Worker in Myanmar suffered electrocution and fell into a coma due to lack of insulating gloves, according to the police report.
A Myanmar worker was electrocuted at a construction site in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province on August 4. The incident occurred while the worker was inspecting a water pump 18 meters underground, where the pump had a power distribution panel with its circuit breaker still on and equipped with a ground fault circuit interrupter.
Posco E&C, the contractor in charge of the construction project, is under investigation by the police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The investigators are examining why the power was not shut off during the worker's check of the pump.
The ongoing investigation aims to clarify whether the safety devices, including the circuit breaker and ground fault interrupter, functioned properly. There is no clear public explanation yet as to why power was not shut off proactively during the inspection.
It has been found that the construction site was legally required to provide proper safety equipment, including insulating gloves, as part of compliance with South Korea's Occupational Safety and Health Act. However, it is under investigation whether the victim was wearing appropriate protective gloves and whether the safety devices functioned properly during the incident.
Investigators obtained testimony from a coworker indicating that the worker was given only cotton gloves. The construction site's guidelines mandate a power shutoff when workers access facilities with a potential electrical current. The investigators are looking into whether the construction site's guidelines for electrical work were followed during the incident.
The worker was found to be working in wet conditions, and the water pump was failing to remove pooling water from the construction site's floor. The investigators are considering if the construction site's failure to provide insulating gloves contributed to the worker's accident.
The investigators are also examining if the construction site complied with safety regulations regarding electrical work during construction. They are investigating if the construction site complied with regulations requiring insulating protective gear for workers handling electrical equipment.
The worker is currently unconscious, and the investigation and recent raids on POSCO E&C and subcontractors are ongoing to determine procedural failures and culpability related to this electrocution accident.
- In light of the ongoing investigation, it's crucial for workplace-wellness initiatives and health-and-safety regulations, particularly in the science and general-news sectors, to ensure proper use of protective gear and adherence to safety protocols to prevent accidents like the one at the Gwangmyeong construction site.
- As the investigators delve deeper into this electrocution accident, questions about the responsibility of both Posco E&C and the relevant subcontractors in ensuring a sufficiently well-equipped and safe workplace-wellness culture arise, reflecting the importance of such matters in the broader health-and-wellness and news landscapes.
