SERIOUS ACCIDENTS PUNISHMENT ACT

[Anchor Lead]

The Serious Accidents Punishment Act, under which company owners and senior executives will be held liable for workers' deaths caused by the lack of safety measures, is to take effect in just two days. Companies say the government should provide training and support ahead of the law's implementation. The labor circles are demanding that the new law be expanded to small business sites as well, because that's where the majority of fatal industrial accidents happen.

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In 2018, a temporary worker at the Taean Thermo-electric Power Plant, who was working alone at the time, died in tragic accident getting stuck on the conveyor belt. The accident prompted labor circles to demand measures to prevent outsourcing of dangerous duties and further prevent deaths at work sites. As a result, the Occupational and Safety Act was revised entirely. Under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, company owners and senior executives will be held liable for workers' deaths caused by insufficient safety measures. It is to take effect in just a few days. But the business community and the labor circles are at odds over its scope.

[Soundbite] "The law will only apply to business sites with more than 50 workers."

Business owners are demanding that the government provide safety training and support before punishing them.

[Soundbite] Chung Tae-hee(Daejeon Chamber of Commerce and Industry) : "The goal is not to punish but to reduce industrial accidents. Businesses should be given sufficient opportunity."

However, the labor circles say the law should be applied to small business sites as well, because more than 70 percent of fatal industrial accidents occur at business sites with fewer than 50 workers.

[Soundbite] Kim Yul-hyun(Korean Confederation of Trade Unions) : "The law needs to be amended due to numerous constraints and difficulties for its full implementation in actuality."

Over the past four years, some 800-900 workers have died in industrial accidents each year. That's at least two deaths a day. Rather than demanding the amendment of the new law, it seems realistic measures are needed to minimize fatal accidents among the labor force.