Labor ministry launches monthlong roof, solar site safety crackdown

The labor ministry said Monday it will run a monthlong intensive inspection of roof repair and solar panel installation sites, issuing a fall-prevention alert after four workers died in falls at such sites this year.

Roof and solar construction often involves short, small-scale jobs where safety installations are easily neglected, and roofing materials such as skylights, slate and sandwich panels become fragile as they age, the ministry said.

On July 11, a worker fell through styrofoam after a steel sheet was removed during roof repair at a fertilizer factory. On July 16, a worker fell through a skylight during roof repair at a metal products factory. On Aug. 12, a worker fell when slate broke during roof demolition at an abandoned building. On Aug. 14, a worker fell when an aged tarpaulin tore during reinforcement work on a warehouse roof.

In the first half of the year, skylight breakages accounted for a large share of falls, but recent deaths have followed slate breakages and torn roof tarpaulins, the ministry said.

"Roofing materials such as skylights, slate and tarpaulins are prone to breaking or tearing as they age, so appropriate safety measures are absolutely necessary," said Oh Young-min, director-general of the ministry's industrial safety and health supervision bureau.

The ministry assigned 200 dedicated roof supervisors to provide technical support at 1,116 fertilizer plants and link them to financial assistance, and sent safety and health materials and notices about financial support to 432 tarpaulin manufacturers and installation companies. For foreign workers who struggle to understand on-site safety training because of language barriers, the ministry translated safety and health materials into 17 languages, including Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese, and distributed them to local governments, related agencies and industry associations.

"The government is covering part of the cost of installing safety facilities such as anchor points, fall protection nets and skylight covers, up to 90 percent, for small businesses," Oh said. "Work should begin only after securing safety on the roof through this financial support."

During the inspection period, the ministry plans to run campaigns with local governments and related agencies and conduct extensive on-site inspections to prevent falls.