The Effectiveness of Process Safety Management (PSM) Regulation for Chemical Industry in Korea

摘要

From the 1960s, Korean industries have been encouraged by the government to nurture heavy and chemical industry and to modernize the economics and industrial structures. The development of chemical industry particularly became the turning point in industrial development, and played a major role in the construction of a new industrialized country. However, the process systems in the chemical industry have become more complex and larger, and the inventories of dangerous chemicals that are produced or consumed have continuously increased. Therefore, the hazards from potential accidents such as fire and explosion or release of toxic chemicals have also increased. In fact, from the end of 1980s to the beginning of 1990s in Korea, the number of major industrial accidents such as ABS extruder explosion, TDI release and dryer explosion, etc had occurred and caused many fatalities. As the chemical companies recognized the importance of preventing major hazards, PSM system, the prevention of major industrial accidents, was introduced in January 1995 by amending Industrial Safety and Health Act, and it has been enforced from January 1,1996. According to the law, the employer of dangerous installations should submit the PSM report to the government for the prevention of chemical accidents which can cause a serious danger to the employees and residents in nearby community. As a result of 7 years PSM implementation, various kinds of effectiveness have been made, which are that accident rate including number of fatality has been decreased and productivity has been increased as well as product quality.