격리-잠금 시스템[ILS]의 성공적인 정착방안에 관한 연구

Abstract

There are many risks in the process area where large machinery and equipment are operated. Under the circumstances, expecially, many accidents related to energy isolation have been reported from the places during maintenance or cleaning works. To prevent these risks, local industry and multinational companies have applied Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) procedure as one of the countermeasures against those potential risks. Expecially company P which is a representative steel company in Korea developed ILS and has expanded the system to subsidiary companies. ILS stands for Isolation & Locking System which is one of the safety systems that protects workers from accidents even if workers did something wrong mistakenly by physically blocking the power supply, or operation of equipment or machines. This system was developed by DuPont and introduced to BHP steel in Australia. KOSHA regulations also specifies the installation of the lock devices and signs in Article 37 and 38. As the result of literature survey associated with ILS, it was found that there have been many studies regarding the excellence of the isolation system and the accident prevention effectiveness. However, there were just few studies related to the problems which could be issued during the operation of the system and the factors for a successful settlement after applied it. Therefore, this study identified the problems and reasons in ILS operations, and suggested the improvement measures for the successful settlement of ILS. For the purposes, SWOT analysis was conducted throughout interviews with department assignees and ILS trainers, and brainstorming with operational leaders. As a result of the analysis, 22 factors affecting the system settlement were derived and classified into 13 categories. 7 among these items were found to need improvement. In order to establish the improvement plan for these 7 items, we consulted with the operational experts and finally developed 22 action items. ILS is a highly effective system to prevent accidents related to energy isolation at the time of maintenance or equipment inspection. However, through this study, it was found that improvements are needed in terms of ILS operations, building infrastructure for the operation, and safety culture of workers and company. The proposed improvement measures could be used to enhance general ILS activities to active and systematic activities. In the case of companies that are considering ILS introduction, the system could be introduced more successfully if the results of this study are taken into consideration.