Samsung Electronics has upgraded its Galaxy Watch-based B2B heat stress management feature. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics has enhanced its Heat Stress Management System in collaboration with the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) to systematically prevent heat-related illnesses among outdoor workers vulnerable to extreme summer heat waves.

Samsung Electronics announced on July 6 that the Heat Stress Management System, developed under the auspices of MOEL, will be integrated as a core feature of the SmartThings Pro Safety Management Solution. This solution leverages Samsung's B2B AI platform, SmartThings Pro, alongside LTE-enabled Galaxy Watches to manage worker safety within a cloud-based environment.

The SmartThings Pro Safety Management Solution, originally launched in September last year, integrates real-time environmental data such as onsite temperature and humidity with workers' vital signs, including heart rates and activity levels, to provide personalized health oversight. "With this system, we can now predict heat-related risks for field workers in advance and respond swiftly to hazardous situations," a Samsung Electronics representative explained.

Specifically, the system calculates a worker's real-time apparent temperature using localized environmental metrics. When thresholds align with government heat alerts—such as a Heat Wave Advisory at 33°C, a Heat Wave Warning at 35°C, or a Severe Heat Wave Warning at 38°C—alerts are automatically generated on the supervisor’s dashboard. The solution is currently deployed at the construction site of Samsung Electronics' new semiconductor production lines at the Pyeongtaek Campus to protect site personnel.

Furthermore, Samsung Electronics and MOEL have enhanced the solution's reliability and predictive performance through a joint academic partnership with Incheon National University and clinical validation with the Samsung Medical Center. Working with the Incheon National University research team, Samsung upgraded its personalized heat stress prediction and detection algorithm, which dynamically forecasts a worker's core body temperature in real time and issues alerts based on risk levels.

Collaborative clinical validation conducted with the Data Science Research Institute at the Samsung Medical Center cross-analyzed actual physiological responses under heat stress against the algorithm's predictions to secure high statistical reliability. Moving forward, Samsung Electronics and MOEL plan to present this advanced solution as a model for public-private cooperation in wearable-based industrial safety.

"By reflecting the Ministry of Employment and Labor's guidelines alongside the practical needs of industrial sites, we have enabled proactive management of heat stress," said Park Chan-woo, Executive Vice President of the B2B Integrated Offering Center at Samsung Electronics. "We will continue to advance our safety management solutions based on an information security management framework that meets international standards."

                                                                                                              Choi In-kyu