A civic group has filed a criminal complaint against Chairman Heo Young-in of SPC Group regarding the worker death incident that occurred at the SPC Samlip Siheung factory.
According to the Citizens’ Livelihood Countermeasures Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Citizens’ Committee) on the 20th, the group reported Chairman Heo to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on charges of violating the Serious Accident Punishment Act.
The Citizens’ Committee claimed, “At the time of the accident, the factory was allegedly operating at full capacity, and there were situations where the conveyor belt was creaking, requiring workers to reach deep inside to perform lubrication. Considering this, the accident was foreseeable,” adding that it constitutes a violation of the Serious Accident Punishment Act.
In particular, the Citizens’ Committee pointed out the worker death incidents that occurred in SPC affiliates in 2022 and 2023, stating, “Given that accidents of a similar nature have recurred, there is a possibility of generating further social chaos.”
Earlier, on the 19th, a female worker in her 50s died after getting caught in a conveyor belt at the SPC Samlip Siheung factory in Gyeonggi Province. It was reported that she was applying lubricant to a conveyor belt where hot bread was being cooled when her upper body became caught in the machinery. The Gyeonggi Siheung Police Station is currently investigating the case.
This is not the first time a worker death incident has occurred at an SPC factory. In October 2022, a female worker in her 20s died after getting caught in a sauce mixer at the Pyeongtaek SPL bakery, and in August 2023, a female worker in her 50s died after getting caught in machinery at the Seongnam Shani bakery.