Authorities carried out a search and seizure operation Tuesday at the headquarters of South Korean confectionery company SPC Samlip and its bread factory in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, as part of an investigation into the death of a worker who became trapped on a moving conveyor belt in May.
On Tuesday morning, police and officials from the Ministry of Employment and Labor searched the company’s headquarters in Seoul and its Siheung-based plant, including offices within the factory site, to examine potential violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
This was the first raid conducted in the case, coming 29 days after the conveyor belt accident, following the court's dismissal of three search warrant requests from the police since May. The court granted a search warrant on June 13.
The police reportedly dispatched officials to secure documents and data related to the bread factory's overall production process, work procedures and accident prevention measures, while inspectors from the Labor Ministry were to focus on safety measures for maintenance work to determine whether the accident was due to human error or inadequate safety systems at the company.
“The search and seizure will focus on securing evidence related to whether proper safety measures were taken during the maintenance procedure, including the application of lubricant. Based on the evidence obtained, we will thoroughly investigate whether the company had an effective safety and health management system in place to protect the worker,” the Labor Ministry said in an official statement.
“If any legal violations are found, we will take strict measures,” it added.
Both the police and the ministry have been investigating the case since the worker died on May 19.
Based on the on-site investigation, authorities previously revealed that the worker appears to have been fatally injured after going inside the machine to apply lubricant to the conveyor belt.
The police recently confirmed that she was carrying a container of cutting fluid — an oil used to reduce the frictional heat between a cutting tool and the material being cut — with methylene chloride listed as the main substance.
As the Ministry of Environment specified methylene chloride as a toxic substance known to pose significant health risks, including neurotoxicity, carcinogenicity and potential damage to the liver, the police are reportedly investigating whether the cutting oil was used during bread production.
The ministry stated that the cutting fluid container, which was voluntarily submitted by the factory, was sent to the National Forensic Service for analysis.
The food company claimed that it used a food-grade lubricant that is harmless to the human body.
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