Latest 15 of 22 Total Comments Show All

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  dontpanic at 05:52 PM JST - 5th August

  Sad thing about this demonstration of poor health & safety culture is that if the workers were aware of the weather situation, legally speaking they had a responsibility to refuse to work in the sewer. It's likely the company will get away with it.

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  rajakumar at 06:09 PM JST - 5th August

  Not good news.

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  tkoind2 at 06:20 PM JST - 5th August

  More common sense training required for managers and assertiveness training for workers badly needed!!!

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  mikihouse at 06:36 PM JST - 5th August

  in Japan, workers are paid to obey and not to think. Common sense? Its not common actually hehehe

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  mikihouse at 06:38 PM JST - 5th August

  sorry for the last comment, this is not to degrade the workers who suffered from the accident. Its just my opinion in general

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  lunach1ck at 06:55 PM JST - 5th August

  That's so sad...such a crappy way to die.

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  dontpanic at 07:26 PM JST - 5th August

  lunach1ck.....thats in pretty poor taste. These people leave families behind.

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  bamboohat at 09:10 PM JST - 5th August

  I sure hope their families are taken care of, and I hope that these poor guys died before they knew what hit them. I'd hate to think they spent their last moments in suprised shock and fear. And most of all, I hope somebody learns from this and does something to ensure it won't happen again.

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  flammenwerfer at 09:23 PM JST - 5th August

  1+1=2. not hard to figure this one out, you are working a sewer/stormwater drain during a huge thunderstorm in the largest concreted urban area in the whole world. Hmmm. (scratches chin) Lagtime for flooding in said massive concreted urban area: instantaneous. Danger of being in a sewer at this time: astronomically high.

  Its very much like railroads worker doing maintainance on active tracks with no-one looking out for trains, well a train of water just smashed these poor dudes, perhaps someones will roll at the top of the chain somewhere, at the very least, lots of deep bowing Moushiwake-gozaimasen etc etc no doubt

  Is there no Occupational safety and health in this country? you get a crews at train stations wearing harnesses and hard hats cordoning off areas with barriers and 5 guys guarding one guy changing one light bulb, you get excessive safety at roadworks on empty roads. YET you get mind boggling cavalier attitudes, procedures and safety in other facets of the workplace and community. Its at one extreme or the other, there seems to be no consistency.

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  faulkmore at 11:38 PM JST - 5th August

  Went to a public library a few years ago and read the labor law. Lots of stuff might have changed, so take this with a slight grain of salt. One shocking thing was if an employee dies on the job the employer is liable for 6 years salary. For the risk adverse 6 years is quite expensive, so factor in this risk when hiring unhealthy people and then over working them.

  If the familes hold the company's responsible they will collect a pile of cash. People who say the company won't be held liable...think they are a little on the pestimistic side. Enough said...

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  Sarge at 11:39 PM JST - 5th August

  What a way to go. My condolences.

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  cleo at 11:42 PM JST - 5th August

  It was just on the news they found another body.

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  dontpanic at 12:23 AM JST - 6th August

  faulkmore - we'll see, for the sake of the workers families I hope youre right. However, Japan is a signatory to the ILO workplace safety conventions and has them written into domestic law. If the company can demonstrate the sewer workers were well trained but werent careful for their own safety, the company's off the hook.

  It remains to be seen whether the company takes that line, but if they want to continue to win business its in their interests to do so. Even Japanese corporations dont like to employ a company with a bad safety record.

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  Smythe at 05:45 AM JST - 6th August

  It is sad one to read. My best to the families & relatives, but life must go on & hope the insurance by the firm is of some assistance.

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  PepinGalarga at 11:38 AM JST - 6th August

  3, 2, 6, 8, 5, 2 of 8, 6, 6, 1, 5... 9am, 11:40am... bunkyo ward, adachi ward. my god this sounds like a math problem.

  they really have to find a better way to break these sad news.

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