Korean media reports that there have been 18 industrial accidents at South Korean shipyards this year, resulting in 22 deaths.
Except for two workers whose labor relations were not explicitly disclosed, the remaining 20 were outsourced workers. The Korean industry is concerned that more accidents may occur at shipyards as their capacity utilization increases. The Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has called for public interest monitoring.
The Federation of Korean Metal Worker’ Trade Unions (KOSUN), an affiliate of KCTU, said that a total of 18 fatal accidents occurred at Korean shipyards from January 12 to September 9, 2024, resulting in the deaths of a total of 22 workers including Hanwha Ocean, Samsung Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Samho, as well as HSG Seongdong Shipbuilding, Dae Sun Shipbuilding, K Shipbuilding, and others.Among them, Hanwha Ocean had the highest number of deaths with seven.
In terms of types of accidents, there were four fires and explosions, three falls from height, two drownings, three crushes, two cases of heat illness, one of unknown cause, and three cases of illness.
The Korean shipbuilding industry blamed the accidents on the increased workload in shipyards due to the economic upturn. According to the source, “ Economic prosperity has brought about an increase in the workload of shipyards, which has led to an increase in the number of workplace accidents. Also, the aging workforce structure, foreign workers, and the increase in the number of outsourcing companies have exacerbated the safety problem.”
In response, Korean labor organizations are calling for public welfare audits. The KCTU is asking the National Audit Office to monitor the shipbuilding and repair industry, which is in the blind spot of government oversight.
The labor union hopes that government departments and local governments will check whether the shipyards concerned have violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act or failed to put in place relevant measures when dealing with major shipbuilding disasters.