Safety inspection at Gyeonggi Province construction site

Company urges compliance with '5 basic heatwave safety rules'

Lotte Engineering & Construction CEO Oh Il-geun (far left) hands out patbingsu, sports drinks and summer supplies to workers at the Lotte Castle Winnersporé construction site in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, on June 25. [Lotte E&C]
Lotte Engineering & Construction CEO Oh Il-geun (far left) hands out patbingsu, sports drinks and summer supplies to workers at the Lotte Castle Winnersporé construction site in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, on June 25. [Lotte E&C]

Lotte Engineering & Construction has launched heat illness prevention measures to protect workers at its construction sites nationwide ahead of the peak summer heat.

CEO Oh Il-geun and other executives visited the Lotte Castle Winnersporé construction site in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, on June 25 to run a heat illness prevention campaign, the company said Friday. The executives distributed patbingsu (shaved ice with red bean), sports drinks and boxes of summer essentials to about 600 workers on site, and ran interactive game booths designed to help workers internalize heatwave safety rules, drawing a strong response from the workforce.

Following the campaign, the executives chaired an on-site safety and health management meeting, where they reviewed Lotte E&C's temperature-based response guidelines, developed in line with Ministry of Employment and Labor directives. The guidelines set out four tiers of action: when the apparent temperature reaches 31 degrees Celsius or above, work hours are flexibly adjusted to suit site conditions; at 33 degrees or above (heatwave advisory), workers receive a mandatory 20-minute break every two hours; at 35 degrees or above (heatwave warning), all outdoor work during the afternoon peak hours of 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. is suspended as a rule; and at 38 degrees or above (severe heatwave alert), all outdoor work except emergency operations is halted entirely.

Lotte E&C also keeps rest facilities equipped with air conditioning and drinking water in continuous operation, and designates one day each week as "Health Day" for heat illness prevention education. The company particularly encourages workers to exercise their right to stop work immediately whenever they detect a health risk or abnormality.

"The health and safety of the workers who give their best to keep our sites running even in scorching heat is our top priority," a company official said. "We will continue to create a safe and comfortable environment where everyone can work with peace of mind through ongoing campaigns and site inspections."

Meanwhile, Lotte E&C recently held its 2026 Smart Safety Contest awards ceremony at its headquarters in Jamwon-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, selecting eight workplace safety ideas submitted by employees as prize-winning entries.


hwshin@heraldcorp.com