Police said a Myanmarese worker who remains unconscious after suffering an electric shock at a construction site in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, had not been provided with insulating gloves.
Investigators said Friday they obtained testimony from a coworker who was present at the time of the accident indicating the worker had been given only cotton gloves, despite working in wet conditions. Police also found cotton gloves at the site.
The incident occurred Aug. 4 when the worker was checking a water pump that was failing to remove pooling water from the floor at the construction site for a highway between Gwangmyeong and Seoul. Posco E&C is the contractor in charge of the project.
The investigators are also examining why the power was not shut off while he was sent to check the pump. The construction site’s guidelines said a power shutoff is required when workers access facilities with a potential electrical current.
They are also looking into whether the worker had been properly protected from the foreseeable dangers of the task, and whether the construction site was legally required to provide insulating protective gear.
shinjh@heraldcorp.com
