In response to a series of fatal accidents involving workers at Samsung Heavy Industries’ Geoje Shipyard, South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) has launched a surprise inspection. The inspection aims to conduct a high-intensity investigation into structural safety management deficiencies at the site.
South Korean media reported that MOEL launched a surprise labor inspection at the Samsung Heavy Industries Geoje Shipyard operation site at 8 a.m. on June 30. The first day of inspection included reviewing relevant documents, and then from 10 a.m., on-site inspections of major departments including the accident site were conducted. The inspection lasted for five days until July 4.
MOEL’s on-site inspection of Samsung Heavy Industries Geoje Shipyard started from the accident site and gradually expanded to the main operating areas of the shipyard, such as the dock. The department plans to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis of violations of laws and regulations and the safety management system based on the results of the on-site inspection.
To prevent workplace accidents, MOEL conducts regular, surprise and special inspections every year. Among them, temporary supervisions are conducted according to a separate plan at workplaces with high signs of violations and are implemented when possible violations of labor-related laws are detected.
Labor inspection means that labor inspectors from the MOEL go directly to the workplace to investigate and confirm violations of labor laws and regulations such as the Labor Standards Act. Typically, wage arrears, long working hours, and violations of industrial safety measures are the main targets of inspection.
South Korean media reported that the inspection was a measure taken in response to a series of recent accidents at Samsung Heavy Industries’ Geoje shipyard. As of May 27 this year, Samsung Heavy Industries has had two major accidents.
On May 8, a subcontractor at Samsung Heavy Industries was hit by flying debris, causing his arm to be cut off. Fortunately, the debris did not hit other parts of the body, otherwise it would have likely killed the worker. On May 27, an outsourced worker at Samsung Heavy Industries’ Geoje Shipyard was crushed to death while repairing a monorail on a ship under construction.
Last year, Samsung Heavy Industries also experienced fatal accidents. For example, on January 18, 2024, a subcontracted worker at Samsung Heavy Industries’ Geoje Shipyard fell from a several-meter-high staircase in the shipyard workshop. The worker was rushed to the hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead after unsuccessful resuscitation efforts. In September, a Samsung Heavy Industries worker was struck and killed by a trailer while riding a bicycle inside the shipyard.
The surprise inspection will reveal whether Samsung Heavy Industries has violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Labor Standards Act, which is of great concern to the Korean shipbuilding industry. In response, a relevant person in charge of Samsung Heavy Industries said: “The company will seriously cooperate with the investigation and do its best to ensure safety management.”