By ISSEI YAMAMOTO/ Staff Writer
August 1, 2024 at 14:05 JST
A stone marker stands outside the building that houses the Osaka District Court and the Osaka High Court in Osaka’s Kita Ward. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
OSAKA–A court has ruled that a metalworking company failed to provide safety training in a foreign worker’s native language, thereby bearing responsibility for a serious workshop injury.
The 42-year-old victim from Vietnam couldn't understand the Japanese instructions he received. He was awarded 10.3 million yen ($68,000) in a July 31 ruling by the Osaka District Court.
In January 2015, the man caught his finger in a press. His injuries were severe and resulted in long-term disability.
The man, who lived in Yao, Osaka Prefecture, had been employed by the local company for almost a year.
The presiding judge said the company failed to provide safety training in a language the man could understand, adding that this contributed significantly to the accident.
The ruling said the plaintiff was unable to read Japanese and could barely speak it, yet all safety training materials were in Japanese.
Additionally, the court said the machine’s safety device key was inadequately managed.
In conclusion, the court said the accident could have been prevented if the company had trained the man properly on how to work safely.
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