"100% Responsibility for Hydrogen Safety"... Gas Safety Corporation Announces 'New Normal Gas Safety Innovation'

Lim Hae-jong, President of Korea Gas Safety Corporation. (Photo by Korea Gas Safety Corporation)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chae-seok] The Korea Gas Safety Corporation announced on the 31st that it will implement the 'New Normal Gas Safety Innovation' project over the next three years starting next year to lead hydrogen safety and adapt to the post-COVID-19 era.

The New Normal Gas Safety Innovation project will pursue 53 detailed tasks under four major innovation strategies: accident reduction innovation, new normal innovation, hydrogen safety innovation, and coexistence and trust innovation, including strengthening hydrogen safety management.

The tasks were decided through two rounds of review by an advisory committee composed of a majority of external experts, based on a public idea contest held in October. The advisory committee will be convened every six months to review progress on the tasks.

Source=Korea Gas Safety Corporation

First, to establish a foundation for 100% hydrogen safety compliance, the Gas Safety Corporation will prepare safety management standards for hydrogen fuel use facilities and hydrogen products, including detailed manufacturing and facility standards for hydrogen fuel cells, hydrogen extraction equipment, and hydrogen electrolysis equipment.

Additionally, the project will include ▲completing safety management standards for the entire lifecycle of liquefied hydrogen ▲free rental of inspection equipment for hydrogen vehicle charging stations ▲expansion of certified parts categories for hydrogen vehicles.

To reduce casualties, the corporation will develop and distribute the 'Fuse Cock Overcurrent Cutoff Safety Device' to fundamentally prevent accidents caused by insufficient 'blocking measures' and promote the wider distribution of safety devices for butane cans.

Prevention inspections and publicity for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning accidents will be strengthened. To eliminate safety blind spots, accident prevention procedures for careless work will be prepared and distributed, and management of small storage tank reinspection omissions and inspection exemptions will be reinforced.

Efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will be intensified.

Non-face-to-face inspections such as smart inspections, video inspections, and remote product certification audits will be expanded, and 'real-time risk prediction technology based on worker movement paths at gas chemical facilities' using smart technology will be developed and distributed.

Source=Korea Gas Safety Corporation

A big data-based real-time risk prediction and artificial intelligence (AI) accident management system will be introduced, and safety management education services utilizing virtual reality (VR) content will be provided.

To build a gas safety system trusted by the public, the project will also pursue ▲regular safety inspections and facility improvement projects for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) container use facilities and isolated households in island areas ▲coexistence initiatives for safety management of multicultural families and vulnerable groups ▲establishment of an LPG safety management agency system ▲technical support for manufacturers to promote domestic production of gas products ▲improvement of inspection standards for gas supply facilities and modernization of safety standards ▲expansion of convenience in issuing inspection certificates and activation of inspection exemption systems.

Im Hae-jong, president of the Gas Safety Corporation, said, "By 2023, when the new normal safety management innovation is successfully completed, we expect positive outcomes such as achieving a gas accident index of 3.62 (gas accident damage per one million people), establishing smart and IT-based non-face-to-face untact gas safety management, and 100% implementation of the New Deal hydrogen safety management policy.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.