Analysis of Vulnerability during Business and Off-business Hours in Case of Hazardous Materials Release Accidents

Abstract

Korea has been experiencing human and environmental damage caused by accidental release of toxic chemicals such as the Gumi hydrofluoric acid accident and the Ulsan chemical accident. As the government managers do not know when, where, and how such accidents will occur, they have been trying to reduce the level of damage by recognizing victims in advance. In this study, assuming a chlorine gas release accident occurs in facilities handling hazardous chemicals, the impact range was analyzed considering the worst-case scenario of chemical release. After analyzing social, physical, and place-dependent vulnerabilities by applying the multi-criteria evaluation method, a vulnerability map of chemical release was prepared. The study focused on proposing a method for vulnerability assessment during non-economic and economic activity time by considering dynamic factors when evaluating vulnerability. The results of dynamic vulnerability analysis based on GIS are expected to support decision making that could respond differently to chemical release accidents depending on the time of occurrence, thereby minimizing human casualties.