AI Monitors Hazardous Situations in Private Construction Sites in Real-Time... Seoul City Launches Pilot Project at 50 Locations

AI Analyzes Construction Site CCTV to Detect Danger → Alerts Manager → Immediate Action
Real-time Monitoring of Worker Falls, Helmet Wearing, Heavy Equipment Entry and Exit, and Safety Distance

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Digital Foundation announced on the 17th that they will pilot the ‘AI-based Construction Site Hazard Monitoring Solution,’ which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor hazardous situations at construction sites in real time, at 50 small- to medium-sized private construction sites. After recruiting interested sites through district offices until May, the system will be established by June, and the pilot project will begin in July.

The ‘AI-based Construction Site Hazard Monitoring Solution’ is a system where AI analyzes CCTV footage installed at construction sites in real time and immediately notifies designated safety managers and workers via alarms when a hazardous situation is detected. It monitors compliance with safety rules on-site in real time, such as whether any workers have fallen, whether workers are wearing safety helmets, and whether a safe distance is maintained between workers and heavy equipment during entry and exit. If these rules are violated, the system notifies the safety manager to take immediate action, thereby preventing accidents in advance.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to select 50 small- to medium-sized private construction sites (under 10,000㎡) that lack the capacity to independently adopt smart safety technologies as pilot sites.

Although 76.7% of all casualties at construction sites last year occurred at small-scale sites with fewer than 50 workers, the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which came into effect on January 27, exempts sites with fewer than 50 workers from legal application for two years and excludes sites with fewer than five workers from the law’s scope. Accordingly, the city aims to minimize safety blind spots by introducing smart technology to private construction sites not covered by the law and regulations.

Meanwhile, ahead of the full-scale project launch, the Seoul Digital Foundation published a research report titled ‘Issue Paper’ on the 17th, covering the latest digital technologies in the construction sector. The report introduces various digital technology cases applicable for safety management at small- to medium-sized construction sites exempted from the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, including the AI-based CCTV video analysis technology for construction sites.

Gang Yo-sik, Director of the Seoul Digital Foundation, said, “This project is significant in that it supports safety management at relatively underprepared small- and medium-sized construction sites ahead of the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, as well as preventing accidents at construction sites through digital technology. Based on this year’s achievements, we will gradually expand administrative innovation services utilizing digital technology.”

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