When someone falls from a height
Falls are the leading cause of death on construction sites. Never move someone who has fallen.
If you find an injured person
- Call 119. Location first.
- Do not move them. The spine may be injured; moving the neck or back can cause paralysis.
- Check consciousness and breathing. If unresponsive and not breathing, follow the 119 operator's CPR instructions.
- If bleeding, press with a clean cloth.
- Keep them warm with a blanket or coat.
- Preserve the scene and photograph it — harness, guardrails, platform, height.
If you fell
- Do not move; call for help, especially if your neck or back hurts.
- Go to hospital even if you seem fine. Internal bleeding and spinal injury appear later.
- File it as an industrial accident. Do not accept "let's just say you tripped."
Why falls happen — prevention
- Not clipping on the safety harness — always attach it at height
- No guardrails or opening covers
- Defective ladders and scaffolding
- Slippery floors, poor lighting
- Rushing
In these conditions you may refuse the work. See the refuse-dangerous-work guide.
Where to go
- 119 emergencies
- 1588-0075 Workers' Compensation service (industrial accident claim)
- 1544-3088 KOSHA
- 1350 Ministry of Employment and Labor
- Your local support centre for foreign workers
Questions people ask
The company won't take me to hospital. Call 119 yourself. Blocking you is illegal.
It wasn't a great height — is it still an industrial accident? Falls from low heights cause serious injury too, and it is an industrial accident. Height does not matter.
A colleague fell — what do I do? Call 119, do not move them, and stay beside them talking to check consciousness.
Is not being given a harness also a problem? It breaches the employer's duty to provide protective equipment. Report to 1544-3088 and 1350.
Take care
Lifting a fallen person is the most common cause of secondary injury. However much you want to help, leave them until 119 arrives. That is how you help.
Related
machine-injury · workplace-injury-first-steps · refuse-dangerous-work · protective-equipment
Source
KOSHA www.kosha.or.kr / As of 2026-08