Call for Improvement in the Practice of Risk Outsourcing to Protect the Lives and Safety of Workers
Urgent Need to Prevent Recurrence of Fatal Accidents Involving Subcontracted Workers at Thermal Power Plants
□ The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho) expresses its deepest condolences over the death of a subcontracted worker in the fatal accident that occurred on June 2 at the Taean Thermal Power Plant, and extends heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved family.
□ According to industrial accident statistics from the five major power generation companies, a total of 237 workers were injured in work-related accidents between 2019 and July 2024, of whom five lost their lives. Among the 232 injured workers, 193 (83.2%) were subcontracted workers. Notably, all five fatalities were also subcontracted workers.
□ This recent accident likewise occurred at the Taean Thermal Power Plant, operated by the main contractor. The task that caused the fatality involved a lathe—a type of hazardous machinery regulated under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The deceased worker was working alone, with no one nearby to operate an emergency stop switch, and was fatally injured in an entrapment accident.
□ In our society, there is a growing trend of 'risk outsourcing', a practice of outsourcing dangerous work to subcontractors, as employers seek to reduce labor costs and avoid responsibility for preventing industrial accidents and ensuring workplace safety. As a result, subcontracted workers not only face precarious employment conditions, but also stand at the edge of life-threatening risk and vulnerability in their workplaces.
○ Particularly concerning is that this accident occurred at the same location and under similar circumstances as the tragic death occured in December 2018, which claimed the life of Mr. Kim Yong-gyun, a subcontracted worker at the Taean Thermal Power Plant. It is all the more tragic and distressing that such a similar accident has occurred again in the very same location.
○ Mr. Kim’s death served as a catalyst for the passage of the amended Occupational Safety and Health Act and the enactment of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. Nevertheless, the recurrence of such accidents raises serious questions about persistent managerial disregard for safety, the prioritization of profit over human life, and potential lapses in stringent enforcement and oversight by authorities.
□ In 2018, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea conducted a fact-finding investigation on the labor rights of indirectly employed workers, which confirmed the widespread practice of risk outsourcing in the workplace. In December 2019, the Commission issued a policy recommendation for the improvement of systems to protect the rights of subcontracted workers. The recommendation emphasized the need to strengthen the occupational safety responsibilities of primary contractors and to reform legal frameworks to deter the risk outsourcing.
□ The international community also underscores the importance of occupational safety. On June 10, 2022, at its 110th Session, the International Labour Organization (ILO) resolved to recognize a “safe and healthy working environment” as a fundamental right at work. This includes ILO Convention No. 155 on Occupational Safety and Health and Convention No. 187 on the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health—both of which were ratified by the Republic of Korea in February 2008.
□ The right to life and safety in the workplace is a fundamental right that must be guaranteed in the course of labor. We call for a thorough investigation into this incident and decisive action to prevent future tragedies, in honor of the victim and in support of the bereaved family. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea will remain committed to creating a society in which vulnerable workers in safety blind spots can work in environments free from danger and with dignity.
4 June 2025
Ahn Chang-ho
Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of Korea
