Choking death in his 50s while checking the pipes at Hyundai Steelworks...Investigation of violations of the Serious Accident Punishment Act

"I went to the site alone to check external facilities and suffocated"
Gas leakage from melting iron
Use a simple oxygen tank and mask at the time...National Forensic Service's request for autopsy
"Accident caused by improper maintenance of pipes"

[Anchor]
A worker in his 50s suffocated to death while inspecting gas pipes at a Hyundai steel mill in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province.

It seems that he/she went to inspect the facility alone and had an accident, but the police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor are investigating whether he/she violated the Serious Accident Punishment Act.

This is reporter Kim Ki-soo.

[Reporter]
The access control line was hung in front of the gas piping facility of Hyundai Steelworks.

A man in his 50s, who was checking the pipes here, was found in cardiac arrest and taken to a hospital, but he died.

The police believe that A died after being suffocated by gas while going to the scene alone to check external facilities.

Gas from melting iron appears to have leaked, and the gas is known to contain carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

[Police official: It's called byproduct gas from the steel mill. It's a pipe where impurity gas and harmful gas from the iron making process pass through, and while checking it....]

The police have requested an autopsy to the National Forensic Service to determine the exact cause of death, saying that A was confirmed to have a simple oxygen tank and was wearing a mask at the time of discovery.

We also plan to check whether the principle of 'two-person team' work instruction has been followed.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has ordered the site to suspend partial work and is investigating violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accident Punishment Act.

The labor union argues that effective measures to prevent recurrence are needed, saying that the accident occurred because the piping was not properly repaired.

[Lee Seung-han / Head of Hyundai Steel Branch of the Korean Metal Workers' Union: We took measures as a temporary measure at the time because we have not secured the cost of replacing (the pipes) or the investment cost. Measures to prevent recurrence to prevent such a major disaster from occurring....]

Hyundai Steel said it will actively cooperate with the investigation of related authorities and do its best to deal with the accident.

I'm Kim Ki-soo of YTN.

Photographer
: Won Si-sik