Emergency services were called to Jeongil Stolt Haven Ulsan, Onsan Port, Onsan-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, South Korea, on 5 November around 1:43pm (KST) when two workers were found unconscious while cleaning the interior of an outdoor storage tank.
The rescue team discovered both workers in cardiac arrest. CPR was performed and the two workers were taken to hospital, where coast guard officials state: ‘Both individuals have regained heartbeats, and one has also recovered consciousness.’
Initial reports suspect that the workers suffocated while removing residual wastewater from the tank after cleaning the chemicals from it. The coast guard will investigate whether health and safety protocols were properly followed, such as gas measurement and proper ventilation.
