Gwangyang Steelworks Launches Heat Illness Prevention Campaign During Peak Summer Heat

Establishing Heatwave Stage Process, Initiating Employee Health Management

Positive Response to Support Including Saline Glucose, Vitamin C, and Health Consultations

POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks (Director Lee Jin-su) announced that it has launched a heat-related illness prevention campaign to protect the health of its employees who are sweating as industrial warriors even in the hot summer.

Heat-related illnesses occur when excessive outdoor activities continue in the heat, causing symptoms such as vomiting, high fever, and neurological and mental disorders, requiring caution. With a heatwave of over 30 degrees Celsius forecasted recently, Gwangyang Steelworks planned this heat-related illness prevention campaign to protect the health of its workers.

On the 3rd, an employee of Gwangyang Steelworks who visited the 'Visiting Safety Bus' is checking their health status. [Photo by Gwangyang Steelworks]

Gwangyang Steelworks designated and deployed managers at work sites where heat-related illnesses are likely to occur and provided workers with self-diagnosis checklists to quickly assess their health status, enabling rapid identification of vulnerable or abnormal cases.

Additionally, using the on-site measured apparent temperature, which workers can directly feel on their skin and which directly affects their physical condition, a heatwave stage process was established to restrict outdoor work and high-risk heat-related tasks during extreme heat.

Furthermore, from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM, when the apparent temperature is high, a “visiting safety bus service” was provided at high-heat exposure locations and outdoor work sites to assist workers’ convenience.

In particular, workers visiting the safety bus were given saline glucose and vitamin C to help replenish salt and blood sugar, along with health status checks, counseling services, and simultaneous safety and health-related education, receiving great responses from employees.

Moreover, a food truck carrying cool red bean shaved ice and iced coffee was supported at work sites, and summer supplies such as ▲Mongolian tents △shade shelters and chairs ▲ice and ice water △cooling fans ▲ICE vests ▲fruit punch and misugaru ice cream snacks were provided to help employees manage their health and create a comfortable working environment.

Jung Sun-yeon, head nurse of the safety bus at Gwangyang Steelworks, said, “As the weather gets hotter, the risk of heat-related illnesses increases, so we must pay special attention to employees’ health conditions. We will do our utmost to thoroughly manage employees’ health during the heatwave period to ensure a safe workplace.”

Meanwhile, Gwangyang Steelworks expanded the psychological counseling room “Mindfulness Center 休” to promote employees’ mental health and strengthen workplace safety psychology, and introduced precision brainwave testing equipment to support personalized stress management for each employee.

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

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