Officials from the police, fire department and National Forensic Service conduct a joint investigation at the Aricelll factory fire site in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeon

"Safety training for day laborers? If they provide it, great; if not, what can we do?"

These were the words of Lee, 46, a naturalized Korean born in China, in response to the tragic fire at the Aricell factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, which claimed the lives of 23 workers, including 18 foreign nationals.

Lee revealed that during his time as a day laborer at a factory in Gyeonggi Province last year, he never received any safety training. This was also the case at a factory where he worked for about two years prior.

According to current laws, workplaces are required to provide 30 minutes to 1 hour of safety and health training upon hiring day laborers or temporary workers with contracts shorter than a week, but this mandate was not followed.

"In hindsight, I wouldn't have known where to evacuate in case of a fire," Lee said, recalling the danger.

The Aricell factory fire, the deadliest single accident for foreign workers in recent memory, has brought the issue of safety training for these workers to the forefront.

The tragedy has raised concerns that the lack of safety training, especially for foreign day laborers facing language barriers, might have exacerbated the impact.

Many foreign workers in industrial settings expressed a shared sentiment that the Hwaseong disaster feels all too close to home.

A memorial altar for the victims of the lithium battery factory fire has been set up at Hwaseong City Hall in Gyeonggi Province on Tuesday. Yonhap

Foreign workers' fatalities on rise

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor's report on 2023 accidental deaths released Tuesday, there were 85 foreign worker fatalities last year, representing 10.5 percent of the total 812 accidental deaths.

While the overall number of accidental deaths decreased by 62 from the previous year (874), the number of foreign worker deaths remained unchanged at 85. This indicates that foreign workers are often placed in relatively more dangerous working environments.

One major contributing factor is inadequate safety training. Companies may find it challenging to provide safety training in multiple languages or may neglect it because day laborers work for only a few days.

Jeong Young-seop, an official from the Migrant Solidarity Network, said, "The lack of industrial safety education for foreign workers has been a longstanding issue. There has been a continuous need for tailored on-site training, including in their native languages."

Unfortunately, incidents of foreign workers losing their lives due to insufficient safety training are recurring annually.

In July 2022, a Nepali worker died while cleaning a machine at a metal parts manufacturing factory in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province. The court sentenced the company representative to two years in prison, stating, "The company neglected safety issues by failing to provide adequate training for foreign workers."

The burnt out lithium battery factory in Hwaseong is seen the day after the fatal fire broke out, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeon

Ineffective safety training

Even when safety training is conducted, it often lacks effectiveness. Training sessions may be conducted solely in Korean, which many foreign workers do not understand well, or programs may be provided online, leaving participation voluntary.

Choi Jeong-gyu, a lawyer who has handled numerous cases involving foreign worker injuries, said, "At construction sites, you see workers from various countries, but there are rarely any efforts to explain safety protocols step by step in their native languages."

Foreign workers at the Aricell factory might have faced similar neglect. The husband of a Chinese national who died in the fire reported "my wife mentioned another battery fire had happened two days before the accident, but she never received any evacuation training."

Both the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) criticized the situation, pointing out that Aricell lacked a safety manager, even though companies handling chemicals with over 50 employees are required to appoint one.

Need for improved safety training for foreign workers

Despite Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan's claims that "regular and adequate safety training was provided to the workers," there are concerns that these measures were merely perfunctory. Thorough investigations are needed to determine whether the safety training was effective and sufficient.

If the safety training environment for foreign workers does not improve, major disasters are bound to keep happening, analysts said.

"We need to devise meticulous and effective safety training programs for foreign workers, who mainly occupy high-risk jobs," said Kim Jong-jin, director of the Labor Citizen Research Institute.

Lee Byung-hoon, a sociology professor at Chung-Ang University, said, "We must examine the vulnerable conditions of foreign workers and strengthen safety management standards. Workspaces should never become death traps."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.