• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.205-216
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• 2024

Recently, seismic Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) methods have been developed for process plants, such as gas plants, oil refineries, and chemical plants. The framework originated from the PSA of nuclear power plants, which aims to assess the risk of reactor core damage. The original PSA method was modified to adopt the characteristics of a process plant whose purpose is continuous operation without shutdown. Therefore, a fault tree, whose top event is shut down, was constructed and transformed into a Bayesian Network (BN), a probabilistic graph model, for efficient risk-informed decision-making. In this research, the fault tree-based BN from the previous research is further developed to consider the multi-hazard of earthquake-induced fire and explosion (EQ-induced F&E). For this purpose, an event tree describing the occurrence of fire and explosion from a release is first constructed and transformed into a BN. And then, this BN is connected to the previous BN model developed for seismic PSA. A virtual plot plan of a gas plant is introduced as a basis for the construction of the specific EQ-induced F&E BN to test the proposed BN framework. The paper demonstrates the method through two examples of risk-informed decision-making. In particular, the second example verifies how the proposed method can establish a repair and retrofit strategy when a shutdown occurs in a process plant.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.35-42
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• 2019

Risk assessment and analysis for a medium-to-small sized chemical plant that manufactures a polyester resin by the process of batch-type condensation reaction was conducted using K-PSR technique which is one of the risk assessment methods used to implement the Process Safety Management System (PSM). K-PSR is a risk assessment technique developed by KOSHA to compensate for difficulties caused by the lack of infrastructure of medium-to-small sized chemical plants in the re-evaluation. To apply the K-PSR technique, the entire process of a selected chemical palnt was classified in two review sections, i.e., the condensation reaction process and the dilution/filtration process, and the potential risks of the process about these review sections were identified and classified based on the four guide-words (release, fire.explosion, process trouble, and injury). As the results of the research, refer to recommend of risk rating has been confirmed that non-destructive testing of old facilities and the preparation of LOTO procedures for the electrical equipments are necessary as specific measures to prevent the risk of release and fire.explosion. It was also shown that pressure gauges and thermometers should be installed on the hot-oil supply piping to minimize the process trouble, and exhausting hood should be installed to prevent potential injury.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.61-69
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• 1998

The risk assessments for gas leak in underground pipeline are conducted about the explosion accident of AHYUN-DONG underground service-base on December, 1994(Gaussian gas, LNG) and the accident of TAEGU subway on April 1995(Heavy gas LPG). We have calculated the total mass of gas release and have respected the efficient of explosions with report of the spot. The dispersion zones of LNG were calculated as large as fifteen times to those of LPG by ALOHA. The effects of thermal radiation from LNG explosion were assumed less than that from LPG by PHAST.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2005

The wide use of metal dusts have been found in industrial field and many dust explosion accidents occur by fire spread of dust layer. In this study, we developed a new experimental device to examine fire and explosion characteristics of the dust layer. Aspects of the burning zone over metals(Mg, Zr, Ta, Ti, etc) and PMMA(Polymethyl methacrylate) dust layers have been investigated experimentally to clarify behaviors (Spread rate and quenching distance) and effects of $N_2$ surrounding gas on the fire spread over metal dust layers. From the experimental result, it was found that the spread rate of metal dusts is larger than PMMA, the dependability of spread rate over the thickness of dust layer is small, and the minimum oxygen concentration of spread flame over Mg dust layer is 3.6-3.7 vol%. Since high correlation between the spread rate and the reciprocal of quenching distance was seen, relative risk prediction in those inflammable parameters can be predicted.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.114-122
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• 2016

This study is to analyze the explosion and fire risks due to high temperature and short circuit current of Lithium batteries. This study selected the typical types of Li-polymer batteries and Li-ion batteries as the test samples. The result of explosion risk assessment due to the high temperature showed that, while a Li-polymer battery had $170^{\circ}C$ explosion on average, a Li-ion battery had $187^{\circ}C$ explosion. The measurement result of temperature increase due to short circuit current revealed that, in case that protection circuit module (PCM) was normally working, there was little of temperature increase due to over-current limitation. However, in case that PCM was out of order, the temperature of a Li-polymer battery increased up to an average of $115.7^{\circ}C$ and the temperature of a Li-ion battery increased up to an average of $80.5^{\circ}C$, which showed the higher risks of fire and burn.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.120-128
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• 2022

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are a basic component in the electronics industry and are widely used in nearly all electronic products, such as mobile phones, tablet computers, and digital cameras, as well as in electric equipment. PCB manufacturing involves the use of many chemicals and chemical processes and therefore has more risks than other manufacturing sectors. This study aims to identify the causes of possible accidents during PCB manufacturing through risk assessment, develop and implement safety measures, and evaluate the effectiveness of these measures. Note that the safety measures developed to mitigate the risks of a certain process were also implemented for other similar processes. The risk assessments conducted over seven years, from 2015 to 2021, at a PCB manufacturing company identified 361 hazardous processes. Between 2016 and 2019, 41-56 hazardous processes were identified per year; such processes decreased to fewer than 20 per year after 2020. Application of the risk assessment results to the improvement of the hazardous processes with the similar characteristics seems to be effective in decreasing the risks. Equipment-related factors such as lack of appropriate maintenance, low work standards, and defective protection devices were responsible for 59.8% of all possible accidents. Because PCB manufacturing involves many chemicals, skin contact with hazardous substances, electric shock, fire, and explosion were the most common types of possible accidents (81.7%). In total, 505 safety measures were implemented, including 157 related to purchase and improvement of equipment and devices for safety (31.1%), 147 related to the installation/modification of fire prevention facilities (29.1%), and 69 related to the use of standard electrical appliances (13.7%). Risk assessment conducted after implementing the safety measures showed that these measures significantly decreased risk; 247 processes (68.4%) had a risk level of 3, corresponding to "very low," and 114 processes (31.6%) showed a risk level of 4, corresponding to "low." In particular, risk assessment of 104 processes with risk scores of 12 and 10 other processes with risk score of 16 showed that the risk decreased to 4 after implementing the safety measures. Thus, implementing these measures in similar manufacturing sectors that involve chemical processes can mitigate risk.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.84-89
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• 2012

For the safe handling of n-nonanol, this study was investigated the explosion limits of n-nonanol in the reference data. The flash points and AITs (autoignition temperatures) by ignition delay time were experimented. As a results, the lower and upper explosion limits of n-nonanol recommended 0.8 Vol.% and 6.1 Vol.%, respectively. The lower flash points of n-nonanol by using closed-cup tester were experimented $94{\sim}97^{\circ}C$. The lower flash points of n-nonanol by using open cup tester were experimented $103{\sim}104^{\circ}C$. This study measured relationship between the AITs and the ignition delay times by using ASTM E659-78 apparatus for n-nonanol. The experimental AIT of n-nonanol was $270^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.28-33
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• 2019

After the Tianjin Port explosion on 2015, it is highlighted that securing safety for dangerous goods in Korea and try to establish safety standards for railroad dangerous substances transport. In Korea, the regulation for the transport of dangerous goods is stipulated to need 3 buffer cars. However, It is inefficient that 3 buffer cars. because 3 buffer cars, increase transportation too much costs in transit and it is too strict compared to other country rules. The purpose of this study was to improve transportation efficiency by mitigating the criteria for isolated railroads through rational safety assessment. In order to verify this, we used a risk assessment software which is PHAST 7.2 developed by DNV GL. We calculated safety distances that could prevent ignitions setting up scenarios when relief system work installed on a train loaded with propylene, nonane. As a result, we confirmed that buffer cars can be reduced from three to one. This result would be implemented in the application of Korail.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.76-81
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• 2010

For the safe handling of n-heptane, the explosion limit at $25^{\circ}C$, the temperature dependence of the explosion limits and the lower flash point were investigated. And AITs (auto-ignition temperatures) by ignition time delay for n-heptane were experimented. By using the literatures data, the lower and upper explosion limits of n-heptane recommended 1.0 Vol% and 7.0 Vol%, respectively. And the lower flash points of n-heptane recommended $-4^{\circ}C$. This study measured relationship between the AITs and the ignition delay times by using ASTM E659-78 apparatus for n-heptane and the experimental AIT of n-hexane was $225^{\circ}C$. The new equation for predicting the temperature dependence of the explosion limits of n-heptane is proposed. The values calculated by the proposed equations were a good agreement with the literature data.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.76-81
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• 2010

For the safe handling of toluene, explosion limit at $25^{\circ}C$ and the temperature dependence of the explosion limits were investigated. And flash point and AIT (Autoignition Temperature) for toluene were experimented. By using the literature data, the lower and upper explosion limits of toluene recommended 1.13 vol% and 7.9 vol%, respectively. In this study, measured the lower and upper flash points of toluene by air-blowing tester were $5^{\circ}C$ and $40^{\circ}C$, respectively. And measured the upper flash points of toluene by Setaflash tester was $41.5^{\circ}C$. This study measured relationship between the AITs and the ignition delay times by using ASTM E659-78 apparatus for toluene, and the experimental AIT of toluene was $547^{\circ}C$. The new equations for predicting the temperature dependence of the explosion limits of toluene is proposed. The values calculated by the proposed equations were a good agreement with the literature data.