Worker at Hansol Paper partner firm killed after being trapped under 2-ton paper roll

Police and labor authorities have launched an investigation after a worker in their 30s employed by a subcontractor was killed when trapped under a 2-ton paper roll at Hansol Paper's Janghang factory in Seocheon-gun, South Chungcheong Province.

According to police and fire department officials, the accident occurred at around 7:20 p.m. Tuesday at the slitter line in the thermal paper section of the Janghang factory. The victim, identified only as A and aged 31, was working for a subcontractor at the site when the incident took place.

Investigators found that A had been moving a paper roll with a forklift when the roll slipped from the forklift's clamps and began rolling away. A climbed down from the forklift to stop it and was caught between the roll and a control panel. Fire department officials said the roll weighed approximately 2 tons.

Paramedics who responded to a call from coworkers arrived at the scene within two minutes. A was conscious at the time but complained of difficulty breathing and severe abdominal pain. A's condition deteriorated in transit to the regional trauma center at Wonkwang University Hospital in Iksan, North Jeolla Province. A went into cardiac arrest shortly after arriving at the hospital and died.

Police are questioning factory officials and others to determine whether safety protocols were followed and to establish the exact circumstances of the accident. The Boryeong branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor said in a press notice that it had conducted an on-site inspection immediately after the accident, ordered a work stoppage, and opened an investigation into possible violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

Hansol Paper disclosed the serious workplace accident in a regulatory filing, saying it plans to determine the detailed cause after authorities complete their on-site review. "We are cooperating with the relevant agencies' investigation and will take any necessary follow-up measures based on the findings," the company said.