Construction Safety

[Anchor Lead]

In recent safety scares, tower cranes and embankment walls have collapsed at construction sites. This year alone, an average ten construction workers have been killed per week due to such accidents. The mortality rate is more than seven times higher than other industries. Observers say that special measures are urgently called for.

[Pkg]

Workers are trying to elevate the height of a tower crane at 50 meters above ground. This task is one of the more dangerous operations along with the installation and disassembling of a tower crane. Many accidents occur during these moments. Skillful use of technology and expertise is needed for the job but the reality is that anyone can be put to the task because regulations don't require any particular qualification to operate the machinery. Recent tower crane accidents in the cities of Namyangju and Uijeongbu also occurred during the installation or dismantlement stages.

[Soundbite] Jeong Hoi-wun(Federation of Korean Trade Unions) : "Daily workers are tasked with installing and dismantling tower cranes. It's a dangerous job but there's no authority whatsoever that can control the operational process."

A team of five works on more than ten tower cranes a month and they're pressed for time. A preventative inspection called Non-Destructive Testing determines the condition of a tower crane's erosion and has only been introduced for recently imported second-hand tower cranes. And so the workers constantly work under apprehension.

[Soundbite] Park Jeong-hoo(Tower Crane Engineer) : "When it's as cold as these days, thin ice is formed on the structure causing the crane to topple. When workers climb on the crane and find outdated equipment, the equipment itself could be unreliable."

Tower crane accidents are just a tip of the iceberg out of all industrial disasters taking place at construction sites. Unlike other work places, dangers loom large in various corners at construction sites. The increase in the number of unskilled daily workers and the illegal foreign workforce who are not familiar with Korean construction practices are additional reasons why more accidents are taking place. Some 260 workers lost their lives from construction accidents in the first half of the year. This is about ten casualties per week, which is more than 7 times that of other industries.

[Soundbite] Park Jong-guk(Chief, Citizen Safety Center) : "Eventually it comes down to money. The lowest bidders win the project while companies need to make profit. Therefore builders engage in a reckless competition of speed which inevitably leads to safety incidents."

Work-related deaths are decreasing by the year in other sectors but the mortality rate in construction remains the same as a decade ago.