• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.159-169
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes among the nine kinds of reduction chemical substances in Korea over the period of 2008-2017. We will define basic data for improving the management methods for reducing chemical substances. Methods: A survey of hazardous pollutant emissions for 2008-2017 was conducted through the pollutant Release and Transfer Register homepage. Nine kinds of designated reduction chemical substances (Benzene, Vinyl chloride, Trichloro ethylene, 1,3-butadiene, Dichloro methane, Tetrachloro ethylene, N,N-dimethylformamide, Acrylo nitrile, and Chloroform) provided the study subjects. The emission of hazardous chemicals and health effects used the National Health Statistics and Integrated Chemicals Information System (ICIS) as a reference. Results: Hazardous pollutant emissions increased by 1.2 times over the past decade, and nine types of reduction chemical substances increased by 1.6 times. By region, the emissions of reduction chemical substances over the last 10 years were in the order of Chungbuk, Gyeonggi, and Gyeongbuk. Emissions of Dichloro methane was the highest in Chungbuk and Gyeongbuk. N,N-dimethylformamide was the highest in Gyeonggi. Carcinogen pollutant emissions showed a tendency to increase continuously. In addition, group 1 carcinogen emissions showed a tendency to decrease. Conclusion: In the last decade, the amount of hazardous chemical emissions has been continuously increasing. Hazardous chemical emissions require facility improvement for continuous emissions reduction. More research on reduction of emissions is needed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.20-26
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• 2024

The Chemical Substances Control Act of South Korea mandates submission of transportation plans containing information on the transportation of hazardous chemicals, with over 600,000 submissions recorded annually. In this study, big data analysis was performed on 2,506,985 transportation plans to identify trends and assess their correlation with chemical transportation accidents. The analysis confirmed that despite NaOH accounting for 20.7% of transportation plans, HCl constitutes 40% of chemical transportation accidents, which indicates a correlation of these accidents with the chemical properties of hazardous substances rather than with the number of submitted transportation plans. Furthermore, chemical transportation accidents show a higher probability of occurrence in the 6-8 am and 6-8 pm windows, which is in agreement with higher incidence and fatality rates. The departure points of transportation plans are closely related to the characteristics of local chemical industrial complexes such as Ulsan, Yeosu, and Gunsan, whereas the arrival points are closely related to Pyeongtaek, Hwaseong, and Icheon, which are the locations of semiconductor industries. Ultimately, achievement of safety by consideration of characteristics of transported chemicals, enhancement of driver concentration during specific times, and implementation of preventive measures tailored to local government characteristics are strategies anticipated to contribute to a reduction in chemical transportation accidents.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.21-27
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• 2012

The loss of life and property due to accidents in the research facilities or the laboratories of the university occurs steadily and the necessity of laboratory accident prevention is proposed. Above all, the main work to laboratory accident prevention is a systematic analysis of laboratories accidents. Analyzing reports or researches on industrial accidents in Korea had been carried out but these researches or reports did not based on laboratory accidents analysis. To the establishment of the accident prevention countermeasure in laboratory, a questionnaire sheet has been developed in this study. The questionnaires to survey the accident cases were gathered by electronic mail and visit survey from the laboratories and universities. The data of accident cases from the questionnaires was analyzed and discussed on accident distribution by season, the type of accident classification, the type of occurrence, the objects that caused the accident and laboratory accident by the damage incurred etc.. These results of this study can be used as basic data to the safety security and laboratory accident prevention of the laboratory worker.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.423-432
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• 2020

Objectives: In this study, we analyzed the current state of delivery containers and packages and established handling guidelines to safely transport delivery containers and packages for use in research, testing, and examination reagents. Methods: Handling guidelines were revised in such categories as maintenance of the handling facilities, storage, loading and unloading, containers and packages, transportation, etc. In addition, we analyzed the current state of domestic sales for hazardous chemicals used for research, testing, and examination reagents, and investigated the handling guidelines related to delivery transportation in the USA, EU, and Japan by chemical property. Results: There are 6,160 companies selling hazardous chemicals. Among them, the 476 companies selling reagents for use in research, testing, and examination were investigated. Total amounts handled reached 425,000 tons, contributing to 0.2% of the total. For delivery transportation, internal containers and packaging was specified for chemical properties as follows: within 1 L for flammable gas, within 5 L for flammable liquid, and within 18 L for others. In addition, the maximum size of the outer package was set within 130 cm for total length, width, and height, and no dimension of the packaging could exceed 60 cm. Sixty-four hazardous chemicals with explosiveness or acute inhalation toxicity were prohibited for delivery transportation. Conclusion: Specified handling guidelines for inner and outer containers as well as packaging were regulated for delivery transportation of hazardous chemicals used for reagents. In addition, 64 hazardous chemicals were prohibited for delivery transportation. These are designed to prevent transportation accidents involving hazardous chemicals for reagents and thus protect the safety and health of transporters who handle hazardous chemicals.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.96-101
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• 2019

Chemicals Control Act have been strengthened to control more safely hazardous chemicals from 2015. In particular, the standards for the installation and management of handling facilities was enhanced with specific regulations depending on type of the facilities and the hazardous chemicals. However, some standards for handling facilities caused difficulties in implementing the strengthened standards due to various field conditions, such as lack of physical space. The Ministry of Environment is implementing Safety Assessment System (SAS) to solve these problems since 2018. However, many plants have difficulties in preparing alternative methods to pass the safety evaluation. The purpose of this study was to review and analyze the SAS and to suggest alternative measures in terms of management and technical aspects through the case study of hydrochloric acid storage tanks. The following safety solutions were suggested for handling facilities that had insufficient the space and capacity for the retaining wall due to physical space. Firstly, insufficient space was resolved by introducing equipment relocation or demolition, and retaining wall expansion. Secondly, the wall of the surrounding buildings was used as an alternative to the retaining wall with additional chemical resistant treatment. Finally, sensor installation and facility inspection were suggested as ways to improve chemical safety. Therefore, improvement of chemical accident prevention system is required not only in terms of facilities supplementation but also management aspect. The results of this study are expected to be available for similar facilities and will be based on the preparation of additional safety assessment as alternatives measures in the future.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 2018

In the trend of increasing awareness of chemical accidents, hazardous chemical transport vehicle accidents are occurring every year. In this study, we analyzed improvement of accident prevention and countermeasures through statistical analysis of hazardous chemical transport vehicle accidents. A total of 383 chemical accidents between January 2014 and December 2017 were analyzed. During this period, number of transportation accidents was 83 cases, accounting for 21.67% of total chemical accidents. In the current system, despite the direct handling of hazardous chemical, it is out of regulation of damage prediction unlike the workplace. In order to effectively respond to actual accident, information on damage prediction is required and should be shared with related ministry. And it should be developed to real-time monitoring of hazardous chemical transport vehicle through integrated control tower.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.403-414
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide the effective safety management system to prevent similar chemical accidents through accident investigations. Method: Chemical accident prevention and response management systems at the central and local government levels were reviewed, Also, statistical data of chemical accidents occurred in the last 5 years were analyzed. In particular, Two accidents with high accident risk were analyzed. Result: Chemical accidents that have occurred in the last 5 years were analyzed to occur in the order of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid, and concrete safety management improvement measures were derived through investigations of two causes. Conclusion: In this study, we proposed safety management plans in terms of technical and management aspects. The results of this study are expected to be used as effective in preventing and managing chemical accidents.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.124-136
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• 2008

The systematic information management of chemical accidents has been required as a tool for the policy making, system improvement and release of information concerning accident prevention. However, there is not yet a systematic chemical accidents tracking system in Korea, which make confusion among the related government agencies and the parties to accidents that the related statistics are different from each others. In this study, We developed the Chemical Accident Tracking System (CATS) using chemical accident classification which was made up of 12 upper classes, 70 middle classes, 272 lower classes. The CATS is mainly consist list up module, reporting module, searching and statistic module, etc. The CATS is expected to be applied to the information tracking and database system for chemical accidents and improve its manageability.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.515-523
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• 2018

Objectives: Based on the results of a chemical substance emissions survey, we investigated characteristics of chemical emissions in industrial complexes and used them as basic data for chemical management. Methods: The emissions and characteristics of chemicals by major industrial complexes from 2011 to 2015 were analyzed using the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register homepage. To understand the status of chemical accidents for major chemicals emitted from the industrial complexes, the Chemistry Safety Clearing-house system of the National Institute of Chemical Safety was used. Results: Emissions from the top five industrial complexes accounted for about 30% of total chemical emissions. The chemical emission was the highest in the order of Ulsan Mipo Industrial Complex and Okpo Industrial Complex. The main chemicals emitted were xylene, ethylbenzene, ethyl acetate, toluene, dichloromethane, and others. Carcinogen emissions differed by industrial complex, but ethylbenzene and dichloromethane were the major chemicals for this type of emissions. Conclusion: Recently, the use and emission of chemicals have been continuously increasing. A chemical management plan should be prepared considering the characteristics of industrial complexes and chemical substance emissions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.8
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• pp.733-752
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• 2006

Severe accidents in PWRs are characterized by a continuously changing geometry of the core due to chemical reactions, melting and mechanical failure of the rods and other structures. These local variations of the porosity and other parameters lead to multi-dimensionnal flows and heat transfers. In this paper, a comprehensive set of multi-dimensionnal models describing heat transfers, thermal-hydraulics and melt relocation in a reactor vessel is presented. Those models are suitable for the core description during a severe accident transient. A series of applications at the reactor scale shows the benefits of using such models.