The Ministry of Employment and Labor said on 27일 it will inspect whether key safety rules are being followed at 1,000 manufacturing sites considered at high risk for caught-in accidents from May 11 to 15.
The move follows a recent series of accidents during maintenance work involving industrial robots, compressors and conveyor belts. On the 8th of last month, a worker inspecting equipment at an auto parts plant was caught in an industrial robot. On the 9th, a worker at a waste company was caught in a compressor while removing foreign material. On the 10th, a worker at a food company was caught in a conveyor belt during maintenance.
The inspections are being carried out under an order from Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon to “mobilize all efforts” to prevent caught-in accidents at manufacturing sites. The ministry said the 1,000 workplaces were selected based on factors including the presence of hazardous machinery and equipment and their history of industrial accidents. Kim also instructed the heads of 48 regional labor offices to conduct unannounced on-site inspections.
Inspectors plan to focus on vulnerable time windows when accidents frequently occur — 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. — and to conduct checks without prior notice to raise awareness and improve effectiveness.
Ahead of the inspections, the ministry will run a self-check period from 이날 through next month 8, urging workplaces to review and improve compliance using a “manufacturing safety rules self-inspection checklist.” Violations found during inspections will be met with immediate fines and corrective orders, and workplaces that fail to carry out corrective measures will face strict action, including possible criminal proceedings.
“Cutting power when maintaining or cleaning hazardous machinery and equipment is a core safety rule for protecting lives from caught-in accidents,” Kim said. He urged labor and management to work together so compliance with caught-in accident prevention rules becomes routine.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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