A lone sanitation worker's death and injuries at work during night shifts have raised concerns.

On the evening of the 19th, 환경미화 노동자 ㄱ씨, who was cleaning up food waste alone in the 동구 of 대전, was struck by a motorbike driven by someone who had chased after them. ㄱ씨 lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital for treatment. Fellow worker 이재완 (38) shared the news, cautioning about the dangers of solo night work and the risk of accidents. 이씨 himself suffered a hand and finger injury after a traffic accident in 2017 while working alone.

Environmental sanitation workers are frequently falling ill or dying due to such incidents. In Seoul's 종로구 창신동, a 환경미화 노동자 was trapped between a truck and a wall while cleaning waste alone on the 7th, leading to his death early the next morning. Another incident occurred in 경북 영천 on the 19th, where a cleaning vehicle collided with a dustpan truck, resulting in the death of three people.

The 폐기물관리법 implementation rules state that 환경미화원 should follow the principle of 'weekly work' and '3 people 1 job' as the norm. However, due to the broad exceptions granted by local government ordinances, solo and nighttime work by 환경미화 노동자 remains the norm. A private waste disposal company in 충남 보령, where 김정열 (42) works, has employed the practice of solo nighttime work for a year and six months.

The 보령시 ordinance allows the exception of 'hand rake work in alleyways' for solo and nighttime work. 김씨 expressed fear for his colleagues who work alone, noting the stark difference between working with others and working solo. The limited visibility in dark alleys and the presence of animals or people asleep on the ground have occurred to him on several occasions.

One reason 김씨's work falls under the exception is the use of hand rakes, which often falls short of the actual work required. Due to the inability to quickly collect a large amount of waste, 김씨 and his colleagues purchased a 1-ton truck to speed up alleyway waste collection. The distance between the actual situation and the regulations has exposed them to greater risks and accidents.

The police, after investigating the 창신동 환경미화원 사망 사건 on the 7th, concluded it as a simple traffic accident, stating that there was no legal liability on the workers' part ("no legal right to sue"). The police noted that the deceased had been driving the car in gear (D) and had collided with the moving vehicle. The prosecutor's office will not investigate the employer or the hired company for their alleged negligence, and only the Industrial Safety and Health Act violations will be investigated. 이씨 said that the excessive workload and pressure to complete tasks within a short time increase the risk of accidents such as improper gear shifting or being pushed by the curb.

He emphasized that it is a "structural tragedy caused by solo nighttime work" rather than individual negligence.