• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

Safety management in hazardous areas with potentially explosive gas atmospheres (here in after referred to as hazardous areas) in large scale facilities dealing with combustible or flammable materials at home and abroad is very important (significant) for the coexistence of the company and local society based on business continuity management (BCM) and reliance. For the safety management in hazardous areas, two systems are mainly used: (1) the control system for the prevention of combustible or flammable substances and (2) the explosion proof system for the elimination of ignition sources when flammable gases are leaked to inhibit the transition to fire or explosion accidents. While technology and regulations on explosion proof facilities or devices for electrical ignition sources are well developed and defined, those for thermal ignition sources need to be more developed and established. In this study, the internal combustion engine in hazardous areas was investigated to determine the risk of ignition. For this purpose, document searches were conducted on the relevant international standards and accidents cases and risk analysis reports. In addition, this study assessed the application cases of the diesel engine's safety equipment, such as spark arresters regarding the site of process safety management (PSM) system in central Korea. To practically apply these results to the hydrocarbon industry, the safety management method for explosion prevention in hazardous areas was provided by risk identification for ignition sources of internal combustion engines, such as diesel engines.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.21 no.4 s.76
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• pp.127-133
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• 2006

The major purpose of this paper to identify safety climate practices, and to find the affecting variables that influence to the difference in the level of safety climate between plants and employees. And this paper attempted to find the interventions for improving safety climate in the chemical plants. The questionnaires were developed from literature review, especially made by HSE(Health and Safety Executive) in the UK and distributed to managers and workers. The frequency analysis was applied for identifying the level of safety climate. The affecting variables(plant size, accident occurrence, accident experience, injury experience and severity, and length of employment) are tested through analysis of variance(ANOVA). The results of frequency analysis showed that both managers and workers recorded generally high level of safety climate, and the major underlying problems are inadequate H&S procedures/rules, pressure for production, and rule breaking. According to the outcomes of ANOVA, the variable 'length of employment' is the only variable which makes the level of safety climate different. From the survey of safety climate practice, this study finds the level of safety climate and three major underlying problems in safety climate factors of the responded plants, and presents two interventions for improving safety performance. Despite of these outcomes, the applied factors are remained questionable for reflecting as the best ones for identifying safety climate in the chemical industry. In addition, the bias caused by self-report exist in the reliability of the response, and the equivalent size of respondents.