A worker has died in a fall at South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje Shipyard.
The incident occurred at about 10 pm on 9 September when the worker fell during the loading of a lashing bridge while using an offshore crane on a floating dock.
The man — named in the Korean media as Mr Gu, who worked for a subcontractor at the shipyard — received emergency first aid and was taken to hospital but died at 11.23 pm.
Work was stopped at the yard and special safety training given to all workers on day and night shifts. Inspections then took place, according to information shown to TradeWinds.
In a statement Hanwha Ocean said: “We would like to [convey our] deepest sympathy to the family of the deceased.
“We would like to express our sincere apologies to all the workers who work hard for the development of Hanwha Ocean and to the global shipowners who trusted Hanwha Ocean to build their vessels.
“Hanwha Ocean is actively cooperating with the investigation by relevant authorities in regards to thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and reflect it in measures to prevent recurrence.”
The shipbuilder said its chief executive has also dedicated safety as the top priority of management principle and emphasised to all employees to further strengthen safety measures.
Korean press reports detailed that this is the fourth death at Hanwha Ocean’s Okpu facility this year.
In January, TradeWinds reported that an employee diver died after being found unconscious.
The shipbuilder earlier confirmed that in the same month a 28-year-old subcontractor died after being hit by pieces of flying metal after a gas leak from a line during grinding work on a rudder block.
The NSP News Agency said a heat-related death occurred at the yard in August.
Hanwha Ocean is not alone in recording fatalities in 2024. In the first quarter, deaths were also recorded at Samsung Heavy Industries, Sungdong Shipbuilding and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
News of fatal accidents is likely to raise concerns about the level of pressure shipyards are under to deliver the huge backlogs they have accumulated from the surge in orders seen over the past two years.
