POSCO Energy Completes Installation of Suicide Prevention Safety Railings at Sicheon Bridge on Gyeongin Ara Waterway

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] POSCO Energy is taking the lead in addressing social issues by improving suicide risk environments through public-private cooperation.

POSCO Energy, together with Incheon City, replaced the existing railing (H=1.4m) of the Gyeongin Ara Waterway Sicheon Bridge with a solar-powered integrated safety railing (H=2.5m, L=125m) to prevent suicide by jumping.

This project originated from an excellent idea selected in POSCO Energy’s 'Business-based Corporate Citizenship Management Philosophy Practice Idea Contest' conducted among its employees. POSCO Energy proposed the installation of solar power generation integrated safety railings to prevent suicide by jumping on the Gyeongin Ara Waterway bridge to Incheon City, and after signing a business agreement on June 15 last year, has been promoting the installation of the safety railings.

The newly installed suicide prevention safety railing on Sicheon Bridge is designed with the upper part of the railing angled inward to make climbing difficult, and the topmost part is equipped with rotating rollers so that even if someone tries to hold on and climb, their hands slip and they fall toward the road side.

Additionally, the lower part of the railing features color solar modules and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) using Incheon environmental colors that resonate with citizens, such as Incheon sea blue and Jeongseojin sunset colors, securing visibility during dark hours and improving the environment for pedestrians.

Among the Gyeongin Ara Waterway bridges, Sicheon Bridge is frequently used by local residents due to its proximity to Geomam Station, and frequent unfortunate incidents such as jumping have increased residents’ anxiety, leading to continuous complaints.

The completion of the Sicheon Bridge suicide prevention safety railing is evaluated as a successful case where the suicide risk environment of the bridge was improved, and the generated electricity is returned to the bridge’s power facilities, contributing to the national renewable energy project, thereby creating social value through public-private cooperation to spread a culture of respect for life.

Jung Ki-seop, CEO of POSCO Energy, said, “I am pleased that POSCO Energy’s business capabilities have helped solve the social issue of suicide prevention and contributed to spreading a culture of respect for life,” adding, “We will continue to take the lead in creating social value through business and actively practice the corporate citizenship management philosophy.”

Meanwhile, a “Life Love Logo Projector” was also installed on Sicheon Bridge to raise awareness for suicide prevention. A logo projector is a device installed on utility poles or street lamps that projects specific logos or phrases onto the ground, and it can display specific content engraved on image glass using LED lighting.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.