At a Sinansan Line construction site in Gwanak District, Seoul, a subcontracted worker in his 30s fell to his death. The government ordered work to stop at the site and is investigating whether the contractor POSCO E&C violated related laws, including the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) on Oct. 10, at about 5:26 p.m. on the 9th, a 35-year-old subcontractor employee, identified as A, fell about 15 meters through an opening and died while expanding an opening to install a cable tray at a railway construction site handled by POSCO E&C.
The Serious Accident Investigation Division of the Seoul Southern District Office of the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL), the Industrial Accident Prevention Supervision Division of the Seoul Gwanak District Office, and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency halted work at the construction site where the accident occurred and are investigating whether there were violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
Regarding this, a POSCO E&C official said, "We offer our deepest condolences and sincere apology to the deceased and the bereaved family," and added, "Relevant authorities are currently investigating the circumstances and cause of the accident, and the company is actively cooperating with the investigation." The official also said, "We will promptly implement necessary measures, including strengthening on-site safety management, to prevent similar accidents in the future."
A fatal accident also occurred last year at a Sinansan Line construction site where POSCO E&C is the contractor.
On Apr. 11 last year, at Sinansan Line double-track section 5-2 in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi, the underground tunnel construction site and the road above collapsed, killing one person and injuring one. In addition, on Dec. 18 the same year, at Sinansan Line section 4-2 at Yeouido Station in Seoul, a subcontracted worker died in an accident in which a bundle of rebar collapsed.