GSIL to Provide Lotte E&C's Tunnel Construction with Smart Safety Management System until 2022

  • GSIL successfully finished its installation of a smart safety management system for a construction site operated by Lotte Engineering & Construction.

  • GSIL will be installing its smart safety management system in the tunnel to strengthen safety management.

  • GSIL's independently-developed smart safety management system aims to prevent safety accidents and eliminate safety "blind spots" at construction sites.


In early May, GSIL, a member company of the Born2Global Centre, successfully finished its installation of a smart safety management system for a construction site operated by Lotte Engineering & Construction (Lotte E&C). GSIL will be providing Lotte E&C's construction site with a smart safety management system until July 5, 2022. The site is located in the Gunpo-Uiwang district, with order placement supervised by the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). GSIL has been an active member of the Born2Global Centre since 2016.

The contract between GSIL and Lotte E&C was signed to prevent safety accidents from occurring inside the tunnel. GSIL will be installing its smart safety management system in the tunnel to strengthen safety management. The system includes real-time verification of worker locations (per tunnel section) and cross-checks the information provided by the real-time tracking system with the information provided by the CCTVs located onsite.

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GSIL's independently-developed smart safety management system aims to prevent safety accidents and eliminate safety "blind spots" at construction sites. It is equipped with a function that can pinpoint a worker's current location as well as an emergency rescue system (SOS-enabled).

The system that GSIL will be providing not only tracks worker locations but also collects environmental data and real-time updates on levels of oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, combustible gas, and hydrogen sulfide. This makes it possible to prevent injuries or fatal accidents resulting from low oxygen levels or the influx of harmful gases into an airtight setting.

The facial recognition-based entry and exit function of GSIL's system creates a more comfortable work environment. Records of workers entering or exiting the worksite can be viewed at any time. The system also has a function that manages the drilling of the tunnel and a rescue system that is activated in the event of an emergency. In the event of an emergency, if a worker presses the SOS button on his/her sensor, an SOS alarm immediately sounds on all connected mobile and web devices, ensuring that everyone can quickly be made aware of the situation.

System implementation is expected to enable: preventive and preemptive responses to safety accidents in the tunnel; early responses to potential dangers at the worksite; systematic processing (web/app) for construction-related processes (drill volume, etc.); increased viewing (by both managers and workers) of safety-related history at the worksite, and; speedy response in the event of an emergency.

Based on the increasing number of underground structures and tunnels being constructed as part of Korea's infrastructure, we anticipate that there will also be an increase in the number of worksites for construction, maintenance, and management. By applying a smart safety system to tunnels and underground sites, which have many dangerous elements, we will be able to secure both worker safety and increase work efficiency. Together with KEPCO and Lotte E&C, we will do our best to preemptively apply new smart construction technologies to worksites to create an environment where workers feel safe.

- Lee Jung-woo, CEO of GSIL


KEPCO has consistently created safety policies for on-site application, based on its assessment that sealed tunnel environments may potentially compromise worker safety during an emergency (i.e., exposure to harmful gases, fire, etc.) due to prolonged working periods. The newly-introduced GSIL system's real-time monitoring of oxygen/harmful gas concentrations and worker locations will not only help prevent safety accidents but will also be of invaluable help in the event of a crisis/emergency by securing enough "golden time" to prevent serious human causalities.

Founded in 2016, GSIL has established and is operating smart construction management systems for work sites affiliated with the Korea Rail Network Authority (Gangwon branch), Korea Midland Power, and Samsung Engineering. It is also preparing to enter the Middle Eastern market and has already signed an agent contract with a subsidiary of the Bayan National Construction Contracting Company, a general construction company that is based in Kuwait. GSIL is also currently involved in negotiations for the application of its safety system and/or collaborative endeavors related to the F1 circuit (Kuwait Motor Town) and a smart city in Kuwait, PEPCO in the USA, Long Son Petrochemical in Vietnam, and a power plant in Indonesia.

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On March 20, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) promulgated a revised version of the Enforcement Rule of the Construction Technology Promotion Act that expanded the list of safety management fees that are required for the introduction of smart safety equipment. The revised rule's addition of establishment/operation fees for safety management systems that utilize wireless communications/equipment to the list of official safety management expenses creates the necessary foundations for the use of cutting-edge technology at construction sites, namely through the application of smart safety equipment (based on IoT, big data, etc.). When passing the revised legislation, the MOLIT stressed its commitment to prioritizing the safety of on-site personnel by establishing a "quick response" basis for the early detection and removal of construction site dangers. The revised enforcement rule is expected to diversify the environments that can be equipped with GSIL's smart safety management system.

About GSIL:

The smart construction safety management system uses IOT/ICT technology to establish a seven-phase system including Worker Management, Safety Examination of Equipment, Risk Assessment, Work Permission, Vulnerable Sites, Process Management and Disaster Management. The Worker Locating System provides real-time information regarding who is working where.

GSIL offers various systems including one for equipment safety examinations that checks and monitors equipment using an objective list; a risk assessment system that identifies risk levels, causes for work hazards and provides information for workers; and a disaster management system that offers a correspondence manual in case of accidents.

About Lotte E&C:

LOTTE Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd builds commercial and industrial facilities. The Company constructs roadways, dams, bridges, ports, industrial plants, petrochemical plants, theme parks, hotels, apartments, and other buildings. LOTTE Engineering & Construction serves customers worldwide.

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