The Ministry of Employment and Labor held a meeting with construction companies in their 20s on the 8th and requested, "We ask for your active efforts to reduce serious accidents."

Kim Jong-yun, head of the Industrial Safety and Health Bureau of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and other ministry officials met with safety executives from the top 20 construction companies, including Samsung C&T, Hyundai E&C, Daewoo E&C, and Hyundai Engineering, and shared this message.

On Feb. 25, at the construction site of the Seoul-Sejong Expressway in Anseong, a structural element of the bridge under installation on the pier collapsed, resulting in 10 workers falling from above and either dying or getting injured. On Feb. 28, officials from the police, the National Forensic Service, the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, the National Disaster Safety Research Institute, and the Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation are conducting a joint examination to find the cause of the accident at the collapse site. /Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

Since the beginning of this year, serious accidents in the construction industry have been frequent. As of the 6th, there have been 13 serious accidents among the top 20 construction companies, resulting in 16 fatalities.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor diagnosed that the increase in serious accidents, despite the difficult construction market, is due to "unreasonable construction period reductions" and "neglect of safety investments." The ministry said, "If accidents occur, they can have a more negative impact on management due to work stoppages, so please prioritize on-site safety management," and added, "Establish accident prevention systems, such as creating clear procedures for workers to stop work immediately in urgent danger situations and to remove risk factors in advance."

To prevent the increase in serious accidents, the ministry decided to supervise 60% (3,000 sites) of construction sites this year in the first half. For construction sites with low financial soundness, the inspection cycle will be shortened from the previous 3–4 months to 2 months.

The ministry also instructed to prepare measures to prevent heat-related illnesses ahead of this summer. Last year, more than half (31 out of 58) of the heat-related industrial accident victims occurred on construction sites. The ministry stated, "During heatwave work, please strictly adhere to the three preventive rules for heat-related illnesses: 'water, shade, and rest.'"

※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.