SPC Group uncovered 568 safety deficiencies across all its production centers through an internal audit following a fatal accident at its Siwha plant, a joint labor-management safety report obtained by Maeil Business Newspaper said on Thursday. The company said 341 of the issues have already been resolved and pledged to address the remainder by the end of July 2025.

The audit, which was launched in response to mounting concerns after a worker died in May after being caught in a spiral cooling conveyor, included all 24 production sites operated by SPC affiliates. Of the 568 safety issues identified, 306 were found at SPC Samlip plants, including the Siwha facility. Among the reported concerns were inadequate safeguards on rotating equipment and conveyors - the same type of machinery linked to the fatal incident.

The spiral cooling conveyor involved in the accident is used to cool freshly baked bread by rotating a 3.5-meter-tall frame. SPC operates a total of 47 such machines across its facilities, with the largest number (20) installed at SPL, followed by 11 at SPC Samlip, 10 at BR Korea, 3 at Paris Croissant, 2 at Shany, and 1 at Honam Shany.

On average, the audit found more than 20 safety shortcomings per production site. These included risks related to electrical hazards, missing guardrails, and inadequate fire safety measures.

The group-wide inspection, which began on May 22nd and will run through June 21st, involved each affiliate’s labor-management safety councils and external safety experts from government-certified institutions including the Korea Industrial Safety Association and the Korea Safety Technology Association.

The company said it plans to designate the fourth day of every month as “Safety Day” and conduct regular joint inspections with employee participation to proactively identify and resolve hazards from the perspective of on-site workers.

Industry observers noted that the inspection followed public criticism calling for a broader review of equipment across all production lines rather than a narrow focus on accident-prone machinery. They also pointed out that outdated equipment has become a significant risk factor as SPC’s production volume has increased. They argued that reinforcing safety education alone would be insufficient and emphasized the need for comprehensive plant-wide restructuring.

For its part, the SPC Compliance Committee also issued a statement expressing serious concern over the recent fatality. The committee, chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Kim Ji-hyung, held its first meeting on June 16th and adopted a set of recommendations, including a thorough investigation into the root causes of safety lapses across SPC’s sites.

Kim said that the committee would “ensure SPC’s compliance culture takes root” as part of its independent oversight role. The compliance body was formed to supervise and make decisions on group-wide ethics as well as regulatory matters.

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