Workers receive safety training through an AI simultaneous translation program at a Dongbu Construction site. [Provided by Dongbu Construction]
Workers receive safety training through an AI simultaneous translation program at a Dongbu Construction site. [Provided by Dongbu Construction]

Dongbu Construction is expanding its use of AI technology into on-site safety and quality management. The company has deployed an AI simultaneous translation program across all its construction sites to improve communication with foreign workers, and has launched a shared system for accessing quality and defect data in real time.

Dongbu Construction announced Thursday that it had recently introduced the AI simultaneous translation program companywide to facilitate smooth communication with foreign workers on site.

The move is designed to address language barriers arising from an increase in foreign workers and to fulfill obligations under the revised Occupational Safety and Health Act, which requires worker participation in risk assessments and the sharing of results.

The AI simultaneous translation program renders Korean and other languages in real time. It is used during pre-work toolbox meetings, risk assessment briefings and safety training for newly hired workers.

Dongbu Construction said the program will help foreign workers accurately understand job-specific hazards and safety protocols, raising the overall standard of on-site safety management.

The company added that the tool will be particularly useful during the summer months, when heat-related work continues, as it allows safety guidelines on heat illness prevention and on-site hazards to be conveyed quickly. Dongbu Construction plans to have safety and health managers and supervisors familiarize themselves with the program and to deploy it actively during pre-work communication, including toolbox meetings with subcontractors.

Dongbu Construction has also introduced an AI-based system for quality management. The company launched a quality and defect sharing platform to distribute information on defect causes, remediation methods, prevention measures and work standards across the organization.

The system allows employees to view and download quality and defect-related materials by division — building, civil engineering and plant — and includes an AI chatbot assistant.

When an employee enters a question about quality or defects, the AI searches registered materials by division and provides a relevant answer. Previously, quality standards and defect cases were often scattered across individual documents and relied on field experience, making it time-consuming to locate needed information. The new system lets workers quickly check quality standards, defect cases and remediation options on site.

"We will continue to expand AI-driven innovation so that safety communication with foreign workers is strengthened and accumulated quality and defect data can be put to immediate use on site," a Dongbu Construction official said.


quq@heraldcorp.com