Construction Safety

[Anchor Lead]
In recent safety scares, tower cranes and embankment walls have collapsed at construction sites. This year alone, an average ten construction workers have been killed per week due to such accidents. The mortality rate is more than seven times higher than other industries. Observers say that special measures are urgently called for.
[Pkg]
Workers are trying to elevate the height of a tower crane at 50 meters above ground. This task is one of the more dangerous operations along with the installation and disassembling of a tower crane. Many accidents occur during these moments. Skillful use of technology and expertise is needed for the job but the reality is that anyone can be put to the task because regulations don’t require any particular qualification to operate the machinery. Recent tower crane accidents in the cities of Namyangju and Uijeongbu also occurred during the installation or dismantlement stages.
[Soundbite] Jeong Hoi-wun(Federation of Korean Trade Unions) : “Daily workers are tasked with installing and dismantling tower cranes. It’s a dangerous job but there’s no authority whatsoever that can control the operational process.”
A team of five works on more than ten tower cranes a month and they’re pressed for time. A preventative inspection called Non-Destructive Testing determines the condition of a tower crane’s erosion and has only been introduced for recently imported second-hand tower cranes. And so the workers constantly work under apprehension.
[Soundbite] Park Jeong-hoo(Tower Crane Engineer) : “When it’s as cold as these days, thin ice is formed on the structure causing the crane to topple. When workers climb on the crane and find outdated equipment, the equipment itself could be unreliable.”
Tower crane accidents are just a tip of the iceberg out of all industrial disasters taking place at construction sites. Unlike other work places, dangers loom large in various corners at construction sites. The increase in the number of