[Report] Standing in Front of a Jigecha, "Please Move"... AI Ensures Safety and Efficiency

LGU+ Smart Safety Management Solution Construction Site

"Moving forward. Please step aside."

At the Ecobit Energy Gyeongju site in Angang-eup, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk, a warning sound was heard when a person stood in front of a forklift in operation. When a lot of items are stacked, the worker might not see the person, but the AI sensor attached to the lower part of the forklift recognized the person's lower body.

'Video Safety Forklift Collision Prevention Solution' recognizing objects ahead [Photo by LG Uplus]

A demonstration of the smart body camera was also available. Individual workers wear a small camera in the middle of their belts, sharing real-time footage of the work site with the control room. This method allows for faster and clearer situation awareness compared to the previous phone-based communication. When a dangerous situation occurs, pressing the SOS button immediately transmits the worker’s location and status.

On this day, Ecobit introduced LG Uplus’s smart safety management solutions to 11 Energy BU sites, including the Gyeongju site. The Gyeongju site is a dedicated medical waste incineration plant, one of the industries with increased safety management burdens since the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act in January 2022. Since January last year, LG Uplus has been developing IoT-based smart safety gear in collaboration with Hyundai Elevator. At the Ecobit site, six video safety solutions were applied: forklift collision prevention, driver behavior analysis, body camera, object recognition, safety helmet detection, and thermal imaging cameras.

A 'Video Safety Driver Behavior Analysis Solution' that analyzes driver fatigue (drowsiness) sending an alarm [Photo by LG Uplus]

The video safety driver behavior analysis solution is also receiving positive feedback from waste transport workers. Ecobit often involves long-distance driving to transport medical waste nationwide. When the demonstrator yawned while seated in the driver's seat, the AI sensor in the center of the vehicle dashboard recognized the action and issued a "Please take a break" alert. It also monitors the driver’s smartphone use, smoking, gaze diversion, and seatbelt status.

Among the types of fatal serious accidents, falls account for the largest proportion. LG Uplus’s smart safety gear remotely manages and monitors whether workers are wearing safety helmets and attaching safety hooks. The smart safety helmet sensor weighs only 30g, and the safety hook weighs between 50 and 70g, so they do not increase worker fatigue.

The on-site response is also positive. After about three months of use, it becomes habitual and is not inconvenient, with evaluations that it helps improve safety. Lee Myung-ho, CEO of Ecobit Energy Gyeongju, said, "The forklift collision prevention and driver behavior analysis solutions have high worker satisfaction. Labor costs required for safety management have been reduced, and work intensity has significantly decreased. Personally, I think it is very meaningful that wearing safety helmets, the basic of safety, has become a daily habit."

Myeong Noh-seong, PO of LG Uplus Smart Safety Business Squad, stated, "To meet the needs of managers, supervisors, and workers, we provided solutions on-site and continuously listened to customers’ pain points to enhance the products. With the concept of creating what customers want, workers experience no inconvenience, safety managers find it convenient, and management can secure safety."

Lee Myung-ho, CEO of Ecobit Energy Gyeongju (left), briefing on the smart safety management solution, and Myung No-seong, PO of LG Uplus Smart Safety Business Squad
[Photo by LG Uplus]

Starting with the 11 Ecobit Energy BU sites, the two companies plan to consider introducing the solutions to the Water BU, which handles water treatment projects, and the Green BU, which manages landfill projects. LG Uplus is also considering expanding solution supply to construction sites with heavy equipment and high-altitude work.

Jeon Seung-hoon, Executive Director of LG Uplus Smart Infrastructure Business, said, "We will continue to create a safe environment in industrial sites through solution advancement and pursue value innovation for workers."