"As a Myanmarian, it is the most rewarding to give safety training to local workers."

by Manager Than Kyaw Tun (Safety Support Team)

Q Please tell us about your job.

I am in charge of safety and health for Myanmar workers among foreign workers in the Safety Support Office. The main task is to visit Myanmar workers at the site where they are dispatched to provide safety and health education and to patrol the work environment in which they are engaged and provide necessary safety measures. We also produce and develop educational content, such as teaching plans and videos, and translate them into different languages and distribute them to all sites. Moreover, we provide translation services for safety signs in foreign languages installed on-site and provide interpreter support and counseling for difficulties for workers upon request. In the event of a foreign worker's accident, we also provide support work related to it. 

Q When was the most rewarding moment during your work?

I would say it’s the moment when I give safety training to Myanmar workers. Hyundai E&C is the first in Korea to have a safety education system for foreign workers in their own languages. Repeated education and practice are key to create a safe working environment. To practice, you must know, and to know, you must learn. Currently, I am providing safety training for foreign workers who have low awareness and place low importance on safety at construction sites. At each training session, I tell them what they need to know about work on-site and also include emotional training that touches the minds of workers so that they can be alert to the importance of safety and accidents. I feel rewarded whenever I communicate with Myanmar workers and create a safe working environment through training like this. 

Q What kind of competencies do you think you need to do your job?

Communication skills are important during training. When I am training, I communicate with many people from the head office, business partners, and target audiences. Among them, this communication with the target audience is especially important. The lecture style is predominantly one-way because it is given to convey knowledge in a short time. However, in order to enhance the understanding of the target audience, customized communication must be conducted, which considers the use of terms tailored to the audience’s comprehension and the use of appropriate teaching media. Therefore, trainers should always check their communication skills by thinking about whether they used terms that considered the level of the target audience, whether appropriate teaching media were selected, whether the volume and speed of their voices were appropriate, and how their attitude was. When I first conducted training, I wondered whether I’m doing all right. I froze up from the nervous breakdown. So I practiced teaching in front of a mirror and tried to improve my communication skills by finding and fixing problems.  

Another is stamina. Due to the nature of work, we have many business trips across the country. People with poor physical strength can quickly become tired and exhausted. You need to exercise a lot and eat good food for your stamina, and must always maintain good physical conditions to perform the job well without accumulating fatigue.  

Q Is there a corporate culture of Hyundai E&C that you are very proud of?

The corporate cultures of Hyundai E&C are increasingly becoming more flexible over time. I remember the early days when I went to work in formal attire. But now we have the free dress code that was introduced for the efficiency of work performance, extended lunchtime to an hour and a half for effective rest, and the free use of annual leaves when you want without the pressure from colleagues. I think Hyundai E&C can be proud of such corporate culture.

Q Could you say a word to juniors who dream of working at Hyundai E&C?

I want to tell them, “your effort will not betray you.” Even if the starting point is the same, the difference between those who try and those who don’t will only grow as time goes by. In other words, those who have done their best can go up. I am confident that those of you who want to join Hyundai E&C will certainly obtain good results if you prepare sincerely with constant effort.