Yet a tragic accident at a large electronics factory in South Korea claimed the lives of two workers. They breathed in toxic gas while attempting to rescue a fellow worker who had fallen into a manhole full of paper sludge. The incident occurred on a Wednesday morning when authorities received a distress call at 9:44 AM reporting that a worker had lost consciousness due to gas exposure.
One of the workers had the courage to climb down into the 3-meter-deep hole. Upon witnessing this, a few of his colleagues immediately jumped in to save him. Before long, two of these brave rescuers started to feel dizzy and needed emergency hospitalization. Even with ambulance service and medical professionals on-site, both workers suffered an immediate cardiac arrest and were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
Chicago fire rescue responders rescued the man from the manhole. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital, raising the already tragic toll of even a single encounter like this. The accident has brought attention to safety policies in the workplace and how we treat hazardous materials in an industrial area.
In South Korea, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo expressed condolences to the families of victims. He urged that we don’t wait until the next tragedy occurs to improve safety, including implementing the highest achievable safety standard. He extended his condolences to the victim’s families as they grieve during this tragic time. Korea’s Han Duck-soo made a splash last week by announcing his candidacy for president. Since then, he has opened a Facebook page to begin releasing his vision and policy proposals to the public.
The event underscores the grave dangers associated with exposure to hazardous materials in workplace environments. This is particularly the case when other safety precautions are ignored. As investigations proceed, authorities will closely examine the factory’s safety protocols and emergency response procedures.
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