Disparities in work-related fatal injuries between foreign and Korean workers

The present study examined the incidence of work-related fatal injuries in foreign and Korean workers in South Korea and the factors associated with fatality in these two groups. The numbers of work-related fatalities were assessed in foreign and Korean workers based on the 2021 registry of South Korea's Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance. For foreign workers, the total number of waged workers, obtained from the 2021 Survey on Immigrants' Living Conditions and Labor Force, was used as the denominator to estimate the work-related fatality rates among foreign workers. The estimated rates of work-related fatalities for foreign workers, Korean workers, and all workers were 1.26, 0.39, and 0.43 per 10,000, respectively. Among foreign workers, work-related fatalities were particularly high for those who were in the 'construction' sector (4.23 per 10,000), had an 'elementary occupation' (2.12 per 10,000), were 'temporary or daily workers', and were employed in enterprises with 300 workers or more. 'Falling' was the leading cause of death in both groups; 'getting caught' was the second most common cause, and this was much more common in foreign workers. In conclusion, foreign workers had a markedly higher incidence of work-related fatalities than Korean workers.