PRESS RELEASE
Korean Alliance for Responsible Shipbuilding and Human Rights in Supply Chain (KARSH)
- Contact: Donghyun Kim
Email address: dhkim@hopeandlaw.org - Date : Sep 24 2025
- Page : 3
Petrobras supervisor Dies at Hanwha Ocean Yard:
Parliamentary Inspection Reveals Multiple Safety Failures
(photo : https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/area/yeongnam/1216726.html)
On September 3, 2025, at around 11:30 a.m., a fatal accident occurred at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard during the construction of Petrobras’ FPSO P-79. A Brazilian national and Petrobras supervisor, died after the platform collapsed during a load test. He was struck by falling equipment, plunged more than 10 meters into the sea, and was only rescued 90 minutes later—already in cardiac arrest. He did not survive.
(Photo: Safety inspection. KMWU)
After the incident, the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) and the office of National Assembly member Hye-Kyung Jung conducted a joint safety inspection. Their findings revealed serious safety failures. Vessel No. 6064, where the accident occurred, is a massive plant structure measuring 60 meters wide, 345 meters long, and 34 meters high, with about 4,000 workers usually deployed inside. Yet access to the vessel is limited to only three corridors connected to elevators, meaning that in the event of a fire or explosion, thousands of workers would have no safe way to evacuate. Inspectors also found hazardous materials left unattended and fire extinguishers that were unusable, exposing critically inadequate safety facilities.
The Korean Alliance for Responsible Shipbuilding and Human Rights in Supply Chain (KARSH) calls on both Hanwha Ocean and Petrobras to take full responsibility and implement measures to prevent further accidents. KARSH demands urgent action following this preventable tragedy. Hanwha Ocean must conduct a full investigation, punish those responsible, and immediately improve evacuation systems and safety facilities. Petrobras, as the shipbuyer, must assume its responsibility and implement human rights due diligence across its supply chain. The government must correct its flawed stop-work orders and carry out comprehensive investigations covering Petrobras, subcontractors, and Hanwha Ocean. Above all, workers must be guaranteed participation in designing and implementing safety measures, and their full wages must be protected during work stoppages.
(photo : the shipbuilding site. KMWU)
PRESS RELEASE
Korean Alliance for Responsible Shipbuilding and Human Rights in Supply Chain (KARSH)
Email address: dhkim@hopeandlaw.org
Petrobras supervisor Dies at Hanwha Ocean Yard:
Parliamentary Inspection Reveals Multiple Safety Failures
(photo : https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/area/yeongnam/1216726.html)
On September 3, 2025, at around 11:30 a.m., a fatal accident occurred at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard during the construction of Petrobras’ FPSO P-79. A Brazilian national and Petrobras supervisor, died after the platform collapsed during a load test. He was struck by falling equipment, plunged more than 10 meters into the sea, and was only rescued 90 minutes later—already in cardiac arrest. He did not survive.
(Photo: Safety inspection. KMWU)
After the incident, the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) and the office of National Assembly member Hye-Kyung Jung conducted a joint safety inspection. Their findings revealed serious safety failures. Vessel No. 6064, where the accident occurred, is a massive plant structure measuring 60 meters wide, 345 meters long, and 34 meters high, with about 4,000 workers usually deployed inside. Yet access to the vessel is limited to only three corridors connected to elevators, meaning that in the event of a fire or explosion, thousands of workers would have no safe way to evacuate. Inspectors also found hazardous materials left unattended and fire extinguishers that were unusable, exposing critically inadequate safety facilities.
The Korean Alliance for Responsible Shipbuilding and Human Rights in Supply Chain (KARSH) calls on both Hanwha Ocean and Petrobras to take full responsibility and implement measures to prevent further accidents. KARSH demands urgent action following this preventable tragedy. Hanwha Ocean must conduct a full investigation, punish those responsible, and immediately improve evacuation systems and safety facilities. Petrobras, as the shipbuyer, must assume its responsibility and implement human rights due diligence across its supply chain. The government must correct its flawed stop-work orders and carry out comprehensive investigations covering Petrobras, subcontractors, and Hanwha Ocean. Above all, workers must be guaranteed participation in designing and implementing safety measures, and their full wages must be protected during work stoppages.
(photo : the shipbuilding site. KMWU)