Industrial Accident
Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) recorded the highest industrial accident rates among major public institutions last year. According to the data released by the Ministry of Employment & Labor about industrial accident rates of construction worth more than 100 billion won (US$88.03 million) ordered by 20 major public institutions in 2015, KORAIL had the highest accident rates with 2.43 percent, followed by Korea Rural Community Corp. (KRC) with 1.33 percent, Korea South-East Power Co. (KOSEP) with 1.15 percent, Korea Southern Power Co. (KOSPO) with 1.11 percent and Korea East-West Power Co. (EWP) with 1.04 percent.
Incheon Port Authority (IPA) recorded relatively ower accident rates at 0.11 percent, Korea Midland Power Co. at 0.2 percent, Korea Western Power Co. (KOWEPO) at 0.23 percent, Korea Rail Network Authority (KRNA) at 0.26 percent and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) at 0.27 percent. By contrast, Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) had the relatively higher percentage of accidents at 0.32 percent, Korea District Heating Corp. (KDHC) at 0.33 percent, Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH) at 0.35 percent and KEPCO at 0.37 percent.
KORAIL also had the second highest death rates per 10,000 workers with 5.53 percent, following Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-water) with 6.3 percent.
The figures of industrial accident rates and death rates per 10,000 workers will be reflected in the public institute management performance appraisal result in the responsibility management sector.
Meanwhile, the public relations (PR) department of KORAIL wasn’t aware of the fact that the news was released and asked reporters about data sources later. Although KORAIL should always put safety first on the sites in where trains are running on the railways with high voltage current passing through them, it failed to share such external evaluation data with employees and even the PR division was indifferent to the data.