Hoban Group sends food trucks to construction sites to beat the heat

Hoban Group has launched a food truck program and distributed heat-illness prevention supplies to construction workers across the country, as part of its efforts to protect the health of workers at small and midsize partner companies during the summer heat.

The conglomerate announced Thursday that it is operating the "Hoban Love Food Truck," serving patbingsu (shaved ice with red beans) and cold beverages at construction sites nationwide.

The food truck program was set up to give workers at smaller partner firms a chance to rest and guard against heat-related illness during the sweltering summer. It was funded through a large-and-small business co-prosperity fund.

The initiative ran across 10 construction sites operated by Hoban Construction and Hoban Industrial, including the Hoban Summit Pungmu site, with 2,700 servings of patbingsu and cold drinks distributed to workers. At 37 building and civil-engineering sites, the company also handed out smart heat-prevention packages that included cooling vests and heat-emergency kits.

Hoban Group plans to expand the program and run additional food truck events next month, and said it will continue activities aimed at protecting workers' health and maintaining safe working conditions at construction sites during the heat wave.

The group is also tightening on-site safety management during the extreme heat. Each site uses smart apparent-temperature gauges to monitor working conditions, and mandatory rest periods are enforced when the apparent temperature reaches 31 degrees Celsius or above.

Shade structures, rest facilities and portable air conditioners have been installed at work areas. Heat-illness prevention supplies are kept on hand, and safety and health training is being conducted.

"We organized this event to express our gratitude and encouragement to the workers who keep our sites running even in the scorching heat, and to offer them even a small measure of support," a Hoban Group official said. "We will continue to work with our partner companies on a wide range of safety and health initiatives that put workers' health and safety first."

Meanwhile, the first-priority subscription round for Hoban Summit Pungmu III, held July 21, drew 2,443 applicants for 266 units — excluding special supply allocations — for an average competition ratio of 9.2 to 1. The 59-square-meter Type A units posted the highest ratio at 21.5 to 1.