GS Caltex's Yeosu plant is facing allegations of intentionally concealing a serious workplace injury after an employee suffered burns from exposure to chemicals. The company classified the incident as minor and continued to accumulate a record of no accidents, even awarding employees for it. The labor union, aware of the incident, only requested the company to self-report without taking independent action, drawing criticism for its passive response.
According to reports from Aju Economy, the incident occurred on May 10 at 10:24 a.m. when an employee at the Residuum Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) unit sustained burns. The employee was exposed to chemicals and suffered burns on their feet and other areas. The following day, the employee was hospitalized at a burn specialist hospital in Gwangju. Despite being unable to work for several months due to treatment, the company categorized the incident as a 'First Aid' level response. During this time, the record of no accidents continued to grow.
The labor union was aware of the situation from the moment of the incident. At 10:50 a.m. on the day of the accident, they received reports from union members, and the union chairman visited the RFCC team to gather details. The union stated in a press release that they recognized the company had not reported the incident and requested a self-report, but the company maintained that it was a First Aid situation.
While receiving treatment, the injured employee was still recorded as having normal attendance. After the inadequacy of the accident response became apparent, the company reportedly retroactively changed the attendance record to sick leave.
Amid this, the company awarded employees for achieving a no-accident record. In early August, GS Caltex distributed gift certificates worth approximately 1 million won to employees for achieving a no-accident incident rate.
Kim Sung-min, the Chief Safety and Environment Officer (CSEO) of GS Caltex, issued a statement acknowledging, "We relied solely on formal and procedural criteria, concluding the incident as a First Aid situation without making it a significant issue. This judgment was a clear error, and the consequences of the incident were far from trivial."
He further admitted, "It is an unreasonable situation that the safety incident accumulated even while the injured employee was unable to work for months. This is a result of my arrogance and mistakes."
The union also released a newsletter regarding the incident, explaining that they did not conduct a separate report due to concerns that the injured member might face legal repercussions or internal disciplinary actions, stating, "This was not an attempt to cover up the incident but a consideration of the best course of action."
Meanwhile, a GS Caltex representative stated, "We are currently verifying the facts regarding the circumstances of the incident, follow-up actions, and the contents of Kim Sung-min's statement and the union's newsletter." GS Caltex previously announced in February that it would invest approximately 600 billion won annually in maintenance work, including the refurbishment of the Yeosu plant, during a 'No Accident, No Injury Commitment Ceremony' attended by Kim and representatives from partner companies.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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