Construction CEOs ramp up site visits to cut worker deaths from falls

GS E&C CEO Huh Yoon-hong, left, inspects workers' on-site safety gear at an apartment complex construction site in Incheon, Wednesday. Courtesy of GS E&C

It has become increasingly common to see helmeted CEOs of major construction companies inspecting safety measures at job sites under their supervision.

Their frequent site visits come in response to a government request to prevent fatal industrial accidents — especially from falls.

GS E&C CEO Huh Yoon-hong inspected an apartment complex construction site in Incheon on Wednesday as part of the company's weekly executive visits to worksites nationwide. In January, Huh even held the company's annual kick-off meeting at a desalination plant construction site in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province.

Last month, Daewoo E&C CEO Kim Bo-hyun visited an apartment complex construction site in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, to inspect safety facilities and confirm workers were following guidelines. The company said Kim visited three worksites in the first quarter of the year.

Hyundai E&C CEO Lee Han-woo, second from left, inspects facilities at a Hyundai Motor service center construction site in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, April 25. Courtesy of Hyundai E&C

Hyundai E&C CEO Lee Han-woo also visited a Hyundai Motor service center construction site in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, last month. The company said Lee emphasized the importance of safety to on-site workers.

Samsung C&T sent CEO Oh Se-chul and other senior executives to several construction sites during the first quarter. In April, Chief Safety Officer An Byung-chul visited an apartment construction site in Seoul's Seocho District.

"Our management has been inspecting construction sites and pushing ahead with safety campaigns to prevent accidents," An said.

The four construction firms are participating in a government campaign launched April 13 to prevent falls at construction sites. Hanwha Corporation E&C Division and SK ecoplant also joined the campaign, with plans to dispatch their top executives to worksites this month.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the number of deaths from construction site accidents fell to 328 in 2024, down from 458 in 2020.

However, construction-related deaths still accounted for 39.7 percent of all industrial fatalities. Notably, 55.6 percent of construction deaths were due to falls from heights.

"Workers clean construction sites before CEOs visit," said Kim Tae-byung, the ministry's director general for technology and safety policy. "Cleaner construction sites can lower the probability of accidents by at least 50 percent."

Based on that logic, the government decided in February to award bonus points to companies that send their CEOs to conduct safety checks when bidding for large government-led construction projects.