A GE Healthcare Korea employee was reportedly killed during a routine inspection of computed tomography (CT) device at a hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday.
According to reports from the medical community on Wednesday, the CT table fell down on the employee while he was inspecting a single photon emission tomography (SPECT-CT) machine used in the nuclear medicine department at a university hospital. The identity of the hospital has not been revealed.
A CT table provides a lying position for patients and facilitates automatic back-and-forth movement during examinations. It possesses significant weight due to its capability of accommodating adults weighing over 300 kilograms.
During the inspection of a CT device, it is common practice to detach the CT table from the machine. It is then lifted and secured using a separate piece of equipment, after which an employee proceeds to repair the motor located at the bottom.
"The incident is currently under investigation, and we cannot comment on the case as the outcome of the investigation is pending," a GE Healthcare official told Korea Biomedical Review. "Our first priority is to comfort the bereaved families and we will do everything we can to help them recover."
The Ministry of Employment and Labor has started an investigation into whether GE Healthcare Korea violated the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Occupational Safety And Health Act.
GE Healthcare Korea, being a workplace with over 50 full-time workers, falls under the purview of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. This Act is specifically designed to prevent significant industrial accidents, safeguard the well-being of workers, and enhance safety and health measures by encouraging increased investments in safety.
In the event of a major industrial accident resulting from the failure of the management to fulfill their responsibility to ensure safety and health, they may face punitive measures in accordance with the law.
Additionally, the ministry is conducting an investigation to determine if the hospital that requested the inspection is also bound by the relevant legal regulations.