By Kim Jae-heun
Authorities in Busan continued their investigation Sunday into the deaths of four workers at the LCT construction site last Friday.
POSCO Engineering and Construction allegedly did not carry out a mandatory safety check on the day the workers were killed on the site of the tallest building complex in the city
The construction company said after the accident that a safety check on the walk plates and supporting fixtures was not done before employees went up 200 meters to work on the outer surface of the building.
“We always check on the bolts before lifting the safety walk plates in the air, but the procedure did not take place on the day of the accident,” said a POSCO Engineering and Construction official.
“The supervisors were participating in a safety education program at 1 p.m. on the day and they did not expect workers to start without them skipping the mandatory procedure.”
Bereaved family members and friends demanded a thorough investigation of the supervisors, claiming the company had failed to ensure worker safety.
The families also protested about the company’s sluggish response to the tragedy, with representative and officials not arriving until 10 p.m. after bereaved families had been waiting the whole day.
The company’s construction manager, safety supervisor and an official from a subcontractor talked with the families during the day.
According to the Busan Fire Department Safety Headquarters, three workers fell from the 55th floor and another died on the ground after being hit by falling debris.
The four were subcontractors. Three of the four were part of a six-man crew installing outer glasswork.