The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) is launching a full special inspection of construction sites built by POSCO E&C. The move follows repeated fatal accidents at the Sinansan Line railway construction site.
MOLIT said Friday that it will conduct an emergency joint inspection with related agencies across all sections of the Sinansan Line, including the Section 3-2 site of the Sinansan Line double-track railway private investment project in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, where a worker died in a fall on Wednesday.
In particular, seven Sinansan Line construction sites managed by POSCO E&C will be inspected jointly with the Ministry of Employment and Labor. To identify the fundamental causes of the repeated safety accidents on the Sinansan Line, the ministry will also pursue in-depth diagnostics, together with specialized agencies, of the composition of the safety management organization and the adequacy of decision-making systems.
MOLIT plans to inspect project management practices across all sections of the Sinansan Line to crack down on illegal subcontracting and unfair contract management, and will respond strictly to any violations uncovered. In addition to the Sinansan Line, the ministry plans to conduct intensive inspections, together with private-sector experts, of construction sites built by POSCO E&C where hazardous work types such as excavation are underway.
MOLIT said it will immediately order corrections for any issues uncovered during the inspections and require recurrence-prevention measures to be established and managed. In cases of legal violations, it will take strict action in accordance with relevant laws. "It is unacceptable for construction accidents to repeatedly occur at a particular project or a particular construction company," Land Minister Kim Yun-deok said. "If violations are revealed through the inspections, I will hold those responsible accountable without fail and order the establishment of fundamental improvement measures for the recurring accidents."
