• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 2018

In this study, we developed a system for information sharing and cooperation support system among the accident response organizations to enable prompt and efficient response in responding to chemical accidents. In other words, by applying mobile messenger function, it is proposed to improve the chemical accident response system that provides information necessary for accident response promptly and accurately, and facilitates bi-directional communication between accident response organizations and field responders, thereby enabling efficient and organic response. As a result of comparing the information provision time before and after the chemical accident of chemical accident response information sharing system, the ratio of processing of substance information and chemical air diffusion information within 30 minutes was improved by 8% and 32%, respectively. As a result of this study, applying the chemical accident response information sharing system to the chemical accident response is expected to contribute to the improvement of the system and the ability to cope with the accident more effectively.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.137-143
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• 2016

The use of chemicals is increasing due to industrial advancement and diversification. In addition, the number of chemical accidents are increasing at the same time. A multifaceted effort in chemical accidents is needed for efficient prevention and countermeasures. This paper presents, under the current Act, a chemical accident case, including the material safety data sheet (MSDS) through the chemical accident prevention and measures for improvement with regard to research.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2017

Chemical accidents occur by a variety of causes and aspects. Accident preparedness substances (APS) are defined by toxic chemicals highly likely to cause accidents due to their high acute toxicity, explosiveness or likely to cause severe damage where a chemical accident occurs among the chemicals. APS is designated and announced by Presidential Decree. However, chemical accidents occurred for recent 7 years were arisen mainly from non-accident preparedness substances, and only 24 species were included as chemical accident trigger among total 69 APS. In addition, APS were designated in 2014 and the list has not been updated since then although it needs to be amended in several aspects. Accordingly, this study analyzes the necessity of modification of APS management, and presents improved plans.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.23-30
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• 2016

This study analyzed the characteristics of chemical accidents, including the accidents occurring each year according to status, type of accident, accident cause for chemical substance transporting accidents. The major aim of this study was to provide information on the chemical accidents that occurred involving chemical substance transporting accidents from 2013 to July - 2016. The total incidence of chemical transporting accidents was 77 cases; 74 cases occurred by the spill & leakage type. The main cause of the accidents analyzed was traffic accidents (41 cases). Forty-six accidents were related to hazardous chemical substances. Among the 46 hazardous chemical substances involved in transporting chemical accidents, 46% of the accident substances were hydrogen chloride. For the prevention and response to accidents occurring during the transportation of chemicals, it is necessary to complement the precautions for chemical accidents caused by transportation accidents and chemical spills and leaks of chemicals. In addition, when the chemical transport of an accident occurs, it is necessary to apply a chemical transport safety system for chemical transfer.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.81-88
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• 2017

This study analyzed chemical accidents each year according to the status, type of accident, accident place, business size, and chemical substance. The results of the chemical accident investigation were 16 cases in 2013, 27 cases in 2014, 46 cases in 2015, and 23 cases in 2016. According to the type of chemical accident, number of accidents, and casualty accidents, leakage was found to be the major cause. As a result of accidents and casualties caused by chemical accidents, workplaces had the highest numbers in all survey items. An examination of the top 10 accident materials revealed 9 substances to be hazardous chemicals. These materials were accident preparedness substances, and toxic substances.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.20-29
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• 2016

Although a number of chemical accidents have been occurred in South Korea, the effective prevention act for soil contamination has not been established so far. To effectively protect soil contamination from chemical accidents, decision support laws and regulations are absolutely essential. Regarding this situation, this study was aimed at diagnosing problems in current chemical safety management and prevention and response system against chemical accidents through analyzing the domestic and foreign causes of chemical accidents and the accident response procedures and finally suggesting policy measures for solving those problems. In order to clarify management of soil contamination by chemical accident, this study suggests the establishment of chemical accident preparedness, response, and making of local chemical management law and policy. This law needs to be supported by a clear management framework to guide government officials and all other stakeholders in the management of soil contamination by chemical accident.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.155-165
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• 2021

Objectives: Acute exposure to high concentrations of chemicals can occur when a chemical accident takes place. As such exposure can cause ongoing environmental pollution, such as in the soil and groundwater, there is a need for a tool that can assess health effects in the long term. The purpose of this study was assessing the health risks of residents living near a chemical accident site due to long-term exposure while considering the temporal concentration changes of the toxic chemicals leaked during the accident until their extinction in the environment using a multimedia environmental dynamics model. Methods: A health risk assessment was conducted on three cases of formaldehyde chemical accidents. In this study, health risk assessment was performed using a multimedia environmental dynamics model that considers the behavior of the atmosphere, soil, and water. In addition, the extinction period of formaldehyde in the environment was regarded as extinction in the environment when the concentration in the air and soil fell below the background concentration prior to the accident. The subjects of health risk assessment were classified into four groups according to age: 0-9 years old, 10-18 years old, 19-64 years old, and over 65 years old. Carcinogenic risk assessment by respiratory exposure and non-carcinogenic risk assessment by soil intake were conducted as well. Results: In the assessment of carcinogenic risk due to respiratory exposure, the excess carcinogenic risk did not exceed 1.0×10-6 in all three chemical accidents, so there was no health effect due to the formaldehyde chemical accident. As a result of the evaluation of non-carcinogenic risk due to soil intake, none of the three chemical accidents had a risk index of 1, so there was no health effect. For all three chemical accidents, the excess cancer risk and hazard index were the highest in the age group 0-9. Next, 10-18 years old, 65 years old or older, and 19-64 years old showed the highest risk. Conclusion: This study considers environmental changes after a chemical accident occurs and until the substance disappears from the environment. It also conducts a health risk assessment by reflecting the characteristics of the long-term persistence and concentration change over time. It is thought that it is of significance as a health risk assessment study reflecting the exposure characteristics of the accident substance for an actual chemical accident.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.21-27
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• 2017

Even if several chemical accident prevention systems such as PSM(Process Safety Management), RMP(Risk Management Plan), etc. have been carried out, many chemical accidents have still occurred at industrial plants in Korea. We describe the status of chemical industry and the trend of occurrence of chemical accidents in Korea. And this paper analyzes the recent chemical accidents in eight ways. These ways include chemical accident forms, ignition sources, sources of chemical equipment, human vs equipment/material causes, worker's working situation, employee scale, hazardous substances, week & time, fatalities of manufacture & contractor's workers. Finally we proposes the four representative prevention measures brought to result of cause analysis by accident statistics.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.219-225
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• 2015

Hydrofluoric acid leakage accident was occurred on Dec. 2012 in Hube Global. That accident has bought many changes of response in national organizations. Chemical companies respond quickly even when small quantities leakage of chemicals and response agencies were put a lot of manpower and equipment in incident response. Incident response to the response activities of the agents is difficult if the accident substance was not identified. Unknown chemicals can be generated by the water for fire-fighting during the emergency response process. In this case, an additional information was needed for response of chemical accident to prevent of great damage. In this study, we investigated the improvement of chemical accident information by extraordinary chemical accident.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.110-116
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• 2016

The major aim of this study was to provide information on the chemical accidents that occurred in laboratories over the last 3 years. The total incidence of laboratory chemical accidents was 30 cases; 25 cases occurred at educational institutions. Most accidents (19 cases) occurred due to spills and leaks. The main cause of the accidents analyzed was worker carelessness (21 cases). Twenty-two accidents were related to hazardous chemical substances. In addition, general chemical substances as well as waste liquid contributed 26% to the incidents related to the laboratory. Among the 22 hazardous chemical substances involved in laboratory chemical accident, 67% of accident substances were accident preparedness substances.