Exterior walls of a high-rise apartment building in western Gwangju are seen ripped off on Jan. 11, 2022. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Tension is rising in the construction industry as the recent Gwangju apartment building collapse is drawing the eyes of the public to construction safety.
Lotte Engineering & Construction Co. held this year’s management strategy conference and a ‘safety culture’ declaration ceremony last Friday to emphasize foremost the value of safety.
As part of efforts to bolster safety, Lotte E&C promoted the company’s safety and sanitation department to a headquarters-level agency and introduced safety teams in each of the company’s departmental headquarters.
The construction industry is stepping up to bolster its safety management efforts as it prepares for the introduction of the new workplace disaster law on Jan. 27.
Samsung C&T Corp., Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. and Hanwha Engineering and Construction Corp. have designated a Chief Safety Officer (CSO) who holds independent human resources, budget and assessment powers.
Separately, Hyundai E&C declared Jan. 27 as the Day of Construction Environment. The company plans to hold a safety workshop for both principal contractors and partner companies on Jan. 28.
DL E&C Co., Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. and POSCO Engineering & Construction Co. decided to suspend all construction work during the Lunar New Year holiday.
“Accidents are more likely to happen in winter,” an industry source said. “Nobody wants to become the first to be sanctioned under the workplace disaster law.”
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
