[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] SEOUL, July 4 — A worker was left in critical condition following a suspected electrocution at a highway extension project site overseen by POSCO E&C, reigniting concerns over the company’s safety management just six days after its CEO issued a public apology and announced a company-wide work stoppage following a series of fatal industrial accidents.



According to the Gwangmyeong Police Department, the accident occurred at around 1:34 p.m. at a construction site for the Gwangmyeong–Seoul Expressway extension in Ok-gil-dong, Gwangmyeong City, Gyeonggi Province. The injured worker, a man in his 30s of Myanmar nationality, suffered cardiac arrest and lost consciousness after what is believed to be an electrical shock.



The worker, identified as A, was transported to a nearby hospital. While his breathing has reportedly stabilized, he remains unconscious in the intensive care unit.



A had descended to a depth of 18 meters underground to inspect a malfunctioning water pump when the accident occurred. Another worker who accompanied him alerted emergency services after finding him collapsed at the scene.



Police believe electrocution is the likely cause based on initial emergency reports but stated that further investigation is required to determine the exact cause. “He remains unconscious in the ICU, and we are currently gathering statements from site personnel to clarify the circumstances of the incident,” a police spokesperson said.



The Ministry of Employment and Labor has since issued an immediate work suspension order at the site and has launched an investigation into potential violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.



The accident occurred in Section 1 of the project, which was commissioned by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and is being constructed by POSCO E&C. The 20.2 km expressway will connect Gahak-dong in Gwangmyeong to Gangseo District in Seoul.



The company had resumed work at the site earlier that day, having judged that it passed safety inspections, following a June 28 incident in which a worker in his 60s was killed at another POSCO E&C highway site in Uiryeong while operating drilling equipment.



This latest accident marks the fourth major industrial incident involving fatalities or critical injuries at POSCO E&C sites in 2024 alone, including fatal falls and site collapses at construction sites in Gimhae, Gwangmyeong, and Daegu.

 

 

 

 

[ⓒ 알파경제. 무단전재-재배포 금지]