NEWS

HD Hyundai is expanding on-site rest breaks for employees at its shipbuilding subsidiaries to prevent heat-related illnesses, becoming the first company in Korea’s shipbuilding industry to do so.

On June 25, HD Hyundai announced that this summer it will extend break times at its shipbuilding subsidiaries — HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Mipo, and HD Hyundai Samho — where large numbers of on-site workers are employed.

This is the first such measure in the domestic shipbuilding industry. It was introduced with the health and safety of shipyard workers as the top priority, amid continued hot and humid weather and a high proportion of outdoor work.

The move is particularly meaningful as HD Hyundai is acting preemptively at a time when the Ministry of Employment and Labor is reviewing revisions to the Industrial Safety and Health Act to expand rest periods during heatwaves.

Under the new measures, from July through September, when the perceived temperature reaches 33°C or higher during heatwave work, the three companies — HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Mipo, and HD Hyundai Samho — will double the existing 10-minute breaks given at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 20 minutes each.

In addition, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to operate four mobile bus-type rest facilities during the peak heat season. These buses will circulate around quays and other on-site work areas during lunchtime and afternoon breaks, allowing workers to escape the heat.

Previously, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries had already installed more than 50 additional rest areas equipped with air conditioning and drinking-water facilities so that on-site workers can cool down, and it also newly created on-board rest areas for employees working on ships.

Furthermore, during the peak summer period (July 10 to August 31), the company has extended lunchtime by 30 minutes, and even outside that period, when the temperature exceeds 28°C, it operates with a 20-minute extension to the lunch break.

A representative of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said, “As heatwaves become increasingly routine due to climate change, protecting workers’ lives and health is both a corporate responsibility and the starting point of sustainable management,” adding, “Building on these measures, we will work to improve our overall industrial safety practices and lead the way in fostering a safe shipyard culture.”