CONSTRUCTION WORKERS STRUGGLE AMID HEAT WAVE

[Anchor Lead]

Heavy rain and intense heat wave on top of the re-surging COVID-19 pandemic make this summer even harder to bear, especially for construction workers who have to work outside. It is almost tragic that they are not guaranteed cool or relaxing resting places at their job sites.

[Pkg]

August 18th. A construction site in Busan. Heat wave warnings were issued for the sixth day. Workers move heavy materials under the sizzling sun. They are wearing long sleeves and long pants... helmets and heavy boots. Not surprisingly, they are drenched in sweat. What little shade provided to them is from the piles of materials. According to a Korean Construction Industry Trade Union survey... not even half of the respondents said they could rest in an area completely shielded from the sun. A construction site in Daegu where the day's high soared up to 36 degrees Celsius. The workers feel out of breath and dizzy, due to the heat. Government guidelines recommend that when a heatwave warning is issued, workers are advised to take a break longer than 10 minutes every hour... and no outdoor work should be done during the hottest hours in the afternoon. But these guidelines are rarely followed at the work sites. In fact, not even two out of ten workers experienced suspended or shortened work during a heat wave. This welder in his work gear was photographed with an infrared thermal camera. In just 30 minutes, his body temperature rose more than six degrees celsius to exceed 41.

[Soundbite] SEO JAE-HOON(WELDER) : "This gear I have on is not even a quarter of my usual gear. I have to wear a safety belt and leather pants. I'm soaked in sweat in just 10 minutes."

Ignoring heat wave measures could result in deadly outcomes for construction workers. They call for washrooms and lounges to escape the heat as well as their basic right to take a break. But their demands have been falling on deaf ears for many years.

[Soundbite] CHOI GWAN-SIK(PLANT CONSTRUCTION UNION) : "Because of the speed-first and abusive nature of construction projects, it's hard for construction workers to demand their right to take a break in a heat wave."

In the past five years, 153 workers suffered heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke and 27 among them lost their lives. The Ministry of Employment and Labor inspected some 1,400 construction sites last year but only managed to catch 65 places violating the regulation.