Police investigating the incident in which a worker in her 50s was caught in a machine at SPC Samlip's Siheung factory have reportedly placed factory officials, including the center director, under investigation.
The Siheung Police Station stated on the 22nd that they have criminally charged seven individuals, including Center Director A, for professional negligence resulting in death.
Individuals, including A, are under suspicion of neglecting safety management related to the incident on the 19th at around 3 a.m., when a female worker in her 50s died after getting caught in a machine while spraying lubricant on the cooling conveyor belt at the SPC Samlip Siheung factory.
The police have sequentially charged those whose suspicions were revealed from the day after the incident until now, and they are currently under investigation as suspects. It has been reported that there were other co-workers working at the site at the time of the incident, in addition to the deceased worker, and the police are also conducting witness interviews with them.
The police explained that the number of charged individuals may increase depending on the progress of the investigation. The schedule for the on-site investigation has not yet been set. The police are coordinating with relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the National Institute of Forensic Science, regarding the date, subjects, and scope of the inspection.
Earlier, incidents involving the deaths and injuries of workers at SPC affiliates have been ongoing. At the Pyeongtaek SPL bakery, a female worker in her 20s died after getting caught in a sauce mixer on October 20, 2022. Additionally, at the Seongnam Shany bakery, a female worker in her 50s died after getting caught in a dough machine in August 2023. In these factories, there have been a number of both serious and minor incidents in addition to fatalities.