A South Korean worker lost his life on 19 December after falling 12 meters from the dockside at the HD Hyundai Mipo shipyard marking the first major accident at the facility in over eight years.
The worker, who was reportedly in his thirties was working alone at the time. He was lowering a 20kg container of detergent from a rope when he lost his footing and fell to the bottom of the dock. Despite being rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, he succumbed to his injuries.
An investigation has been launched by the Ministry of Employment and Labour, the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, and the Busan District Ministry of Employment and Labour. Ulsan Dongbu Police are also looking into the incident according to the local reports.
This accident is the first major industrial accident at HD Hyundai Mipo since November 2016, marking a severe incident after eight years. Although the worker was wearing a hat and a safety harness, authorities will be looking into whether he was properly secured with a safety hook.
We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the casualty and his family. We will do our best to manage and support the accident and will cooperate fully with the investigation to determine the cause thoroughly.
…the company said.