The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) said on the 11th it will conduct a planned inspection of POSCO E&C's headquarters and construction sites nationwide where POSCO E&C is serving as the builder. The move follows the death of a subcontracted worker who fell at the Sinansan Line double-track railway construction site, built by POSCO E&C, on the 9th. Including that accident, 10 workers have died at POSCO E&C sites over the past four years.
The ministry said it will jointly supervise safety management with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport at the Sinansan Line double-track railway site, where fatal accidents have occurred repeatedly. At the Sinansan Line double-track railway site alone, four people have died from 2024 to this year. If risks of industrial accidents such as falls or collapses are identified, the ministry will order a safety and health diagnosis and assign a dedicated inspector to each site for intensive oversight. In addition, the ministry will carry out a planned inspection of POSCO E&C's headquarters to closely review whether improvements to the safety and health management system are being implemented.
Minister Kim Young-hoon will summon on the 15th the CEOs of POSCO affiliates where fatal accidents have occurred, including POSCO E&C, POSCO, and POSCO Mobility Solutions. At the meeting, Kim plans to review the current state of safety management and demand a fundamental overhaul of management policy. Kim said, "The recurrence of accidents such as falls caused by the failure to implement basic safety measures raises questions about whether effective accident prevention measures are actually being enforced."
The ministry noted, "In connection with this fatal accident, we will promptly proceed with compulsory investigations, including search and seizure," adding, "We will thoroughly determine the cause of the accident and hold those strictly accountable for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act."