도시철도 지하역사의 가스계소화설비에 관한 연구

Safety Problem of Gaseous Extinguishing System in Underground Subway Station

우리나라의 도시철도 지하역사에 설치한 가스계소화약제는 CO₂ 85.5%, Halon 1301 6.19%, HCFC-BLEND A 4.14%, 할로겐화합물 및 불활성기체소화설비 4.62%를 설치·운용하고 있다. 현재 도시철도 지하역사에 설치된 하론계 소화가스인 Halon 1301, HCFC-BLEND A는 지구온난화 및 오존층 파괴 등으로 이미 전 세계적으로 규제하고 있고, CO₂소화약제는 하론계 소화가스와는달리 신규 설치·운영하는데, 아무런 제재가 없었다. 특히, CO₂소화설비 동작시 지하역사의 특성으로 밀폐공간에서의 질식사고등이 안전에 심각한 문제점이 있는데도 불구하고, 이미 설치된 설비라는 이유로 대체 가스의 대응이 이루어지고 있지 않다.

The gaseous fire extinguishing agents CO₂, Halon 1301, and HCFC-BLEND A and a clean fire extinguishing agent are installed and operated in 85.5%, 6.19%, 4.14%, and 4.62% of the city railroad subway stations of Korea, respectively. The fire extinguishing halon gases Halon1301 and HCFC-BLEND A currently used in city railroad subway stations are already regulated globally because of global warming and ozone layer destruction.Moreover, the use of Halon 1301 is prohibited because of the development of alternative clean fire extinguishing gas. However, newly installing and operating CO₂, unlike the use of halon gas, has not been sanctioned. In particular, even though a fire extinguishing CO₂facility has the serious safety problem of choking accidents occurring as a result of operation in a closed space because of the characteristics of a subway station, the situation has not been improved. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development designates CO₂ as the major substance causing global warming and forcibly allocates the reduction of carbon emissions to member countries through a reduction policy. Therefore, overall annual replacement of CO₂ fire extinguishing facilities installed and operated in subway stations is necessary, and the problems of fire extinguishing operation characteristics and maintenance of fire extinguishing gas facilities should be reviewed. The purpose of this work is to presentthe maintenance status of fire extinguishing gas facilities installed and operated in the city railroad subway stations of Korea. Furthermore, the preparation of measures and laws for preventing fatalities resulting from choking caused by fire extinguishing CO₂facilities and for improving cooperation with the international environmental response is proposed.