An official investigation report concerning a fatal electrocution accident at a Yihai Kerry Arawana facility was published on the government website of Yangxi County, Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province, on April 15.
The report, titled "Investigation Report on the September 2 General Electrocution Accident at Yangxi Yihai Kerry Arawana Jinchun (Guangdong) Condiment Food Co., Ltd.", details an incident that occurred at approximately 8:49 a.m. on September 2, 2023. A worker was fatally electrocuted while performing wiring tasks in the MCC room, also referred to as the power distribution room, on the fourth floor of the packaging workshop.
The accident investigation team concluded that the incident was a general production safety responsibility accident caused by electrocution.
The deceased, identified as Mr. Zhou, was an electrical technician dispatched by an external contractor. His electrician certificate had expired and was invalid. At the time of the accident, Mr. Zhou and a colleague were working on wiring in the fourth-floor distribution room. While squatting to secure a cable to an iron frame within a confined space of a distribution cabinet, the outer skin of his left elbow made contact with live terminal screws on the control circuit. Simultaneously, his right hand touched a steel support structure used for fixing cables, creating a circuit that resulted in electrocution. Medical personnel arrived promptly and attempted resuscitation, but Mr. Zhou was pronounced dead at 9:08 a.m.
Following a thorough investigation and expert analysis, the direct cause was determined to be Mr. Zhou's accidental contact with the live terminals. The indirect causes identified were multifaceted. Firstly, Mr. Zhou failed to adhere to electrical safety protocols by not de-energizing the equipment before starting work, disregarding warning signs on the cabinet, not activating the overload protection switch to cut power, and not wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, indicating a lack of safety awareness.
Secondly, the contracting company employed lax safety management, failing to ensure Mr. Zhou followed safety rules and procedures or informing him of workplace hazards and necessary precautions.
Thirdly, Yihai Kerry Arawana Jinchun (Guangdong) Condiment Food Co., Ltd. was found to have insufficient coordination and oversight. The company did not adequately manage the contractor's safety practices, enforce compliance with safety laws, or strictly supervise potential hazards in the distribution room and the certification status of specialized operational personnel.
According to relevant national standards, the accident resulted in direct economic losses of approximately 1.53 million yuan.
Local authorities and the companies involved have coordinated compensation and安抚 efforts with the deceased's family, who have accepted the circumstances of the death. The aftermath and compensation matters have been concluded.
Regarding accountability, as Mr. Zhou died in the incident, it was recommended that no further action be taken against him. Administrative penalties were suggested for the contracting company, its primary responsible persons, safety managers, and relevant project leaders from Yihai Kerry Arawana. Issues related to public officials' performance identified during the investigation have been referred to the county disciplinary commission for further action.
According to the website of Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co., Ltd., the Yangxi facility—Yihai Kerry Arawana Jinchun (Guangdong) Condiment Food Co., Ltd., its second soy sauce factory—commenced operations on October 10, 2023. This joint venture with Guangdong Jinchu Investment Co., Ltd. is an integrated condiment production base. The first phase of the project is expected to achieve an annual soy sauce production capacity of 80,000 tons.
Comments