The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) ordered SPC Samlip, where a series of fatal accidents occurred this year, to "closely assess labor intensity and health impacts after the shift system overhaul and immediately report improvement measures based on that."
The Industrial Safety and Health Headquarters of the ministry said on the 14th that, through a meeting with Chief Executive Kim Beom-su of SPC Samlip, it demanded the submission of a comprehensive labor improvement plan.
Earlier, a serious industrial accident occurred at the Siwha plant of SPC Samlip in May. In response, starting in September, SPC Samlip abolished "work exceeding 8 hours" and piloted a "three crews, three shifts system" or "introduction of an intermediate shift." The aim was to reduce nighttime work hours that cause accidents and to make up the workforce through additional hiring. However, on Oct. 4, another accident occurred in which a production worker died.
In response, the ministry said that it should not stop at a simple institutional change, but diagnose follow-up impacts and devise effective measures. Ryu Hyeon-cheol, head of the Industrial Safety and Health Headquarters at the ministry, said, "The recurring fatal accidents at SPC are causing deep concern," and "After closely checking changes in labor intensity and the health impacts on workers, devise specific measures based on the results and report them immediately."
The ministry plans to strictly examine SPC Samlip's structural problems and, if necessary, consider additional supervision. A ministry official said, "We will continuously monitor follow-up measures."