Safety technology company GSIL has deployed its smart management system in a Lotte Engineering & Construction tunnel being built in the Gunpo-Uiwang district of South Korea for the Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco).

The contract, which runs until July 2022, between GSIL and Lotte E&C was signed to prevent accidents from occurring inside the tunnel.

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 onsite CCTVs.

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

The system 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 sulphide. 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 creates a more comfortable work environment. Records of workers entering or exiting the site 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. If a worker presses the SOS button on a sensor, an alarm immediately sounds on all connected mobile and web devices, ensuring that everyone can quickly be made aware of the situation.

Implementation is expected to enable: preventive and pre-emptive responses to accidents in the tunnel; early responses to potential dangers at the site; systematic processing (web and app) for construction-related processes such as drill volume; increased viewing by managers and workers of safety-related history at the site; 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,” said Lee Jung-woo, CEO of GSIL. “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 pre-emptively apply new smart construction technologies to worksites to create an environment where workers feel safe.”

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, such as exposure to harmful gases or fire, due to prolonged working periods. The GSIL system’s real-time monitoring of oxygen and harmful gas concentrations and worker locations will not only help prevent accidents but will also help in the event of a crisis by securing enough time to prevent serious human causalities.

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