‘Senior Elevator Safety Team’ Supports Subway Safety

582 Members Selected for the Senior Elevator Safety Team at 49 Major Seoul Subway Stations
Scale Expanded Ninefold Since 2022 Pilot Project; Providing Quality Jobs for Seniors

This year as well, elderly individuals wearing vests labeled ‘Senior Elevator Safety Team’ are ready to actively assist in the safe use of elevators throughout the Seoul subway system.

Seoul Metro (President Baek Ho) and the Korea Senior Human Resources Development Institute announced that they have selected 582 seniors to form a safety team to help subway passengers use elevators safely and to create quality jobs for the elderly. These team members will be deployed at 49 major subway stations in Seoul.

The safety team was launched in April 2022 through collaboration between the two organizations, driven by their commitment to ensuring safe subway use for citizens and expanding job opportunities for seniors. Subsequently, in March 2023, Seoul Metro and the Development Institute signed a business agreement to expand the operation of the safety team.

Starting with 65 members during the 2022 pilot project, the team has grown annually to foster a safer subway environment and create quality jobs for seniors. Three years after the pilot, this year’s team has increased ninefold compared to 2022, with 582 participants ensuring the safety of elevator users across 49 subway stations in Seoul.

The ‘Senior Elevator Safety Team’ project falls under the category of senior capacity utilization projects within the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s senior job creation and social activity support programs.

Since the pilot project began in 2022, the number of safety team participants has increased each year: 65 members at 10 stations in 2022, 282 members at 22 stations in 2023, and 491 members at 33 stations in 2024, all assisting passengers with safe elevator use.

The main roles of the safety team include daily elevator inspections, on-site safety guidance to promote proper elevator use, initial response in emergencies, and station assistance. Because the team works beside elevators, they can respond immediately to incidents requiring quick action, such as escalator falls caused by sudden stoppages.

In 2023, a safety team member working at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station saved a woman who had collapsed in front of a transfer escalator by immediately performing CPR. Team members work closest to passengers and respond swiftly to emergencies, protecting citizens’ safety.

Before starting their duties, the team underwent a four-day ‘Senior Elevator Safety Team Participant Integrated Training’ from the 3rd to the 6th of this month. The training covered elevator basics, emergency response procedures including CPR, job duties, and service education.

After completing basic job training, the 582 senior team members were assigned to 49 stations, including major transfer stations, where they will operate until November, ensuring the safety of elevator users. The seniors are divided into three groups, working five days a week for three hours each day.

Seoul Metro and the Development Institute collaborate with local senior clubs, welfare centers, and other organizations near each station to support the safety team members by providing education, meetings, safety equipment distribution, and rest areas to facilitate smooth work.

In addition to the safety team, Seoul Metro provides public subway jobs for vulnerable employment groups, including seniors, through programs such as ‘Subway Safety Helpers’ and ‘Senior Logistics Managers.’ These personnel are deployed throughout the subway system under Seoul Metro’s jurisdiction to ensure passenger safety and improve subway convenience.

Seoul City plans to create and supply approximately 95,000 senior jobs this year, the largest scale ever, to support healthy and stable senior lives. Seoul Metro also intends to continuously discover and provide quality public jobs to encourage active social participation among seniors in line with city policies.

Oh Jeong-jin, Director of the Mechanical Department at Seoul Metro, said, “Since 2022, through close cooperation with the Korea Senior Human Resources Development Institute, we have expanded the safety team annually, providing quality jobs for seniors who want to work after retirement while striving to prevent elevator accidents. We will continue to develop senior jobs and fulfill our social responsibility as a public institution by realizing shared values.”