In connection with the death of a contract worker, Mr. Kim Chung-hyun, 50, at the Taean Thermal Power Plant, police have begun a full investigation.
According to the Taean Police Station in South Chungcheong Province on the 3rd, the police summoned A, the representative of the company Kim belonged to and the site manager, as a witness for questioning the day before. Kim was a non-regular worker at a subcontractor of KEPCO KPS, affiliated with Korea Western Power, which operates the Taean Thermal Power Plant.
The police reportedly questioned A about the status of work, an overview of the tasks, whether there were instructions from the main contractor, and various work aspects on the day of the incident. A was the site safety manager and the individual who directly reported the accident to the police.
At the time of the accident, Kim was working alone on the first floor, while A was on the second floor. The machine had an emergency switch to forcibly cut off power in emergencies, but it is presumed that Kim, who was working alone, could not use it.
Kim usually operated machinery that cuts metal into parts and was processing a steel rod of approximately 40 cm in length and 7 to 8 cm in diameter at the time of the accident.
The police secured closed-circuit (CC) TV footage from the accident site and are analyzing sketches of the workpiece Kim was trying to create, the actual workpiece, and personal equipment. They also plan to closely examine equipment, work logs, and worker placements.
The police are investigating the circumstances based on statements from site officials noting that "there were no work instructions at the time of the accident, so they weren't together."
Meanwhile, no one has reportedly been registered in connection with this accident. The police plan to request an autopsy for Kim's body from the National Institute of Scientific Investigation, which is expected to take place as early as the 4th.
Previously, Kim was found dead around 2:30 p.m. on the 2nd while working in the machine shop of the KEPCO KPS Taean Thermal Power Plant. The police are focusing on determining whether safety regulations were adhered to. The Ministry of Employment and Labor also plans to investigate potential violations of the Industrial Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.