Gangnam District Uses QR Codes for Worker Safety

The Gangnam District Office in Seoul, South Korea, begins a new safety training program for construction workers. Mayor Cho Seong-myeong spearheads the initiative, which uses QR codes to deliver multilingual training directly at 326 construction sites. Workers scan the codes with their smartphones to access updated safety information relevant to their current tasks.

Currently, Korean law requires construction laborers to complete only a four-hour basic safety course, and this certification lasts for life. The district hopes the new program will address gaps in ongoing training, especially for the roughly 20 percent of the construction workforce who are foreign-born. Existing training materials primarily use Korean, creating a barrier for non-native speakers.

The program shifts responsibility for ensuring worker safety from managers to individual laborers. The district acknowledges that the success of the program depends on consistent updates to the QR code content and worker participation. Further steps may be needed to assess long-term impact and address evolving site conditions.