Unwanted effects of electrostatic phenomena occur in various industries. Electrostatic problems originating from the human body in flammable atmospheres in the industry are especially concerning. A substantial volume of experimental data on the electrostatic charging voltages created on the human body owing to the rubbing of apparel were generated and reviewed during this study. The data were reviewed to determine whether the resultant charging levels of the human body are hazardous in flammable atmospheres. This study was conducted under several conditions, such as different fiber types used in apparel, shoe types, and relative humidities (RHs). The following conclusions were drawn in this study. ① The electrostatic charging levels of the human body owing to the rubbing of apparel increase with the increase in the surface resistances of apparel; however, the electrostatic charging levels may be different depending on the condition of the cloth surface. ② The discharging energy of 1.98-18.5 [mJ] from the human body exceeds the minimum ignition energy of most flammable materials, when removing an overcoat made of polyester, cotton and wool under severe conditions such as wearing height-raising shoes for men. ③ When removing antistatic apparel, the maximum discharging energy of 0.128 mJ from the human body is dangerous if the minimum ignition energy of the flammable material is between 10^-5-10^-4 [J] Grade; however, a minimum ignition energy of 10^-3 J Grade of the flammable material is considered safe. ④ While wearing antistatic shoes, the electrostatic charging voltage generated in the human body when removing an overcoat is 30 V; therefore, wearing such shoes is a suitable countermeasure when handling flammable materials. However, the antistatic abilities of shoes reduce when thick socks are worn. ⑤ As RH increases, the electrostatic charging levels of the human body decrease. ⑥ The electrostatic charging levels of the human body from removing a cotton overcoat can ignite the majority of flammable materials when RH is less than 30% under severe conditions such as wearing height-raising shoes for men.

Static-electricity-induced fires and explosions persistently occur every year, averaging approximately 80 and 20 cases annually according to fire statistics provided by the National Fire Agency and industrial accident statistics provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, respectively. Despite the relatively low probabilities of these accidents, their potential risks are high. Consequently, effective risk assessment methodologies and accident investigation strategies are essential for efficiently managing static-electricity hazards in fire- and explosion-prone areas. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify the causal variables essential for accident investigations, thereby facilitating risk assessments and the implementation of effective recurrence prevention measures to mitigate static-electricity hazards in fire-and explosion-prone regions. To this end, industrial accident statistics recorded over the past decade (2012 to 2021) by the Ministry of Employment and Labor were analyzed to identify major fire and explosion incidents and related industrial accidents wherein static electricity was identified as a potential ignition source. Subsequently, relevant investigation reports (63 cases) were thoroughly analyzed. Based on the results of this analysis, existing electrostatic fire and explosion risk assessment techniques were refined and augmented. Moreover, factors essential for investigating electrostatic fire and explosion disasters were delineated, and the primary causal variables necessary for effective risk assessments and scientific investigations were derived.

The purpose of this study is to explore the trend in insulation resistance values according to temperature and overcurrent by conducting an investigation on the actual condition and experiments on the electrical wiring during the melting furnace process. In addition, the Arrhenius equation is used to determine whether temperatures in the furnace operating process can be applied to the actual field. In the investigation of the actual condition, the insulation resistance started to decrease seven years after replacement, even though cables in oil pump A were replaced in 2010. Both the experimental and theoretical values of the insulation resistance obtained using the Arrhenius equation decreased with an increase in temperature. Errors in insulation resistance (MΩ) values between tests and the Arrhenius equation ranged from ±2 to ±10, demonstrating a high similarity. Results revealed that when the insulation resistance cannot be measured in a manufacturing workplace (quarterly analysis), it can be estimated by partially applying the Arrhenius equation.

The recent surge in the production and handling of hazardous materials in Korea necessitates developing and implementing robust emergency response plans. These plans are crucial in safeguarding the well-being of workers and residents in the event of an incident. The consequence analysis methodology outlined in the KOSHA guidelines provides a foundation for designing emergency response plans in the event of chemical accidents. However, the consequence analysis is evaluated based on assumed accident cases or worst-case scenarios. Consequently, the emergency response plan based on the consequence analysis may overestimate the damage area, complicating rescue efforts and unnecessarily increasing costs. More information and parameters become available after an accident, enabling more accurate consequence analysis. This implies that the results of consequence analysis based on this detailed information provide more realistic results than those based on assumed accidents. This study attempts to optimize the resource allocation and cost-effectiveness of emergency response plans for chemical accidents. Existing procedures and manuals are revised to elucidate the proposed model and conduct real-time consequence analysis. The existing emergency response plan is compared to verify the proposed model's efficacy. The obtained results indicate that the proposed model can exhibit better performance.

Recently, with the expanding market for electronic devices and electric vehicles, secondary battery usage has been on the rise. Lithium-ion batteries are particularly popular due to their fast charging times and lightweight nature compared to other types of batteries. A secondary battery consists of four components: anode, cathode, electrolyte, and separator. Generally, the positive and negative electrode materials of secondary batteries are composed of an active material, a binder, and a conductive material. Acetylene Black (AB) is utilized to enhance conductivity between active material particles or metal dust collectors, preventing the binder from acting as an insulator. However, when recycling waste batteries that have been subject to high usage, there is a risk of fire and explosion accidents, as accurately identifying the characteristics of Acetylene Black dust proves to be challenging. In this study, the lower explosion limit for Acetylene Black dust with an average particle size of 0.042 ㎛ was determined to be 153.64 mg/L using a Hartmann-type dust explosion device. Notably, the dust did not explode at values below 168 mg, rendering the lower explosion limit calculation unfeasible. Analysis of explosion delay times with varying electrode gaps revealed the shortest delay time at 3 mm, with a noticeable increase in delay times for gaps of 4 mm or greater. The findings offer fundamental data for fire and explosion prevention measures in Acetylene Black waste recycling processes via a predictive model for lower explosion limits and ignition delay time.

In addition to being used for ascending and descending to work locations, portable ladders are widely used as a substitute for work platforms when working at heights in homes and industrial sites. However, accidents continue to occur in industrial sites owing to structural instabilities of ladders and the negligence of safety measures by users. To prevent accidents involving workers using portable ladders, it is important to encourage workers to use them correctly through laws and regulations; however, establishing effective preventive measures that go beyond regulations can increase acceptance in industrial sites and maximize the effect of reducing industrial accidents. Therefore, this study conducts a fact-finding survey and portable safety ladder product analysis and collects stakeholder opinions to develop a Korean-style safety ladder that can replace step ladders with a high risk of accidents.

This study investigated the impact of a safety coaching program on the safety behavior and safety climate among expressway safety patrols. Four to seven patrols from each of the three branches participated in this study. The safety coaching program was developed based on the GROW model, with main contents including recognizing individual differences, exploring safety values, communicating near-misses, providing effective and efficient feedback, employing non-violent communication, and fostering commitment toward safety behaviors. Additionally, each session included self-monitoring and peer review of each item based on a critical behavior checklist developed for this study, with challenging goals set based on the monitoring and review. The safety coaching program comprised six sessions in three branches, while three other branches were assigned as a control group. A non-equivalent control group experimental design was applied. Dependent variables included observed and perceived safety behavior, safety climate, psychological safety, and feedback. The results indicated that the safety coaching program effectively increased patrols' safety behavior and safety climate. Furthermore, psychological safety and feedback improved. These findings suggest that the developed safety coaching program could serve as an alternative method to enhance safety management for expressway safety patrols. Finally, the implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

We analyzed the relationship between the normal measurement of the seismic accelerometer (SA) and the error rate of the output voltage linear ratio to propose an evaluation method to determine whether the SA in use is measuring normally. Utilizing a test bed, the regular operation of SA in use was evaluated using acceleration data measured through impact tests since there are no regulations regarding performance testing of SA in use. For the used SA, the error rate of the output voltage linear ratio, which is a major performance criterion, was evaluated. We analyzed common characteristics of the SA that satisfied the impact test and the performance criteria of the output voltage linear ratio error rate. The results indicated that we must consider the decreasing trend and convergence of the error rate as the measurement angle increases, ensuring that the average value of the output voltage linear ratio error rate is within 1%.

Hydrogen has been selected as one of the key technologies for reducing CO₂ emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. However, hydrogen safety issues should be fully guaranteed before the commercial and widespread utilization of hydrogen. Here, a bow-tie risk assessment is conducted for the hydrogen fuel supply system in a gas turbine power plant, which can be a mass consumption application of hydrogen. The bow-tie program is utilized for a qualitative risk assessment, allowing the analysis of the causes and consequences according to the stages of accidents. This study proposed an advanced bow-tie method, which includes the barrier criticality matrix and visualized maps of quantitative risk reduction. It is based on evaluating the importance of numerous barriers for the extent of their impact. In addition, it emphasizes the prioritization and concentrated management of high-importance barriers. The radar chart of a bow tie allows the visual comparison of risk levels before/after the application of barriers (safety measures). The risk reduction methods are semi-quantitatively analyzed utilizing the criticality matrix and radar chart, and risk factors from multiple aspects are derived. For establishing a secure hydrogen fuel storage system, the improvements suggested by the bow-tie risk assessment results, such as 'Ergonomic equipment design to prevent human error' and 'Emergency shutdown system,' will enhance the safety level. It attempts to contribute to the development and enhancement of an efficient safety management system by suggesting a method of calculating the importance of barriers based on the bow-tie risk assessment.