Rest Facilities Can Accommodate Over 20% of Maximum Workforce Simultaneously
Temporary Rest Areas Within Two Minutes' Walk When Access Is Difficult
Breaks Provided When Perceived Temperature Exceeds 31 Degrees Celsius
On July 27, Samsung C&T Engineering & Construction Group announced that it has strengthened its heat illness prevention guidelines to protect the health and safety of construction site workers during the peak of the summer heat.
Samsung C&T announced on the 27th that it will hold a heat illness prevention quiz event for workers to effectively raise awareness of the risks of heat-related illnesses at construction sites where it is currently working. Photo by Samsung C&T
Samsung C&T is carrying out various support activities, including the Ministry of Employment and Labor's five major heatwave safety rules: water, shade (wind), rest, personal cooling equipment, and emergency measures.
To secure sufficient shade, the company has significantly reinforced its standards for installing rest facilities during the hot season. It has established its own standards to ensure that rest facilities can accommodate at least 20% of the maximum number of workers at the same time. Each rest facility is equipped with air conditioning, drinking water, and glucose, and is currently in operation.
In addition, ice makers with enough capacity for all workers are installed and hygienically managed. At sites with a large number of female workers, separate rest facilities for women are also provided.
If it is difficult to access the main rest facilities, additional temporary rest facilities are installed so that all workers can rest within a two-minute walk. This measure is intended to minimize the time all workers are exposed to the heatwave and to guarantee immediate rest.
At Samsung C&T sites, break times are provided and work is flexibly adjusted when the perceived temperature reaches 31°C or higher. If a worker requests to stop work due to symptoms such as headache or dizziness caused by the heat, work is immediately halted to allow for sufficient rest.
For work that is particularly vulnerable to heat illness, the higher value between the perceived temperature announced by the Korea Meteorological Administration and the temperature measured directly at the site is applied. From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., the hottest part of the day, indoor work is encouraged instead of outdoor work. In particular, for workers involved in outdoor tasks such as concrete pouring and welding, personal cooling equipment such as ice vests, cooling air vests, and neck coolers are provided.
The company inspects the heat illness prevention system at all sites. In addition, to effectively raise awareness of heat illness risks, it conducts a safety rules quiz event and runs a heat illness prevention campaign by offering prizes such as tumblers, sun umbrellas, cool sleeves, and cup bingsu.
An Byungcheol, CSO of Samsung C&T Safety and Health Office, said, "Overexertion during a heatwave increases workers' physical and mental fatigue, which can lead to safety and health accidents. Therefore, sufficient rest and minimizing outdoor work during peak heat hours are essential." He added, "We will prevent heat illness and establish a worker-centered safety culture through health education for workers."
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