea's 15 largest building developers, including DL E&C CEO Ma Chang-min, to discuss ways to reduce fatal accidents at construction sites, while introducing how Samsung C&T, Hoban Construction and Taeyoung E&C have been able to avoid serious accidents since last year.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” said the minister, quoting Albert Einstein.

DL E&C's CEO is currently under investigation for an alleged SAPA violation.

Before the meeting with the labor minister, he told the press that the company is doing its best to prevent industrial accidents.

As the labor ministry takes a hardline stance on companies involved frequently in serious accidents, speculation is growing that investigators may raid the building developer's headquarters in Seoul to search for proof that the CEO is in some tangible way responsible for the repeated accidents.

Data compiled by the government showed that the number of workers who died at construction sites during the first half of this year reached 118, up from 108 in the same period last year.

Among them, 63 died during the second quarter of this year.