92 safety, labor violations found at food service firm Ourhome

The labor ministry has uncovered 92 instances of safety and labor infractions at food service provider Ourhome, following an inspection sparked by the fatalities of two employees at one of the company's manufacturing facilities. Of these violations, 53 were safety-related while the remaining 39 pertained to labor standards, according to the ministry's assessment after examining nine Ourhome plants across the country.

In reaction to these findings, the ministry intends to hand 13 cases over to prosecutors for potential indictment and impose a fine of 86.3 million won ($63,800) on 37 of the violations. Corrective measures are mandated for the remaining 42 incidents. The transgressions encompassed the continued use of conveyor belts that had not been subjected to safety inspections, the absence or delayed implementation of specialized training sessions for conveyor belt operators at six of the nine plants, and the omission of safety barriers or covers in tofu production and food mixing processes.

Other infractions included unlawful worker transfers between Ourhome's plants and affiliated firms, and instances of employees receiving either no overtime pay or less than the legally mandated amount for holiday work.