Yonhap News reported that at 10:57 p.m. on Sept. 9, A, an outsourced worker in his 40s, fell to the bottom of a container ship under construction at the Hanwha Ocean Geoje Shipyard from a height of about 30 meters above the top of the ship. The accident resulted in serious injuries to A, who eventually died.
It is reported that A works for an outsourcing company of Hanwha Ocean, and the accident happened during A’s nighttime overtime work, after he had completed his regular daytime work.
According to the report, the under-construction container ship where the accident occurred was equipped with a protective net on both sides of the ship to prevent falling, with a height of 1 meter. One Police Station in Gyeongsangnam-do said, “To prevent falls, a hook attached to a safety belt must be hung on the hull structure, but it is necessary to conduct the necessary investigations into whether such safety measures are properly implemented.”
The labor organization in question claimed that the fall was preventable and accused Hanwha Ocean of not properly managing safety.
An outsourcing company branch related officer said, “Even if the ship is equipped with fall prevention nets on both sides, there is still the problem of loose connections, and we have repeatedly suggested that the nets should be raised or reinforced, but the shipyard has not made any changes. Hanwha Ocean’s major accidents this year, including explosions, drownings, and falls, were caused by the company’s neglect of safety, so it must take responsibility and take action.”
Following the accident, Hanwha Ocean has canceled the groundbreaking ceremony for its next-generation shipyard, “Special Ship Plant 4,” which was scheduled for the 10th, in order to resolve the accident.
Hanwha Ocean has issued an apology statement in response to the accident and said, “We bow our heads and apologize to the workers who have worked so hard for the development of our company, the shipowners who trusted Hanwha Ocean to build their ships, and the local residents and public. We will take all measures at the company level to strengthen safety measures and make every effort to prevent the accident from happening again.”