SEOUL, South Korea – Another worker has died in a tragic conveyor belt accident at an SPC Group bakery factory, reigniting fierce criticism that chairman Hur Young-in's promised 100 billion won investment to strengthen safety management has been an empty pledge. The latest fatality, involving a worker applying lubricant, has also sparked a food hygiene controversy due to the presence of finished products near the machine at the time of the incident.
This marks the third fatal incident at an SPC Group facility in less than three years, casting a dark shadow over the company's commitment to worker safety and its corporate social responsibility.
Unfulfilled Promises: A Pattern of Negligence?
Following a similar fatal "entrapment(끼임)" accident in October 2022 at SPC's SPL Gyeonggi Pyeongtaek bakery factory, where a 20-year-old worker lost her life, Chairman Hur Young-in publicly apologized and vowed to invest 100 billion won in industrial safety by 2025. According to an "Safety Management Letter" released on SPC's website, the company claims to have invested 83.5 billion won in industrial safety from the immediate aftermath of the 2022 accident until last year, representing approximately 84% of the promised amount. SPC lauded its efforts, stating it has "actively implemented investments to strengthen industrial safety, including expanding safety facilities, enhancing equipment safety, automating high-intensity and hazardous tasks, and improving the working environment."
The company detailed its investment breakdown: 22.8 billion won for automating high-intensity/hazardous tasks, 22.5 billion won for expanding safety facilities, 18.9 billion won for improving the working environment, 14.8 billion won for enhancing equipment safety, and 4.5 billion won for other initiatives. SPC also highlighted the activities of its Safety Management Committee, established after the 2022 accident. Comprising four external and one internal member, the committee held 15 regular meetings until February to discuss safety management roadmap implementation plans. Furthermore, SPC stated it has been recognizing and rewarding excellent safety management practices across the company since 2023.
"Stop the Line, Cause a Riot": The Culture of Production Over Safety
Despite these claims, critics argue that SPC's investments and initiatives have been largely ineffective. This is tragically underscored by a series of accidents: in August 2023, a 50-year-old worker died after being caught in a dough mixing machine at the Seongnam Shany bakery factory, and several finger amputation incidents due to machinery entrapment have also been reported. The latest fatality occurred at the Siheung Samlip Sihwa factory, where a 50-year-old female worker was caught in a conveyor belt during an overnight shift.
An anonymous worker (identified as "A") from an SPC affiliate production line lamented, "These accidents are predictable. They share commonalities: 12-hour rotating shifts, overnight work, and machines operating during the incidents." The worker attributed the problem to a workplace culture that prioritizes uninterrupted production over safety. "If the production line stops, all hell breaks loose, which is why accident victims couldn't stop the machines," A explained, adding, "Unless the organizational culture improves, these tragedies will undoubtedly recur."
Food Hygiene Concerns and Questionable Practices
Further questions are being raised about the circumstances surrounding the latest accident. According to police, the victim was applying lubricant to the conveyor belt to ensure smooth operation when she became entrapped. This particular conveyor belt is designed to cool freshly baked, hot bread for about 30 minutes before it moves to the packaging line. The fact that lubricant was being applied suggests the conveyor belt was not operating smoothly.
The Samlip Sihwa factory is known for producing the popular 'KBO bread' (KBO빵), and industry insiders speculate it was operating 24 hours a day to meet demand. Cleaning or repairing machinery would require halting operations, effectively bringing the entire production process to a standstill.
Disturbingly, photographs of the accident site released by the Siheung Fire Station show loaves of bread still on the conveyor belt. Worker A expressed shock, stating, "It makes no sense. Applying lubricant at the final product stage, just before packaging, is absolutely forbidden because lubricant could contaminate the bread." An industry source echoed this sentiment, explaining, "While food-grade lubricants are used in food manufacturing machinery, they are only applied during equipment inspection after all product production has finished. They are never sprayed while the machine is in operation. Applying lubricant with finished products present is illogical."
Kang Gyu-hyung, former head of the SPL branch of the Korean Chemical, Fiber and Food Workers' Union, commented, "If there's a problem with the machinery, the maintenance team should stop the line and work on it. But these machines have often had issues due to breakdowns or old age, so the victim was likely doing what she always did." Kang also pointed out, "It was a dangerous machine that workers could easily access, and it's highly probable that safety protocols like a two-person team or on-site supervisor were not followed. This is a total failure where the safety system was completely lacking."
SPC Group has declined to comment on the ongoing police investigation. The repeated tragedies and the company's perceived failure to implement effective safety measures continue to fuel public anger and calls for stringent government oversight and accountability.
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