“What if there had been a child there?” That’s a valid point, but the thing is, if these people caused a fatal accident, they’d just hightail it back to their home country immediately. The fault lies with the government or the governor who granted them permission in the first place. It’s not too late—shouldn’t we change the laws? The 38-second video captures the exchange before the accident.
Video
Foreign Workers and the Language Barrier at Demolition Sites
Demolition work is considered a sector within the construction industry with a high incidence of fatal accidents. A survey by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) revealed that 145 fatalities occurred in demolition work over five years, averaging approximately 30 deaths per year. By accident type, falls from heights or to lower levels were the most common, accounting for nearly 40% of the total, followed by structural collapses.
Meanwhile, the number of foreign skilled workers in the construction sector has reached approximately 146,000, representing about 5% of all skilled construction workers. In terms of visa status, the “Technical Intern Training” category accounts for the largest group. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare statistics show a year-on-year increase in the number of foreign workers suffering workplace injuries or fatalities; notably, the proportion of technical interns among these casualties exceeded their share of the total foreign workforce.
One factor cited as contributing to this situation is the language barrier. Records indicate that during an accident at a construction site in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, in 2003, a foreign worker with insufficient Japanese proficiency failed to understand an evacuation order and was crushed to death by collapsing scaffolding. Ensuring the accurate communication of work procedures and hazard warnings at job sites remains a persistent challenge for safety management.
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