[Sportschosun, Jang Jong-ho] An elderly man in his 70s in China is facing fierce criticism after cutting the safety rope of a worker who was repairing the exterior wall of a high-rise building.
The man reportedly claimed that he did not realize the rope was safety equipment and cut it to use as a clothesline.
According to Chinese media outlets, including Sohu.com, Worker A was carrying out exterior wall maintenance at an apartment building in Foshan, Guangdong Province, on the 17th. After finishing work on the 30th floor, A was descending to a lower floor using the safety rope when he discovered near the second floor that it had been cut.
It was confirmed that the person who cut the rope was a man in his late 70s who lived on the second floor of the building.
The safety rope used by A was reportedly about 120 meters long in total. After approximately 10 meters was cut off, the rope could no longer reach the first floor. Fortunately, no worker was performing work at height using the rope when it was severed. A was also able to continue working with other safety equipment, so no fall occurred.
During the investigation, the man explained that he did not know the rope he had cut was safety equipment used for work at height. He said he had seen the rope hanging down the exterior wall and assumed it was not being used, so he cut it to hang laundry at home.
Taking the man's advanced age into consideration, A chose not to report him to the police. The matter was later resolved through mediation by the apartment management office, and the man paid 400 yuan, approximately 80,000 won, to compensate for the damaged safety rope.
The incident sparked fierce controversy online in China after the news became known.
Some internet users strongly criticized the act, saying that cutting the safety rope could have put the worker's life at risk. Others argued that it was necessary to consider the possibility that the man genuinely did not know it was safety equipment, as well as his advanced age.
Jang Jong-ho, Sportschosun reporter, bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
