Safeware’s ‘Industrial Smart Airbag C3’ Enhances Worker Safety at POSCO E&C Construction Site

Credit: https://www.koreatechdesk.com/safewares-industrial-smart-airbag-c3-enhances-worker-safety-at-posco-ec-construction-sites

Korean startup Safeware has partnered with POSCO E&C to enhance the safety of construction site workers. Safeware, led by CEO Shin Hwan-cheol, a human safety solution company, announced on the 28th that it had signed an agreement with POSCO E&C, led by CEO Han Sung-hee, to supply its industrial smart airbag C3. This agreement aims to prevent safety accidents among construction site workers, with both companies providing the industrial smart airbag C3 to POSCO E&C’s construction sites. The ‘Industrial Smart Airbag C3,’ which received the gold prize in the Personal Technology category at the 2023 Edison Awards last April, is a wearable safety device designed to prevent worker falls and mitigate serious injuries resulting from falls. Safeware’s C3 was developed and manufactured using purely domestic technology and has been supplied to over 550 institutions and corporations, including public institutions such as Korail, Korea Expressway Corporation, and Korea Electric Power Corporation, as well as military and defense industries, Samsung, LG, and Hyundai Development Company.

When a worker’s fall is detected by the sensor integrated into the airbag, the electronic inflator rapidly inflates the airbag within 0.2 seconds, safeguarding vulnerable body parts such as the head, cervical vertebrae, spine, and pelvis. Simultaneously, in the event of an accident, the device can help the wearer secure crucial time for rescue by transmitting the accident’s location and situation to the designated emergency contact network. The sensor’s battery can provide continuous usage for over 120 hours when fully charged and can be reused by replacing the carbon dioxide (CO2) cartridge.

Hwan-Cheol Shin, CEO of Safeware, emphasized the significance of protecting workers, as falls and related accidents often occur unnoticed in work environments at heights of 2 to 5 meters, where safety precautions may need to be adequately fastened. He expressed his hopes that this contract with POSCO E&C would result in wider equipment adoption since the C3 can be utilized not only in the construction field but also for building management and personal use.

Established in 2016, Safeware focuses on developing wearable airbags and related solutions that safeguard workers in industrial settings, starting with creating lifesaving drones for water environments. The company is expanding the application of smart airbags to everyday life, with the development of new products such as smart airbags for riders, belts to protect the elderly from falls, and airbags designed to prevent suffocation in infants and toddlers.

Notably, all Safeware products have received CES 2022 and 2023 Innovation Awards and Good Design Awards, gaining recognition for their technological advancements and design both domestically and internationally. These products have garnered attention and interest within related industries.