• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.124-132
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• 2018

Objectives: All enterprises intending to install and operate hazardous chemical handling facilities should prepare an off-site risk assessment (ORA) report that evaluates the impact of potential chemical accidents on the surrounding environment and population. This study was conducted to introduce the process of development and the functioning of the Korea Off-site Risk Assessment support tool (KORA) developed by the National Institute of Chemical Safety and to suggest manners to increase its utilization. Additionally, this article provided an overview of KORA. Methods: In order to identify problems with and refinements for KORA, the required items for each phase of KORA were derived by analyzing the Chemical Control Act and related administrative regulations. Results: The functions of KORA made receptor-considered assessment of chemical accidents possible, but several limitations were found in particular phases, such as the analysis of impact range, consideration of sensitive receptors, and assessment of environmental receptors. Conclusion: In this study, we suggested manners to increase the utilization of KORA. It is anticipated that the further research suggested in the study could contribute to the stabilization of the KORA system.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.24-33
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• 2001

This article proposes a strategy for producing accident scenarios in quantitative risk, which is peformed in process design or operation steps. Present worldwide chemical processes need off-site risk assessment as well as on-site one. Most governments in the world require industrial companies to submit the proper emergency plans through off-site risk assessment. Korea is also preparing for executing Integrated Risk Management System along with PSM and SMS. However.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.5 no.4 s.19
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• pp.9-15
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• 2005

This research developed the RMIS(Risk Management Information System) which focus on works of risk management fields required of apply of a space information, and focus on the DB to establish and apply the space information efficiently with research scope on the LPG refueling station in city. On the basis of the RMIS, this research provides the baseline to lead on an efficiency of safety inspection of LPG refueling station, advance risk assessment, and efficient making decision of an accident correspondence assessment with interlocking the GIS representing risk through the automation of a quantitative risk assessment standardize requirement to control at real-time. The RMIS development process is as follows. firstly, Relational Database(RDB) was developed by using fundamental data both On-site and Off-site relating data as peforming risk assessment on the LPG refueling station in city. Second, the risk management integral database system was developed to monitor and control the risk efficiently for user with using the Visual Basic Program. Third, through interlocking the risk management integral database system and the GIS(Falcon-map) was suggested the decision making method. Represented results through out the RMIS program development are as follows. Firstly, the RMIS was established the mutual information to advance management the risk efficiently for user and inspector with using the risk management data. Second, as this study managed risk for on-site and off-site separately and considered effect for inside and outside of facility, constructed the basis on safety management which can respond to major accident. Third, it was composed the baseline to making decision that on the basis of user interface.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.144-156
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• 2018

Level 3 Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) is performed for the risk assessment that calculates radioactive material dispersion to the environment. This risk assessment is performed with a tool of MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System (MACCS2 or WinMACCS). For the off-site consequence analysis of multi-unit nuclear power plant (NPP) accident, the single location (Center Of Mass, COM) method has been usually adopted with the assumption that all the NPPs in the nuclear site are located at the same COM point. It was well known that this COM calculation can lead to underestimated or overestimated radionuclide concentration. In order to overcome this underestimation or overestimation of radionuclide concentrations in the COM method, Multiple Location (ML) method was developed in this study. The radionuclide concentrations for the individual NPPs are separately calculated, and they are summed at every location in the nuclear site by the post-processing of radionuclide concentrations that is based on two-dimensional Gaussian Plume equations. In order to demonstrate the efficiency of the ML method, radionuclide concentrations were calculated for the six-unit NPP site, radionuclide concentrations of the ML method were compared with those by COM method. This comparison was performed for conditions of constant weather, yearly weather in Korea, and four seasons, and the results were discussed. This new ML method (1) improves accuracy of radionuclide concentrations when multi-unit NPP accident occurs, (2) calculates realistic atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides under various weather conditions, and finally (3) supports off-site emergency plan optimization. It is recommended that this new method be applied to the risk assessment of multi-unit NPP accident. This new method drastically improves the accuracy of radionuclide concentrations at the locations adjacent to or very close to NPPs. This ML method has a great strength over the COM method when people live near nuclear site, since it provides accurate radionuclide concentrations or radiation doses.

• Korean Journal of Hazardous Materials
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2015

Since the HF release in 2012 in Korea, it became one of the most significant to evaluate consequence to the vicinity of industry facilities handling hazardous materials. BTX plant is selected to assess off-site risk to check whether the facility satisfies the Chemical Control Law by Korea Government. Accident scenarios were listed using process safety information. The scenarios having effect to the off-site were selected and assessed further according to guideline provided by Korea government. Worst case and alternative scenarios including other interested scenarios were evaluated using ALOHA. Each evaluated scenario was assessed further considering countermeasures. The results showed that the facility handling chloric acid is safe enough and needed no further protections at the moment.

• Korean Journal of Hazardous Materials
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 2015

Semiconductor industry has large number of chemical inventory and is easily exposed to chemical release incidents. Toxic release is one of the most interested area in evaluating consequence to the vicinity of industry facilities handling hazardous materials. Hydrofluoric acid is one of the typical chemical used in semiconductor facility and is selected and toxic release is evaluated to assess the risk impacted to its off-site. Accident scenarios were listed using process safety information. The scenarios having effect to the off-site were selected and assessed further according to guideline provided by Korea government. Worst case and alternative scenarios including other interested scenarios were evaluated using ALOHA. Each evaluated scenario was assessed further considering countermeasures. The results showed that the facility handling hydroflooric acid is safe enough and needed no further protections at the moment.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.217-226
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• 2018

Objectives: Despite the positive effects of Off-site risk assessment (ORA) system such as prevention of chemical accidents, some problems have been constantly raised. The purpose of this study is to analyze the problems that have occurred through the implementation of the ORA system for the past three years and to suggest reasonable directions for improvement in the future. Methods: In order to identify the problems with the methodology and procedure of ORA system, we analyzed statutes, administrative rules and documents related to the ORA system. A survey of ORA reviewers in National Institute of Chemical Safety was conducted to investigate the weight of determinants considered when judging the level of total risk in ORA. Results: In this study, we found out the uncertainty of the estimation of the number of people in the impact range in the procedure of the risk assessment of individual handling facilities, the lack of quantitative risk analysis methods for environmental receptors, and the ambiguity of the criteria for the total risk. In addition to suggesting solutions to the problems mentioned above, we also, suggested a decision tree for total risk in ORA. Conclusion: We anticipate that the solutions including the systematic decision tree for total risk suggested will contribute to the smooth operation of the ORA system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.46-53
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• 2017

The risk is expressed as consequence of damage multiplied by likelihood of failure. The installation of a protective system reduces the risk by reducing the likelihood of failure at the facility. Also, the protective system has different effects on the likelihood of failure according to the proof test cycle. However, when assessing risks in the Off-site Risk Assessment (ORA) system, the variation in risk was not reflected according to the proof test cycle of protective system. This study was conducted to examine the need for proof test and the importance of cycle setting by applying periodic proof test of the protective system to ORA. The results showed that the likelihood of failure and the risk increased with longer proof test cycle. The risk of a two-yearly proof test was eight times greater than that of a three-month cycle. From the results, the protective system needs periodic proof test. Untested protective system for a long term cannot be reliable because it is more likely to be failed state when it is called upon to operate. In order to reduce the risk to an acceptable level, it is effective to differently set the proof test cycle according to the priority. This study suggested a more systematic and accurate risk analysis standard than ORA. This standard is expected to enable an acceptable level of risk management by systematically setting the priority and proof test cycle of the protective system. It is also expected to contribute to securing the safety of chemical facilities and at the same time, will lead to the development of the ORA system.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.239-251
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• 2020

The Off-site Risk Assessment (ORA) for preventing chemical accidents estimates the chemical accident risk at chemical plants. The method of estimating the risk is made by multiplying the number of residents within the effect area of the chemical accident and the frequency of accidents at a chemical plant. At present, the ORA does not quantitatively consider environmental receptors when the damage types within the scope of the accident are environmental receptors. In order to solve this problem, this study proposes a method of estimating the risk considering resident and environmental receptors. Through these studies, it was confirmed that the ORA impact for the prevention of chemical accidents requires risk analysis considering environmental receptors in the medium and long term.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.84-90
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• 2018

We researched the way to minimize the damage when the chlorine-leak accident take place in a purification plant. Since the level of risk based on the Off-site Risk Assessment(ORA) is a combination of proportional to the number of residents in the damaged area and frequency of accidents, we suggested the adequate conditions to reduce the number of residents in the damaged area by means of the operating temperature of a handling facility, installation of a emergency shut-off valve, and the analysis of the variation of the damaging range in accordance with the type of enclosure. The coverage of damage was calculated by the 'KORA(Korea Off-site Risk Assessment Supporting Tool) program. The research shows that the lower operating temperature gets, the more emergency shut-off valve being installed and the higher enclosure level of facility becomes, the extent of damage gets decreased. The decreasing rate of worst case was 17.6%, 71%, 34.5% respectively, the decreasing rate of alternative case was 31.6%, 69.0%, 34.8% respectively.