18 fatal accidents in South Korean shipyards recorded so far this year

A total of 18 accidents resulting in deaths have occurred at a number of shipyards throughout South Korea from January to September of this year, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) confirmed recently.

All but two of the 22 victims who perished in these 18 accidents were workers of subcontractors and were not directly employed by the shipyards themselves. Among the shipyards, Hanwha Ocean had the highest reported death toll of seven.

The most recent fatal accident involving the company occurred on September 9, when an outsourced labourer died of injuries he suffered after he fell from a height of 30 metres at a floating dock where a containership was being built.

The FKTU said that among the types of recorded accidents at the country's shipyards are fires/explosions (four accidents), falls from height (three), crushing (three), and drowning (two).

South Korean shipbuilding industry observers have attributed the accidents to increased workload at the yards following an upturn in the national economy.