Kumho E&C files patent for in-house technology enabling on-site safety management with “just one smartphone”

[Financial News] Kumho E&C has developed an on-site safety management technology that tracks workers’ locations and whether they enter danger zones in real time, and also supports emergency calls.
On the 12th, Kumho E&C said it had filed a patent application on the 22nd of last month for “A Method and Device for Monitoring Worksite Safety Based on Sensors Built into Smartphones,” related to its in-house-developed Smart Safety Control System.
The Smart Safety Control System uses workers’ smartphone apps to check their locations on site and whether they enter danger zones. Since workers do not need to wear separate tracking devices or smart bands, the system can be deployed at worksites relatively easily.
Managers can use the monitoring screen to check workers’ locations and numbers at the site in real time. The system is designed to reduce safety blind spots by monitoring areas that are difficult to assess through visual inspections or closed-circuit television (CCTV) alone.
Large settling basins, confined spaces, areas where heavy machinery is operated, and excavation zones can be designated as danger zones in advance. When a worker enters one of these areas, the system automatically sends an alert so that both managers and workers are made aware of the hazardous situation.
The system also includes a feature that allows workers to report danger themselves. If a worker who needs help during a task presses the “SOS” button on their smartphone, their location appears on the manager’s screen and an alert is sent, supporting an initial response.
The system was developed to improve safety management efficiency at the National Yeoncheon Cemetery development project, which Kumho E&C is currently constructing. The company said there was a significant need to track workers’ locations and manage access to danger zones because large settling basins and heavy machinery work areas are spread across the approximately 959,000-square-meter site.
The company is also pursuing intellectual property protection. Following the patent application, it completed the program copyright registration for the “Smart Safety Management System” on the 29th of last month.
Kumho E&C plans to expand the system to building and civil engineering sites. It has completed advance registration of managers at a total of 64 sites: 35 building sites and 29 civil engineering and plant sites. The company plans to upgrade the system by adding features such as automatic clock-in and clock-out using geofencing. Geofencing is a technology that sets virtual boundaries and automatically detects whether someone enters or leaves them.
A Kumho E&C representative said, “We will continue to make active use of smart technologies to strengthen our on-site safety management capabilities and build a more robust safety management system.”
[email protected] Choi Ga-young Reporter