Heat suspected in parking lot death

[Anchor]

Last month, an employee organizing carts in a supermarket's underground parking lot died in an accident.

There is a strong possibility of heat-related illness being a factor.

Our reporters experienced firsthand how hot the underground parking lot can get.

This is Field K, reporter Choi Hye-rim.

[Report]

Shopping carts are lined up in the supermarket's underground parking lot.

Each cart weighs about 20 kilograms.

Employees move six carts at a time.

The temperature in this underground parking lot is 35 degrees, about 3 degrees higher than the outside temperature.

Even just standing still causes sweat to pour down.

Earlier last month, a worker in his 50s collapsed and died while organizing carts here.

The police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor are investigating, focusing on the possibility of heat-related illness.

[Supermarket Worker/Voice Altered: "This is what has changed. Wearing neck coolers and the installation of cooling fans..."]

After the accident, large exhaust fans and cooling fans were installed throughout the parking lot, but because there are some customers that leave their car engines running while running to the store, the parking lot is literally a 'steam room'.

In such conditions, employees move carts for 7 hours a day, walking about 30,000 steps.

I briefly experienced how hot it is.

It's been about 5 minutes of pushing carts.

I am already sweating profusely and even feeling a little dizzy.

According to internal work regulations, employees are supposed to take a 20-minute break after every 40 minutes of work. The company explained that the deceased employee also adhered to this break rule.

However, employees in the same industry argue that the environment does not allow for breaks as stipulated.

[Kim Seon-kyung/Secretary General of the Supermarket Union, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions: "When customers complain about the lack of carts, even during break time, we have to come out and continue working. Many workers aren’t even aware they have the right to stop work..."]

This year, when looking at heat-related illnesses by occupation, 1 in 4 occurred among manual laborers.

This is Field K, Choi Hye-rim.