Two Hanjin workers die, 19 others injured in vehicular accident

Two workers of the Korean shipbuilding giant firm Hanjin Heavy Industries Co., based in the freeport town of Subic in Zambales province, were killed while 19 others were seriously injured when their service vehicle lost its brakes while traversing along Cabangaan Road, Barangay Cawag, Monday morning.

The Zambales provincial police identified the fatalities as Danilo Enriquez, 50, and Bernardino Macarene, of unknown age. They were both residents of Olongapo City, also in Zambales.

According to a police report, around 7 a.m. Monday, the workers of Hanjin subcontractor, Sea Marine Co. were on board their service vehicle, a six-wheeler Elf truck, on their way to the shipyard when the truck lost its brakes and fell down a ravine.

Enriquez, who was thrown away from the truck during the fall, was pronounced dead at the James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital, while Macarene died in the same hospital while undergoing surgery due to internal injuries.

The other workers were rushed to San Marcelino District Hospital and James Gordon Memorial Hospital in Olongapo City.

In early February, a shuttle bus carrying about 50 workers to the Hanjin shipbuilding facility in Subic slammed into a road barrier and fell into a ravine, also in Barangay Cawag.

More than 20 persons were injured in that accident.

Hanjin has, in recent months, been hit by a series of accidents involving its workers, raising questions as to its implementation of safety measures in the work place.

The People’s Task Force Hanjin and SBMA authorities have recorded over 40 deaths among the shipbuilder’s workers, including those who died from malaria.

The causes of the deaths ranged from falling from a high place while working, to electrocution and being hit by falling or swinging heavy construction materials.

In April last year, a workplace safety and health assessment conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) at the Korean shipbuilder’s facility showed that accidents in the shipyard could be attributed to the firm’s “health and safety lapses.”

According to the DoLE report, over 4,300 accidents had occurred at the Hanjin shipyard and that most of the accidents were due to falls, burns and punctures which resulted in fractures, loss of body parts, lacerated wounds, dislocations and body sprains. –With a report from PNA