Hanwha Ocean plagued by frequent fatal accidents

Members of Hanwha Ocean's union and the Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU) chant a slogan, during a press conference in front of the Ministry of Employment and Labor's regional office in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. Courtesy of KMWU

Hanwha Ocean is facing criticism and setbacks in its business following a series of fatal industrial accidents at its shipyard on Geoje Island, South Gyeongsang Province, where four workers have been killed this year alone.

The shipbuilder’s union held a press conference, Wednesday, to call for stern action against the company’s chief manager, as a 41-year-old subcontracted worker died on Monday evening after falling from the upper part of a ship, which was 32 meters above the ground.

The union alleged that Hanwha Ocean instructed its subcontractor to work at night to meet the ship’s construction deadline, despite the subcontractor’s warnings about a higher likelihood of accidents occurring.

A day after the accident, Hanwha Ocean suspended the operation of its shipyard for four hours and canceled the groundbreaking ceremony for its next-generation naval ship factory, which had been intended to promote its naval ship technology.

The company also apologized for the worker's death and vowed to find out the cause of the accident.

However, lawmakers are considering summoning Hanwha Ocean’s executives to the National Assembly audit next month to ask why its shipyard is vulnerable to fatal industrial accidents.

Between February and March, the Ministry of Employment and Labor carried out a special labor inspection of Hanwha Ocean, as two fatal industrial accidents occurred at its shipyard within just two weeks in January.

The company was slapped with a 100 million won ($75,000) fine due to safety violations uncovered during the inspection.

Last month, a subcontracted worker in his 60s passed out at Hanwha Ocean’s shipyard in the daytime and died later. The shipbuilder’s union attributed his death to the company’s insufficient measures to prevent heat-related illnesses.