• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.31
• /
• pp.24.1-24.7
• /
• 2016

The humidifier disinfectant disaster (HDD) was not a simple poisoning accident by biocides, but a singular disaster in history created by chemicals in household products. This disaster was a result of the failure of a system for the management of chemical and product safety. Since the management authority for chemical usage safety is different from those for chemical safety in products, many blind areas for chemical safety management in products still remain. The 'Act on the Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemical Substances (ARECS)' or the new 'Biocidal Product Act' must not only address the blind areas in the management system for chemical and product safety, but also prevent a second HDD. To prevent another HDD, an integrated registration, evaluation, and management system for chemicals and consumer products must be incorporated into the 'ARECS' as an essential part for chemical safety in consumer products.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.765-774
• /
• 2023

The Ministry of Employment and Labor implemented the process safety management(PSM) system from 1996 to prevent major industrial accidents caused by chemical substances, but the number of accidents did not drastically decrease. Even in workplaces with excellent PSM ratings, large-scale chemical accidents still occur due to non-compliance with safety work procedures and insufficient safety measures during maintenance and other work. Accordingly, the chemical accident risk warning system was introduced in 2014 to supplement the PSM system and prevent accidents that may occur during regular or unexpected maintenance and repair work. In the meantime, changes in the safety management system have been checked since the introduction of the chemical accident risk warning system at chemical handling workplaces, and based on the results, a plan for upgrading this system has been proposed. The effect of the CARW system was found to directly prevent accidents through wired and on-site consulting and post-management at the workplace and indirectly contribute to the establishment of a safety and health management system at the workplace, such as improving safety culture awareness.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.23-34
• /
• 2003

The emergency response modeling system CARIS has been developed at CCSM (Center for Chemical Safety Management), NIER (National Institute of Environmental Research) to track and predict dispersion of hazardous chemicals for the environmental decision support in case of accidents at chemical or petroleum companies in Korea. The main objective of CARIS is to support making decision by rapidly providing the key information on the efficient emergency response of hazardous chemical accidents for effective approaches to risk management. In particular, the integrated modeling system in CARIS consisting of a real-time numerical weather forecasting model and air pollution dispersion model is supplemented for the diffusion forecasts of hazardous chemicals, covering a wide range of scales and applications for atmospheric information. In this paper, we introduced the overview of components of CARIS and described the operational modeling system and its configurations of coupling/integration in CARIS. Some examples of the operational modeling system is presented and discussed for the real-time risk assessments of hazardous chemicals.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.49 no.5
• /
• pp.247-250
• /
• 2023

This case report aims to introduce the safety campaign activities for preventing chemical accidents that were cooperatively conducted by an environmental office and chemical-handling workplaces located in the Ulsan area. A chemical safety campaign was initiated to examine and manage chemical-handling facilities at high risk for chemical accidents, specifically valves, flanges, and switches (VFS) from October 2020 to December 2022. The VFS safety check campaign was conducted to raise workers' safety consciousness based on a campaign of advertisements in the workplace from October 2020 to December 2021. In addition, a VFS plus [+] campaign was initiated to encourage actual management activities for chemical-handling facilities at high risk of chemical accidents in 2022. A total of 49 corporations participated in the VFS plus [+] campaign. In contrast to the VFS safety check campaign, which simply focused on publicity and resulted in changes in worker awareness, practicable safety management activities focusing on the handling facilities were carried out. Although notable short-term impacts have yet to be discerned from the campaigns, it is expected that they will eventually serve as a starting point for developing a proper safety culture and environment.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.25-33
• /
• 2023

This study analyzed the factors affecting the effectiveness of the Chemical Hazard Risk Management (CHARM). A survey was conducted on 104 learners who participated in the Risk Assessment training course at Occupational Safety and Health Training Institute. Through a self-administered questionnaire, the effect of personal characteristics, corporate characteristics, and safety and health level of the company on the effectiveness of chemical risk assessment was investigated. As a result of statistical analysis, the safety and health level of the company had a positive (+) effect on the effectiveness of Chemical Hazard Risk Management(CHARM), but personal characteristics and corporate characteristics had no relation to it. This study can be used as basic data for further research related to chemical risk assessment in workplaces.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.183-195
• /
• 1999

Most of chemical plant are using toxic and dangerous materials, inflammable and poisonous. There are many accidental dangers by escaping of fire, explosive and poisonous materials in case of high temperature and pressure. The accidents lead to taking employer's and local people's life and environmental contamination. Therefore, 27 small-medium chemical plant, which size is 30 ∼ 200 employees out of safety management agent ill the area of A was selected in this study. The problems of safety management and several countermeasures at the chemical plants was indicated through the analyzed data. Prior to this analysis, top managers' concerns, equipment maintenance for the safety management are needed. For the future, calamity prevention countermeasures by industrial disaster analysis are needed and active safety management programs are investigated for the industrial disaster prevention and productivity enhancement at the chemical plant.

• Proceedings of the Safety Management and Science Conference
• /
• 1999.11a
• /
• pp.97-108
• /
• 1999

Most of chemical plant are using toxic and dangerous materials, inflammable and poisonous. There are many accidental dangers by escaping of fire, explosive and poisonous materials in case of high temperature and pressure. The accidents lead to taking employer's and local people's life and environmental contamination. Therefore, 27 small-medium chemical plant, which size is 30∼200 employees out of safety management agent in the area of A was selected in this study. The problems of safety management and several countermeasures at the chemical plants was indicated through the analyzed data. Prior to this analysis, top managers' concerns, equipment maintenance for the safety management are needed. For the future, calamity prevention countermeasures by industrial disaster analysis are needed and active safety management programs are investigated for the industrial disaster prevention and productivity enhancement at the chemical plant.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.39-49
• /
• 2020

Objectives: We investigated the status of accidents and deaths caused by chemical leakage and skin contact in Korea. The purpose of this study was to produce and provide technical reference data for the efficient management of accidents and the rational management of accidental chemicals. Methods: Accidents and deaths caused by chemical leakage and skin contact in industry were investigated. Based on 68 accident reports related to chemical leakage and skin contact, the causes of accidental deaths were analyzed. In addition, we investigated the chemical substances and articles that caused these accidents and deaths. Based on the results of the investigation, the causes of accidents caused by chemical leakage and skin contact were identified and practical management measures for the chemicals were suggested. Results and Conclusions: In 2018, 372 people suffered from chemical leaks and skin contact, up by 123 (about 49.4%) from the previous year. The number of accident deaths was 14, an increase of five (about 55.6%) from the previous year. In the last three years (2016-2018), 91 chemical substances and article groups were involved in accidents caused by chemical leakage and skin contact. There were 16 chemical substance and article groups involved in accidental deaths. There were ten cases of accidents involving two or more casualties due to chemical leakage and skin contact, and 23 deaths occurred. Most of these accidental deaths were caused by subcontractor workers outsourcing risks. Therefore, there is an apparent need to strengthen the responsibility for safety and health among subcontractors.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.96-100
• /
• 1998

Chemical plants with high-technological equipments and complex processes are continually increasing potential hazards that may result in huge industrial accidents. If an incident breaks out, it will have a hazardous effect on in-plant workers, neighboring inhabitants or the surrounding environment. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a safety management system that can pre-evaluate the safety and reduce the risk of a chemical plants. The safety management evaluation program developed in this study can implement an effective loss control management in chemical plants. It integrates important lists in safety management lists and legal measures to analyze elements systematically. It also includes incident case analysis and the required components in domestic laws.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.63-70
• /
• 2014

There has been an increase in fire/explosion accidents caused by chemical substances used in new small/medium sized construction, reconstruction, or extension sites. There is vast room for improvement, especially in safety training, safety inspection, and selection of countermeasures because training, technicality, and management systems regarding fire/explosion risks in small/medium sized construction sites are very immature in most cases. The purpose of this study is to propose a differentiated technical, educational, and management application plan for preventative management of fire/explosion accidents caused by chemical substances used in small/medium sized construction sites.