This undated file photo shows a Shani bakery factory in Seongnam, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — Another workplace accident has occurred at a subsidiary of the food and beverage giant SPC Group, marking the second such event at the factory following a fatal accident last year when an employee lost their life due to operating machinery without adhering to basic safety regulations.
The SPC chairman issued a public apology last year and committed to investing 100 billion won (US$76.1 million) to enhance safety management procedures.
However, the recent accident at one of its subsidiaries has led to accusations that the commitment was merely symbolic.
In 2023, Paris Baguette, a bakery brand under the SPC Group, achieved recognition as one of the “top global franchises” by the U.S. magazine Entrepreneur, solidifying SPC’s growing international reputation.
It remains to be seen whether the recent accident will impact SPC’s overseas operations.
Notably, Paris Baguette emerged as the leading global franchise in the café category and stood as the sole South Korean company on the prestigious list.
On Tuesday, an accident was reported at a bakery factory operated by Shani, situated in Seongnam, south of Seoul. During the event, a male employee in his 50s became trapped between a portable lift and a piece of machinery.
At the time of the mishap, the employee was accompanied by a colleague who reportedly operated the machine without adequately checking the safety of the other worker.
The injured worker was rushed to a hospital in a state of cardiac arrest, and later began breathing again and regained a heartbeat.
People lay flowers on an altar at an event in Seoul on Oct. 20, 2022 to mourn the death of a worker at a bread factory in Pyeongtaek. (Yonhap)
In October last year, a female employee in her 20s lost her life after becoming entangled in a sauce mixer at a bakery factory operated by SPL, another subsidiary of SPC, located in Pyeongtaek.
As per the company’s operational guidelines, the sauce mixer necessitates the involvement of two individuals. Nonetheless, the female employee operated the machine alone.
SPC faced substantial backlash when it was revealed that SPL continued production operations after concealing the accident site with a cloth.
Employees who had witnessed the incident were scheduled for work during holidays, and bread-packaging boxes were left at the deceased employee’s funeral for “catering guests.”
The aftermath of this incident peaked with a consumer boycott against the company. In response, SPC chairman Heo Young-in held a press conference to offer a public apology.
However, just two days later, another incident occurred, involving a male employee in his 40s who severed his fingers at a Shani bakery factory in Seongnam.
Subsequently, a male employee in his 50s in July sustained finger injuries at the same factory due to entanglement in a machine.
These occurrences fueled criticism that the public apology by the company’s chairman and his commitment to safety management had yielded limited improvements to the actual working environment.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
