[Report] Machines Can't Do It... Why LG Uplus Created the 'Quality Safety Training'

'Optical Signal Transmission' When Fiber Optic Cable is Cut or Lost
Manually Connecting Hundreds of Fibers Inside the Optical Core
Annual Competitions Held to Practice and Reduce Time

Roof-Climbing Field Workers
Climbing Regardless of Slate or Panels
VR Training Conducted Alongside for Safety Accident Prevention

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] "Now, strip the insulation off the '288 core cable' and connect the broken wires."

On the 26th, at the optical core experience center, one of the quality and safety comprehensive training facilities within LG Uplus's Daejeon R&D Center, about ten trainees were diligently practicing optical core restoration. The 288 core cable means it contains 288 cores, as the name suggests. Optical signals are transmitted through optical fiber cables inside the cores. When optical cables are damaged due to construction or fire, workers must manually reconnect each core after stripping the insulation. Reporters took just a few minutes to connect one core. Although it looks like a simple task, it requires delicate hand movements and intense concentration. The eyes inevitably become strained from connecting such fine wires.

According to LG Uplus, trainees at the optical core experience center improve their restoration skills by practicing connections on a workbench of the same width as that mounted on a bucket truck, relying only on the safety helmet's flashlight, simulating nighttime conditions. It usually takes several hours to connect all broken cores, but through training and the annual in-house communication technology competition, the time is being reduced. In the actual competition, the fastest team completed the task in just 26 minutes. LG Uplus stated, "This is a part that absolutely requires manual work that cannot be replaced by machines," adding, "In case of fire, everything is destroyed, making restoration several times more difficult than just cutting. Since accidents can happen anytime and anywhere, both daytime and nighttime training are conducted."

The quality and safety comprehensive training center, where various communication-related tasks from optical cable restoration to safety management can be experienced, was established for the education of employees and partner company members. The training facilities include four training halls for education: ▲Network Safety Experience Center ▲Optical Core Experience Center ▲Wireless/HFC Practice Center ▲IP/SOHO Practice Center, and two testing rooms aimed at improving customer quality: ▲Home IoT Certification Center ▲Network Interworking Test Room.

For example, the Network Safety Experience Center operates to raise awareness of accidents and prepare for safety incidents. It consists of a total of 15 experience facilities, including 7 common to industries and 8 specialized for telecommunications, as well as one CPR practice site. There is also an experience facility considering the characteristics of different roof materials in each household. Securing a lifeline is mandatory. Especially, the safety harness fall experience and the telecommunication pole fall and toppling experience utilize virtual reality (VR) technology to enhance immersion. An LG Uplus official in charge of the safety experience center said, "There are many hazardous environments while working, but we strive to do our best for customers," and added, "We would appreciate it if on-site staff are warmly welcomed when they visit."

Other training centers were established for different purposes. The Wireless/HFC Practice Center is a facility where trainees practice replacing and restoring wired and wireless equipment such as base station antennas when network failures occur on-site. The IP/SOHO Practice Center educates on the installation of U+tv (IPTV) and high-speed internet services and rapid fault recovery. The Customer Environment Test Room replicates the customer's home environment to meticulously pre-check functions under real-life conditions before product launches. The Network Interworking Test Room conducts mutual influence tests between equipment installed at customers' homes and network devices and home service terminals.

The background for establishing the education center lies in the 'systematization' of maintenance work. Yang Mu-yeol, head of Network Human Resources Support, explained, "Maintenance work used to be outsourced, but after direct employment, we considered how to raise their capabilities with a large corporation's system. We thought practical parts were necessary, not only theoretical background but also creating actual equipment and fault situations for hands-on practice."

The value of the education center is also proven by numbers. Yang Mu-yeol said, "Looking at the compliance rate with work standards to see if field workers follow the company's safety standards, before the Network School, there were more than double-digit violations reported monthly, but now it has improved to about 1 to 2 cases per month." About 2,000 employees of U+ Home Service, a subsidiary of LG Uplus, plan to complete the training by December this year. It will be expanded to local communities and other companies in the future.

LG Uplus plans to systematize safety and health management from the perspective of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management. Earlier this year, it established the CSEO (Chief Safety Executive Officer) position and announced the 'Safety and Health Management Policy,' pledging to build a zero-accident workplace. The monthly CEO-led 'Quality and Safety Management Committee' is also in operation. Kwon Jun-hyuk, head of LG Uplus's Network Division, said, "We will deploy company-wide capabilities to eliminate customer pain points regarding quality while creating a zero-accident, zero-failure, zero-defect workplace and further practicing ESG management."