As the use of industrial robots expands in workplaces, the number of fatalities related to accidents is rising, highlighting the need for improved safety environments.
According to the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency on the 18th, there have been a total of 10 workers who died in accidents related to industrial robots from 2020 to August 2023. All of these fatalities were due to being caught in robots, with six workers dying during maintenance, inspection, and preparation tasks, one during general operation, and three in other tasks.
In particular, among the six who died during maintenance, inspection, and preparation tasks, five were found to have been working without stopping the robot operation prior to the accidents. The remaining individual died due to a coworker's mishandling.
On the 14th, an accident occurred at an automotive parts factory in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, where a worker in their 50s, identified as Mr. A, was fatally injured by a robotic arm. Police report that Mr. A entered the workstation without turning off the robot's power before the accident. Additionally, an incident last November involved a worker who was checking a robot sensor at a paprika sorting facility in Goseong County, South Gyeongsang Province, and was crushed by a robotic gripper. The accident occurred when the robot recognized the person as a paprika box during the lifting process.
Industrial robots were included in the safety inspection targets as per the enforcement ordinance of the Occupational Safety and Health Act revised in October 2016, and safety inspections became mandatory from 2017. This measure reflects the fact that accidents involving industrial robots tend to result in more serious injuries compared to other machinery or equipment.
However, accidents resulting from inadequate robot safety devices or non-compliance with safety regulations by workers are still occurring repeatedly. In September 2021, a laborer who entered the robot protection area for component replacement was caught by the robot arm and died in an accident.