Three employees from Hyundai suffocated to death during a car test at the company’s Ulsan plant last week. The incident sparked questions of employee safety among the company’s manufacturing plants. Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of death but surmised that the victims may have died of suffocation. The South Korean government launched an investigation of the tragedy in response.
TRAGEDY AT HYUNDAI
The Hyundai car plant is under investigation for the death of three employees during a performance test. Authorities found three employees unconscious in one of the plant’s cars when they arrived on the scene. The victims were immediately brought to a nearby hospital after being found and were pronounced dead soon after. Police identified the victims as two researchers and one contractor. Investigations found that the deceased Hyundai employees may have suffocated to death.
“The victims were presumed to have been suffocated due to toxic gas in the enclosed space, and a police investigation is underway to find the exact cause of the accident,” Hyundai said in an official statement. Though the casualties have were officially announced, the company has not yet confirmed the exact cause of death.
Separate from police investigations, South Korea’s labour ministry launched a probe into the incident. The Ministry of Labour aims to conclude the facts of the incident as Hyundai may be liable for punishment under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
“We will cooperate fully with all relevant authorities to determine the cause of this incident as more information becomes available,” Hyundai said in their official statement. Violators of this act may be incarcerated for at least 1 year or pay a fine of 1.1 million AUD. The act is applicable to higher-ups of companies who are responsible for the death or grave injury of an employee.
EMPLOYEE SAFETY
According to Reuters, Hyundai broke ground with their Ulsan plant just last year. The Ulsan plant is their largest to date. The plant is known for its “annual production capacity of 1.4 million vehicles, including exports of 1.1 million units.” Though the plant is an achievement for Hyundai, the recent incident would not be the first time an employee has died under their thumb. In the same year after its inauguration, a worker lost his life “after his head was caught in a heat treatment machine during an inspection.”
Earlier this year in August, several sources reported a gruesome accident from one of Hyundai’s plants in the US. A 40-year-old worker walked away with “a crushed chest, a deformed hand, and a mangled leg.” According to two safety managers, Hyundai’s Georgia plant standards “are among the worst they have experienced in their careers.” 20 injuries occurred within the Georgia plant from January 2023 and May 2024 alone.
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