| A rail worker breathes out while working on Donghae Nambu Line near Taehwagang Station in the southeastern coastal city of Ulsan early in the morning on Jan. 21. Yonhap |
Public workers risk their lives to keep us safe. They are the spine of our society.
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Clean streets, public transportation and parcel service are all parts of everyday life, despite often being taken for granted. However, such services are made possible through the efforts of many unseen laborers. Despite the importance of their role, many laborers are exposed to industrial disasters and work-related accidents.
| A rail worker leaves a worksite with a ladder on his shoulder after finishing up feeder wiring on Donghae Nambu Line near Taehwagang Station in Ulsan on Jan. 21. Yonhap |
In 2020, a total of 882 people died from industrial accidents, 27 more than the previous year. Despite the government's pledge to halve the number of workers killed in the line of duty during its term, the number rebounded from 855 in 2019, after declining from 971 in 2018.
| Hands are busy connecting and maintaining the feeders, which are crucial to train operation as they provide electricity, but are exposed to hazards in dangerous working conditions without enough safety features. Yonhap |
The increase was due to big accidents such as a warehouse construction site fire in April in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, which killed 38 workers. Earlier this month, the National Assembly passed a law on severe industrial accidents, which holds businesses responsible for breach of safety requirements in case of serious workplace accidents and imposes tougher punishments on them. But industrial accidents continue to happen across the country.
| Rail workers wire an electricity feeder on Donghae Nambu Line near Taehwagang Station in Ulsan on Jan. 21. Yonhap |