DL E&C steps up heat safety at construction sites with mobile health buses, smart monitoring

DL E&C said Monday it has strengthened heat safety management at construction sites nationwide and conducted on-site inspections in preparation for the extreme summer heat.

CEO Park Sang-shin personally visited the Seongseong construction site in Cheonan on Aug. 1 to inspect heat safety conditions and emphasize heat illness prevention to workers.

DL E&C has directed all sites nationwide to operate air-conditioned rest areas equipped with water purifiers and freezers. At sites with heavy outdoor work or where fixed rest facilities are difficult to install, mobile rest units called "health buses" serve as an alternative. Fifteen of these buses are currently deployed at sites including the Ulleungdo Airport and Songdo Section 11-1 projects.

Each health bus is staffed by a health manager who monitors the physical condition of workers vulnerable to heat illness. Elderly workers and those with underlying medical conditions receive intensive care. The buses supply cooling items including ice water, glucose drinks, ice boxes and fan-equipped "fan vests."

DL E&C also manages work schedules according to heat alert levels, operating a four-tier response system — Attention, Caution, Warning and Critical Warning. Under a heat advisory, workers must rest for at least 20 minutes every two hours; under a heat warning, at least 15 minutes every hour. If a critical heat warning is issued, all outdoor work stops.

A smart safety management system runs alongside these measures. Safety and health managers continuously monitor IoT-based apparent temperature sensors installed at worksites to respond proactively to heat risks. A heat warning is triggered when the apparent temperature reaches 35 degrees Celsius, and a critical warning at 38 degrees. Managers use safety pagers to quickly identify affected workers and take necessary steps, including halting work, ordering rest and adjusting work hours.

The company's central safety control room at headquarters monitors all sites nationwide in real time, swiftly identifying high-risk locations and implementing safety measures. Work environment conditions and weather data at each site are checked on a continuous basis.

"Heat can threaten the lives and health of workers, which makes thorough prevention and field-centered response more important than anything else," a DL E&C official said. "We will do everything we can to create a safe working environment for all workers."

Meanwhile, DL E&C's preliminary results show the company posted sales of 1.8029 trillion won ($1.27 billion) and operating profit of 159.4 billion won in the second quarter of this year.