Hyundai Engineering will strengthen its safety management system to realize its core value of 'safety first.'
Hyundai Engineering announced on the 28th that it will embark on a comprehensive strengthening of safety standards, organization, and culture.
Starting with the 'strengthening of safety management standards,' Hyundai Engineering plans to establish a robust and sustainable safety management system through various measures, including 'reorganization and enhancement of safety organizations' and 'expansion of a company-wide safety culture.'
Hyundai Engineering has strengthened the advance review process at headquarters for high-risk work. A 'Risk Monitoring Meeting' is held weekly under the supervision of the head of the Safety Quality Department and the head of the business division. On-site workers must obtain prior review and approval in this meeting before proceeding with the '10 high-risk tasks.' Work that does not receive approval in the Risk Monitoring Meeting must request a review and approval again after improving any deficiencies, such as enhancing safety measures.
The 10 high-risk tasks were selected based on the construction-type occupational fatalities reported by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, including 'use of construction machinery,' 'demolition,' and 'tunnel excavation.'
The number of safety management personnel has also been significantly increased. As of the end of July, the total number of safety management personnel across all sites increased by 1,139. Consequently, the ratio of safety management personnel to workers improved from approximately 1:25 to around 1:11 (1:8 for high-risk work, 1:16 for general work). In addition to deploying more safety management personnel from headquarters, the criteria for deploying safety management personnel at partner companies have also been tightened.
According to relevant laws, if the contract amount for partner companies exceeds 10 billion won, they must appoint a safety manager. Furthermore, Hyundai Engineering has strengthened regulations to require partner companies to assign a safety officer as well. It is now mandated that safety officers must be appointed when contract amounts exceed 2 billion won and for work involving the 7 major hazard categories (reinforced concrete, steel, civil engineering, machinery, panels, stone, and electrical work), and safety observers are also required to be assigned separately for high-risk tasks.
The operating standards for high-altitude work have also been strengthened. Hyundai Engineering has intensified the wind speed standards for high-risk tasks related to tower cranes and scaffolding. The work suspension wind speed standards according to the Industrial Safety and Health Act are 15 m/s for tower cranes and 10 m/s for scaffolding, but Hyundai Engineering applies a more stringent wind speed standard of 5 m/s to 10 m/s for both tower crane and scaffolding work.
To prevent heat-related illnesses, Hyundai Engineering applies guidelines that are stricter than the recently amended safety and health regulations. The company provides rest periods based on the measured perceived temperature at the work sites. If the perceived temperature is between 31 degrees and 33 degrees, a 10-minute break is given; over 33 degrees, a 15-minute break; and over 35 degrees, a 20-minute break is provided. If the perceived temperature exceeds 38 degrees, work is immediately halted.
Hyundai Engineering underwent organizational restructuring in May to further enhance the expertise and effectiveness of its safety management system. It established the 'Safety Quality Support Office' and newly formed the 'Safety Inspection Team' under it. The Safety Inspection Team will closely verify compliance with safety guidelines at all sites, both domestically and internationally, through safety inspections and monitoring, and will address any deficiencies.
A 'CCTV Safety Monitoring Center' has also been established and is in operation. The CCTV Safety Monitoring Center is part of the expanded Safety Inspection Team. It operates to provide proactive safety management for high-risk work through real-time monitoring of the sites.
Dedicated personnel will focus on monitoring the work environment through approximately 800 fixed and mobile CCTV units installed at domestic sites where high-risk work is scheduled that day. If any safety violations are detected during CCTV monitoring, work at the site is immediately stopped. After addressing the non-compliance issues, work can only be resumed after obtaining approval from headquarters.
In line with the strengthening of safety organization, investment costs related to safety have also been expanded. Increased investment costs for accident prevention will be utilized for the additional deployment of safety management personnel, purchase of safety equipment, and operation of the CCTV Safety Monitoring Center.
Joo Woo-jung, CEO of Hyundai Engineering, along with all management, has been continuously conducting on-site safety inspections to raise safety awareness since March. Joo plans to continue inspections of overseas sites after completing those of all domestic sites.
Training and measures to promote the use of the right to suspend work have also been established. In April, Hyundai Engineering conducted training for all site employees on their rights and usage regarding work suspension, led by each site manager. Recently, a reward system for outstanding cases of work suspension has been implemented to reduce employees' burden related to exercising this right.
Measures regarding the situation after the right to suspend work has been invoked have also been strengthened. When work is suspended, it will only be resumed after ensuring complete safety measures, and if three or more sections are simultaneously suspended at a single site or if work is suspended again for the same reason, work at that site will be entirely halted.
A company-wide safety culture campaign to raise safety awareness is also underway. The company is actively using banners, posters, and screensavers to ensure that employees have maximum exposure to safety slogans.
A representative of Hyundai Engineering stated, 'We will establish an organizational culture where everyone, from management to site workers, recognizes and shares the importance of safety.'