Samsung, Hyundai, Daewoo, and GS Construction Strengthen Safety Management Led by Top Executives
Government: "Accidents Decrease When CEOs Inspect Sites"... Additional Bid Points Awarded
CEOs of major construction companies are personally lacing up their safety boots and conducting on-site inspections. In response to the government’s call for stronger field management following a series of recurring accidents, top executives are taking the lead in prioritizing safety.
According to the construction industry on May 5, Samsung C&T has institutionalized regular site inspections by its management, including CEO Secheol Oh. In the first quarter of this year alone, executives visited sites more than 30 times. On April 15, Vice President Byungchul An, Chief Safety Officer (CSO), visited the Banpo 3 District reconstruction site in Seocho-gu, Seoul. While inspecting site safety, An emphasized, “Voluntary interest and participation in safety are essential,” and added, “We are working to reduce construction site accidents through inspections and the proactive introduction of smart technologies.”
Hanwoo Lee, CEO of Hyundai Construction (second from left), is conducting a safety inspection at the Hyundai Motor High-Tech Center site in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province on the 25th of last month. Provided by Hyundai Construction
On April 25, Hanwoo Lee, Vice President and CEO of Hyundai Construction, visited the Hyundai Motor High-Tech Center (formerly the service center) construction site in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Amid ongoing construction, he inspected safety facilities and working conditions, encouraging employees’ attention and voluntary participation. In addition to Lee, key Hyundai Construction executives, including CSO Executive Director Junha Hwang, have been visiting construction sites since the beginning of the year to continue site-centered safety management activities.
On April 23, Bohyun Kim, President and CEO of Daewoo Construction, also visited the ‘Songnae Station Prugio Centbien’ apartment construction site in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, to inspect safety equipment and compliance with safety rules. Kim stated, “We are operating safety CCTVs and AI cameras for construction machinery at the site,” and added, “We will continue to develop and apply smart safety technologies from the workers’ perspective, such as AI translation services and access control for vulnerable workers.” Daewoo Construction’s top management is also visiting sites directly to raise on-site safety awareness. In the first quarter of this year alone, the CEO conducted three inspections, and the CSO conducted 36.
Kim Bohyun, CEO of Daewoo Construction (front row, right), is conducting a safety inspection at the 'Songnae Station Prugio Centbien' site in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province on the 23rd of last month. Provided by Daewoo Construction
Yoonhong Heo, President and CEO of GS Construction and a fourth-generation member of the GS Group founding family, has been conducting safety inspections at construction sites nationwide on the first Thursday of every month since January last year. He personally checks the safety management systems on site and thoroughly reviews emergency procedures.
Since Heo’s appointment, the company’s New Year kick-off ceremony has also been held at construction sites instead of headquarters. At this year’s ceremony, held at the Daesan Coastal Industrial Water Supply Project site in Seosan, Chungnam, Heo stated, “We will strengthen the fundamentals of construction based on safety and quality.” After the ceremony, 65 executives from headquarters were dispatched to over 60 sites nationwide to remain on-site for two weeks. As a result, there were no accidents at GS Construction sites during that period.
Yoonhong Heo, CEO of GS Construction (right), is inspecting the construction site of the Daesan Coastal Industrial Water Supply Project in Seosan, Chungnam, on January 2. Provided by GS Construction
Every year, more than 200 people die in accidents at construction sites, with over half of these fatalities caused by falls. The prevalence of subcontracting makes it easy for responsibility to be shifted onto lower-level workers when accidents occur. In response, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced the ‘Construction Site Fall Accident Prevention Measures’ in February, setting a goal to reduce fall accidents by more than 10% annually.
Site visits by construction company CEOs are also included in these measures. If a CEO personally participates in on-site safety management, the company will receive additional points in bid evaluations. The government believes that when CEOs directly inspect sites, it prompts changes among middle managers and raises safety awareness among workers as well.
An official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated, “The most effective preventive measure is for CEOs to conduct direct inspections not only at fall accident sites but also at other active construction sites.” The official added, “In the case of accident sites, if the CEO personally explains inspection results and recurrence prevention measures at government-led meetings, it will raise both the level of safety management and interest in the issue.”
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