Woman in Her 50s Dies at SPC Samlip’s Siheung Plant During Lubrication Work

A fatal workplace accident has occurred once again at a bakery factory affiliated with SPC Group.

In recent years, similar serious industrial accidents have repeatedly taken place at SPC-related facilities, prompting strong backlash from labor unions and civic groups who argue the issue is "structural, not accidental."

According to the Siheung Police Station in Gyeonggi Province on the 19th, a woman in her 50s, identified as Ms. A, died while working at the SPC Samlip plant in Siheung at around 3 a.m. that day. She was reportedly caught in machinery while injecting lubricant into a conveyor belt, causing her upper body to become trapped.

Emergency responders stated that she was found unconscious on the floor with severe skull injuries. The factory ceased operations immediately after the incident.

Police are focusing their investigation on the lubrication procedure and whether safety protocols were followed. They have secured and are reviewing CCTV footage from the scene. If negligence is found, they plan to consider charges of involuntary manslaughter due to professional negligence.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is also conducting a parallel investigation to determine whether there were violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

Following the incident, SPC Samlip CEO Kim Beom-soo issued an apology, saying, "We extend our deepest condolences and apologies to the bereaved family," and pledged to "do our utmost to identify the exact cause and prevent recurrence."

However, this is not the first major accident at an SPC bakery plant.

In 2022, a woman in her 20s was killed after being caught in a sauce mixer at the SPL plant in Pyeongtaek. Additional incidents, including finger fractures and head injuries, occurred later that year and the next. In 2023, a woman in her 50s also died in a similar machinery entrapment accident at the Shany plant in Seongnam.

A representative from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) stated, “Despite numerous warnings and public criticism, nothing has changed in the structure or safety systems of these workplaces,” adding that “SPC could become the first company to be prosecuted under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.”

Labor organizations and civic groups are characterizing the repeated accidents as "failures of corporate management, not isolated incidents," and are calling for stronger regulations and harsher penalties.

Authorities are expanding their investigation to include interviews with company officials and a review of potential safety manual deficiencies and structural causes of the accident.


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Woman in Her 50s Dies at SPC Samlip’s Siheung Plant During Lubrication Work