Foreign workers lives at risk 차별, 안전교육 부족, 언어장벽으로 인해 외국인 노동자들의 생명이 위험

[김우정]

최근 발생한 화성 리튬배터리공장 화재사고로 18명의 외국인 근로자를 포함한 23명의 근로자가 사망했습니다.
우리나라의 외국인 근로자는 통계로 84만명, 불법체류자를 포함하면 120만명이 넘는 것으로 추산됩니다.
이번 사고로 외국인 근로자들에 대한 안전교육이 가장 중요하게 부각되고 있습니다.
사업장별로 외국인 근로자의 국가별 언어로 작성된 매뉴얼과 해당언어로 된 시청각자료는 꼭 필요해 보입니다.
 
Discrimination, lack of safety training, language barriers put foreign workers lives at risk

차별, 안전교육 부족, 언어장벽으로 인해 외국인 노동자들의 생명이 위험

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.
코리아 타임즈 자매지인 한국일보의 이 기사는 생성형 AI에 의해 번역되고 코리아 타임즈 직원에 의해 편집되었다.
Posted : 2024-06-27 08:39 Updated : 2024-06-27 16:42
Korea Times

Officials from the police, fire department and National Forensic Service conduct a joint investigation at the Aricelll factory fire site in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeon 경찰과 소방, 국립과학수사연구원 관계자들이 목요일일 경기 화성시 아리셀 공장 화재 현장에서 합동 감식을 하고 있다. 코리아타임스 사진 최주연 기자

Fatalities in foreign labor force account for over 10% of total deaths in the workplace in 2023
2023년 사업장내 전체 사망자 중 외국인노동력 사망자가 차지하는 비중은 10% 이상

"Safety training for day laborers? If they provide it, great; if not, what can we do?"
"일용노동자들을 위한 안전교육? 만약 그들이 그것을 제공한다면 훌륭할 것이고, 그렇지 않다면 우리는 무엇을 할 수 있을까?"

These were the words of Lee, 46, a naturalized Korean born in China, in response to the tragic fire at the Aricell factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, which claimed the lives of 23 workers, including 18 foreign nationals.
외국인 18명을 포함해 근로자 23명의 목숨을 앗아간 경기 화성 아리셀 공장의 비극적인 화재에 대해 중국에서 태어난 귀화 한국인 이모씨(46)의 말이었다.

Lee revealed that during his time as a day laborer at a factory in Gyeonggi Province last year, he never received any safety training. This was also the case at a factory where he worked for about two years prior.
이 씨는 지난해 경기도의 한 공장에서 일용직 노동자로 일하면서 안전교육을 받은 적이 없다고 폭로했다. 2년 전에 일했던 공장에서도 마찬가지였다.

According to current laws, workplaces are required to provide 30 minutes to 1 hour of safety and health training upon hiring day laborers or temporary workers with contracts shorter than a week, but this mandate was not followed.
현행법에 따르면 사업장은 계약기간이 1주일 미만인 일용근로자나 임시근로자를 고용할 때 30분~1시간의 안전보건교육을 하도록 돼 있지만 이 의무는 지켜지지 않았다.

"In hindsight, I wouldn't have known where to evacuate in case of a fire," Lee said, recalling the danger.
이씨는 "돌이켜보면 화재가 났을 때 어디로 대피해야 할지 몰랐을 것"이라며 위험을 상기했다.

The Aricell factory fire, the deadliest single accident for foreign workers in recent memory, has brought the issue of safety training for these workers to the forefront.
최근 외국인 노동자들에게 가장 치명적인 단일 사고인 아리셀 공장 화재는 이들 노동자에 대한 안전교육 문제를 전면에 내세웠다.

The tragedy has raised concerns that the lack of safety training, especially for foreign day laborers facing language barriers, might have exacerbated the impact.
이 비극은 특히 언어 장벽에 직면한 외국인 일용직 노동자들에 대한 안전 교육의 부재가 그 영향을 악화시켰을 수 있다는 우려를 불러일으켰다.

Many foreign workers in industrial settings expressed a shared sentiment that the Hwaseong disaster feels all too close to home.
산업현장에 있는 많은 외국인 노동자들은 화성 재난이 너무 가깝다고 느낀다는 공통된 감정을 표현했다.

A memorial altar for the victims of the lithium battery factory fire has been set up at Hwaseong City Hall in Gyeonggi Province on Tuesday. Yonhap 리튬전지 공장 화재 희생자들을 위한 분향소가 20일 경기 화성시청에 마련됐다. 연합

Foreign workers' fatalities on rise
외국인 노동자 사망자 증가

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor's report on 2023 accidental deaths released Tuesday, there were 85 foreign worker fatalities last year, representing 10.5 percent of the total 812 accidental deaths.
고용노동부가 20일 발표한 '2023년 재해사망자 현황'에 따르면 지난해 외국인 근로자 사망자는 85명으로 전체 재해사망자 812명의 10.5%에 달했다.

While the overall number of accidental deaths decreased by 62 from the previous year (874), the number of foreign worker deaths remained unchanged at 85. This indicates that foreign workers are often placed in relatively more dangerous working environments.
전체 사고 사망자 수가 전년(874명)보다 62명 감소한 반면, 외국인 근로자 사망자 수는 85명으로 변동이 없었다. 이는 외국인 근로자가 상대적으로 더 위험한 작업 환경에 놓여 있는 경우가 많다는 것을 나타낸다.

One major contributing factor is inadequate safety training. Companies may find it challenging to provide safety training in multiple languages or may neglect it because day laborers work for only a few days.
안전 교육이 제대로 이루어지지 않는 것이 주요 원인 중 하나이다. 기업들은 일용직 노동자들이 며칠밖에 근무하지 않기 때문에 다국어로 안전 교육을 제공하기가 어렵거나 이를 무시할 수도 있다.

Jeong Young-Seop, an official from the Migrant Solidarity Network, said, "The lack of industrial safety education for foreign workers has been a longstanding issue. There has been a continuous need for tailored on-site training, including in their native languages."
이주자연대네트워크 정영섭 관계자는 "외국인 근로자에 대한 산업안전교육 부족은 오랜 이슈였다."며 "그들의 모국어를 포함한 맞춤형 현장교육의 필요성이 지속적으로 제기돼 왔다"고 말했다.

Unfortunately, incidents of foreign workers losing their lives due to insufficient safety training are recurring annually.
이주자연대네트워크 정영섭 관계자는 "외국인 근로자에 대한 산업안전교육 부족은 오랜 이슈였다"며 "그들의 모국어를 포함한 맞춤형 현장교육의 필요성이 지속적으로 제기돼 왔다"고 말했다.

In July 2022, a Nepali worker died while cleaning a machine at a metal parts manufacturing factory in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province. The court sentenced the company representative to two years in prison, stating, "The company neglected safety issues by failing to provide adequate training for foreign workers."
2022년 7월 경남 양산의 한 금속 부품 제조 공장에서 네팔인 근로자가 기계를 청소하다 숨졌다. 법원은 "회사가 외국인 근로자들에게 적절한 교육을 제공하지 않아 안전 문제를 소홀히 했다"며 회사 대표에게 징역 2년을 선고했다.

The burnt out lithium battery factory in Hwaseong is seen the day after the fatal fire broke out, Tuesday. Korea  불에 탄 화성 리튬전지 공장 모습. 코리아타임스 사진 최주연 기자

Ineffective safety training
비효율적인 안전교육

Even when safety training is conducted, it often lacks effectiveness. Training sessions may be conducted solely in Korean, which many foreign workers do not understand well, or programs may be provided online, leaving participation voluntary.
안전 교육을 실시하는 경우에도 실효성이 부족한 경우가 많다. 교육 세션은 많은 외국인 근로자들이 잘 이해하지 못하는 한국어로만 진행하거나 온라인으로 프로그램을 제공하여 참여를 자율적으로 할 수도 있다.

Choi Jeong-gyu, a lawyer who has handled numerous cases involving foreign worker injuries, said, "At construction sites, you see workers from various countries, but there are rarely any efforts to explain safety protocols step by step in their native languages."
수많은 외국인 근로자 부상 사건을 처리해온 최정규 변호사는 "건설현장에서는 여러 나라에서 온 근로자들을 볼 수 있지만 모국어로 안전 규약을 단계적으로 설명하려는 노력은 거의 없다.”고 말했다.

Foreign workers at the Aricell factory might have faced similar neglect. The husband of a Chinese national who died in the fire reported "my wife mentioned another battery fire had happened two days before the accident, but she never received any evacuation training."
아리셀 공장의 외국인 노동자들도 비슷한 무시를 당했을 것이다. 화재로 숨진 중국인의 남편은 "아내가 사고 이틀 전에 배터리 화재가 또 발생했다고 말했지만 대피 훈련은 받은 적이 없다.”고 말했다.

Both the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) criticized the situation, pointing out that Aricell lacked a safety manager, even though companies handling chemicals with over 50 employees are required to appoint one.
전국민주노동조합총연맹(민주노총)과 한국노총 모두 50인 이상 화학물질을 취급하는 기업이 1명을 선임해야 하는데도 아리셀은 안전관리자가 부족했다고 지적하며 상황을 비판했다.

Need for improved safety training for foreign workers
외국인 근로자 안전교육 개선 필요성

Despite Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan's claims that "regular and adequate safety training was provided to the workers," there are concerns that these measures were merely perfunctory. Thorough investigations are needed to determine whether the safety training was effective and sufficient.
"노동자들에게 정기적이고 적절한 안전교육을 실시했다,"는 아리셀 박순관 대표의 주장에도 불구하고, 이러한 조치들은 단지 형식적인 것에 불과했다는 우려가 있다. 안전교육이 효과적이고 충분했는지에 대해서는 철저한 조사가 필요하다.

If the safety training environment for foreign workers does not improve, major disasters are bound to keep happening, analysts said.
외국인 근로자 안전훈련 환경이 개선되지 않으면 대형 재난이 계속 발생할 수밖에 없다는 분석이 나왔다.

"We need to devise meticulous and effective safety training programs for foreign workers, who mainly occupy high-risk jobs," said Kim Jong-jin, director of the Labor Citizen Research Institute.
김종진 노동시민연구소장은 "고위험 직종을 주로 차지하는 외국인 근로자들을 위한 꼼꼼하고 효과적인 안전교육 프로그램을 구상해야 한다"고 말했다.

Lee Byung-hoon, a sociology professor at Chung-Ang University, said, "We must examine the vulnerable conditions of foreign workers and strengthen safety management standards. Workspaces should never become death traps."
이병훈 중앙대 사회학과 교수는 "외국인 근로자의 취약한 상태를 살피고 안전관리 기준을 강화해야 한다"며 "작업장이 죽음의 덫이 돼서는 안 된다"고 말했다.

#Discrimination차별 #Safetytraining안전교육 #Languagebarriers언어장벽 #Foreignworkers외국인노동자 #Fatalities사망자 #Workplace사업장 #Industrialsettings산업현장 #Accidentaldeaths재해사망자 #Daylaborers일용직노동자 #Safetyprotocols안전규약