Risk Management Tool Kit
Purpose Each year has its apexes and troughs when it comes to the general evaluation through the occurred events on the corresponding year. 2014, however, is one of the years with the most controversial and egregious events. The world’s largest country, Russia, expanded its land even more through the disparaged annexation of Crimea. A Malaysian plane had gone missing to be found nowhere, while another had been shot down within the borders of Ukraine. However, as a Korean, it is irresponsible for one to neglect the devastating capsize of the ferry Sewol. The ferry, carrying more than 450 passengers, had capsized on the Yellow Sea. The fact that more than 300 of the 450 were high school students certainly contributed to its gaining of worldly attention. Yet, most of the passengers, especially the students, did not know how to deal with the situation they were stuck in, resulting in the mournful death of most; thus, people realized that they were completely unequipped with the knowledge themselves. To gratify the needs, us ‘My Safety Guide,’ or MSG, had come together in the unified goal of preparing the student before a calamity strikes, ultimately saving the lives from potential danger.
Defining Risk A: The Reasoning Behind the Selection We have chosen two main areas of study for the project: ships and subways. Korea, a mass of land under the continent of China, is a peninsula. Naturally, the usage of ships has been widespread for centuries, and is still one of the most frequently used methods of transportation to nearby countries and within the nation. On the other hand, the subway system is considered as one of the best organized in the world, with more than 3.5 million passengers each day. We thought preventing further casualties from the two major regions will help us obtain the most efficiency by incrementing the awareness of the mass public. In addition, the two of the most well-known, devastating, and deadly accidents in modern Korean history happened concerning the two means of transportation: the sinking of the ferry Sewol, as mentioned above, which resulted in more than 300 deaths; and the ‘Daegu Subway Catastrophe,’ which is less known to the world. Nevertheless, the latter killed 192 people and injured 151 men.
B: On the Water and Under the Ground Risk Defining of Ship A Ship, by its nature of being a vehicle on the surface of water, is prone to many dangers. The body of water is yet unfamiliar to the mankind, at least not as much as the solid ground where we walk on. This obscurity renders us vulnerable to the oceanic factors like the unoreductable weather or the unforeseen dangers like under water rocks or glaciers. The Sewol incident is an exceptional example of how treating ignorance can save lives. Sewol was on its way to Jeju Island from the harbor of Inchon, when it capsized and sank near the island of Jindo, on April 16th of 2014. Carrying 476 passengers of which 325 high school students who were on their school trip, the ferry was helpless and only the few who escaped early in the action were rescued. We focused on how to survive from the sinking and tilting ship and kept it general for the most part so that it can be applied to many different situations with differentiated details. Risk Defining of Subway Possibly more stable than a ship, a subway runs underground, usually powered by electricity. Because of its subterranean structure, the stations are sometimes even used as an evacuation site for surficial events like earthquake or even missile attacks. Evacuating from the underground stations instead of into them, however, can be much harder. The limited number of exits and small space thwart the people from making easy escapes or figuring out the whole situations in general. The Daegu Subway Catastrophe, or commonly referred to as the ‘Daegu Incident,’ happened inFebruary 18th of 2003 in the City of Daegu, South Korea. The fire started from a suicidal man of age 56, when he ignited his lighter to inflame the bottle of gasoline he had had. The fire spread quickly, releasing toxic gas that blocked view. Most people panicked and could not react, which caused severer damage. A few of the most common accidents invloving subways include fire, flooding and terror attacks, but we focused mainly on the fire situations within the train and the station, since they are undoubtfully the most common.
Analysis Risk Analysis of Ship In order to be alert about how serious the issues are, analyzing the past events can be very helpful. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the average number of oceanic accidents is about 700, causing 250 deaths. At this rate, there will have been a total of 4200 accidents and 1500 deaths by the year of 2020. Most of the accidents occur as two ships collide, and fishermen’s ships tend to be involved for the most part. 1400 1200 1000 800
Number of Accidents Number of Ships Involved
600
Number of Casualties
400 200 0
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Risk Analysis of Subway Subways, although used by more people, tend to be safer. Fewer accidents occur, resulting in fewer casualties. However, that does not guarantee the safety of the entire passengers. From year 2003 to 2013, there had been a toal of 1705 accidents, a surprising rate of 155 accidents per year. if the rate continues until the year 2020, they will have been a total of 930 more railroad related accidents.
Risk Analysis Conclusion
As it can be seen from the numerical values and the future predictions accordingly, it is hard to assume that you will never be involved in an accident. We would surely like to avoid those accidents but now that they had already happened, it is better for us to learn lessons from it, gradually decreasing the average number.
Objective The main objective of the MSG team is uniform and simple; to grow the awareness on how to handle accidents and situations when they actually happen. We hope that the public could be familiar with our project so that mass number of people can be educated, but our main target is the body of teenagers and students. From the standpoint of high school students, we perceive ourselves as ‘helpless,’ because no one knows anything about any subject when it comes to the matter of a disaster. Also, the incident of Sewol, the event that inspired us to start the very project, victimized mostly students, 16 and 17 years of age. We think it is important to be able to protect from, and prepare ourselves for the times of most unexpected. Our goal is to reach at least 50% of the student body population of Korea, ensuring that at least small amount of people are educated and can conduct the other crowd. If 50% percent of the victimized students were aware on how to help themselves, the number of causalties from Sewol could have been decreased to 141 from 282. Considering that they could have helped others also, the number could have been decreased even further. On the same line of thought, we strive to lessen the number so that it will be close to zero in the future. Accidents happen, no matter what, and they are inevitable. However, deaths can be avoided, and we wish to be their guide.
Risk Management Plan for Ship The basic steps to follow when escaping a sinking ship can be divided into 5 major categories. They are labeled ‘Before Departure,’ ‘When the Ship Starts to sink,’ ‘When Ship Starts to tilt,’ ‘Escaping the Ship,’ and finally, ‘Jumping into the Ocean.’ These had been chronologically ordered to to make the reading easier.
Before Departure Knowing where the survival tools are is critical before the ship leaves the harbor. Because every ship is different and can vary in size, structure and so on, understanding each with a separate approach is important. Learn where the flash lights, emergency axe, emergency hammer, and fire extinguisher are. Most important, however, is to remember where the life boats and life jackets are, along with the route to get up to the deck. Locations of stairwell and hallways can play an important role in this step. It is also recommended that you make a small group or a ‘team’ to work with in case of a disaster. A sinking ship can tilt or shake violently, so escaping alone can be challenging. By allotting roles to each member of the team, specialize in evacuation, helping each other out.
When the Ship Starts to Sink This is the most important step of all, the step that determines the percentage of your survival. The most important rule is to keep yourself from panicking. Researches show that more than 75% cannot think reasonably in case of such accidents. Know that you are not exempt from such panic, and try to be calm and think with reason rather than intuition. The most commonly used method is the ‘square Breathing.’ To clear your mind, try breathing in for 4 seconds, hold it for 4, exhale for another 4 and then repeat. If you feel like you are sober, move on to the next step.
Bringing Order It is significant to make order, not chaos among the people. If you see people who are in panic, shake or yell at them with all your might, waking them up from the frozen state. Make order, and act together to escape. The small group you had formed on the previous step can work together. However, if all things are out of control or finding a companion is unlikely, go ahead and move on to find the life jackets.
Life Jackets Certainly, the life jacket is one of the most important utensils to be found. Wear one for yourself first, then aid others, including children, elders or the injured. Even trying to figure out how to wear it can be a challenge if the ship is sinking and you have to move deliberately. Thus, it helps to be prepared beforehand. First, loosen the chest strap. After wearing it, button up, and then tighten the chest strap. In order to do so, a partner might be required. Then, pull the crotch strap between your legs, tightening it. Wearing a life jacket means, however, that you cannot be indoors. Also, it is noteworthy that you are recommended to bring the jacket up on the deck, and then wear it there, when the rooms are being filled up with water in a quick manner. Being trapped in flooded indoors with a jacket on can be deadly, since you lose control over the moveent of your own body.
Reaching the Deck The main goal for most of the cases is to get to the upper deck, where the process of recuing can be done most easily. Hearing seven short beeps followed by a long one over the speaker signals the passengers to move up to the deck. However, if you do not hear any beeps over the speaker, it is best to place yourself near the life boat.
When Ship Starts to Tilt As the ship starts to tilt, or as you feel the ship tilting, it is critical to move as quickly as possible from that point on. Although 20째 on a paper might not seem like a huge angle, 20째on a physical scale can disable movement completely. Wayer rushing into the ship is also another sign that tells you to pick up the pace. Ankle-leveled water can significantly debilitate the physical movement. Avoiding Troubles Break a window instead to trying to open a defunct door. In such a case, a metal fire extinguisher or any heavy object like a chair can come in handy. Also, make sure never to use an elevator if in a big cruise. Although the convenience might be tempting, being stuck in an elevator is close to impossible to survive from, especially the from the one in a sinking ship. Escaping the Ship As constantly mentioned, getting on the upper deck and rendering life boats avail are significant, yet initial rescue through 122 or 119.make sure to notify them of your current situation, location, route of the ship, approximate number of the people to be rescued. In addition, obtaining survival tools and items like drinking water, food supply, flash light, emergency kit, match and blankets can be a tremendous help in the long run, especially on the life boat. Certainly, even if not labeled, gather items that you think might be helpful later. If all the steps are completed and you are getting on the boat, help the women and children first. Oars, flares, and a little supplies of drinking water and food are prepared in many of the boats.
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steps. If you get to be in a less desperate condition, call for
After Getting on the Life Boat Getting on the boat is one step, but getting rescued from there is another, There are always chances of drift, or other unexpected events. Signaling your location to call for help from nearby ships comes in many different methods. During the day, simple shaking of your shirt and flares are useful. Amid of mist, however, the most efficient is the usage of mirrors or belt buckles that reflect sunlight. Drinking the sea water is prohibited no matter what the conditions are.
Jumping into the Ocean But what if the life boat is dysfunctional? Such event can be devastating, but there are still some more options left. In cases like this, you must try to stay on the ship for as long as possible. Hypothermia is one of the leading causes of deaths, so as long as the ship is stable, you must stay on board to stay dry. The last option would be jumping into the water. Although the survival rate of the jumpers for the first few minutes or hours may clearly be high, hypothermia strikes and reduces the chances of survival. Before jumping, move to the frontal end so that you are not affected by the whirlpool created by the turbine of the ship, which is located at the rear. You should also make sure to take off your socks and shoes, which can absorb water, slowing you down under water. When jumping, straiten your body like a pencil so that your feet breaks the surface of the water first, decreasing the pressure applied to your body. Also, cover your nose with one hand while the other takes hold of the shoulders. Bend your neck forward to protect your head from the damage.
In the Water Keeping body parts above the water surface level is important to prevent hypothermia, or at least to delay it. If you do not have a life jacket or lose it during the fall, use items like empty backpacks, big plastic bottles, or thick jackets to stay afloat. One unique item that is often used is a pair of pants. When tied down at the ankles and wet, the clothing is capable of holding air when struck down with force on the surface of water. Keep away from the boat to stay safe from the whirlpools created by the sinking of the ship. Once out of reach, make sure to cover your abdomen, neck and crotch, where most of the heat escapes when under water. Stay in groups to keep each other warm and to prevent a random drift out into the sea. The most important detail to remember when jumping into the water is to keep away from getting hypothermia; in other words, to retain heat as much as possible. Other Things to Remember On a further note, an air capsule is a possibility when you were stuck in a room when the ship sank. An air capsule is defined as an insulated space filled with air but is underwater. Because most of the rooms of a ship are small, suffocation, not drowning, challenges the survivor in the capsule. Since limited is the space, the amount of air, too, is limited. Moreover, carbon dioxide that we exhale can be lethal if too high in percentage. To prevent overabundance of CO2, increase the surface area of the water in the room so that it gets absorbed in more, instead of filling in the atmosphere. In order to do so, splash the water to cause more waves and droplets in the air. Additionally, even when the room is filled with water, try to stay dry. This retains body heat and energy. Staying on top of furniture or a mattress that floats is an example of a method to stay dry.
Risk Management Plan for Subway On a Subway, however, the directions to follow are quite different. Cerainly, getting trapped in an air capsule or jumping into thw water does not happen in the subway station. Instead, other cautions arer required. For this process, we created three major categpries; ‘Before Boarding,’ ‘In case of fire,’ and ‘Using the Railroad to Escape.’ Before Boarding There are numerous items to check before boarding the train, or at the station. First of all, checking for the emergency equipment such as the fire extinguisher, emergency ladder, flash light, air tanks and the masks are critical. The mentioned emergency ladder is the on which is used to create a bridge between the platform and the rail in case of emergency.
The ‘How-To’ The instructions on using the emergency ladder is quite simple. By removing the locking device, you will be able to move it to the near edge of the platform. The ladder can be stabilized by placing its one end on the rail and another on the platform margin. Air tanks may be one of delightful findings in case of a fire, but knowing how to use it is necessary. After taking it out of the case, you wear it like a backpack, which you will connect to the face mask. After loosening the valve, place it on your face tightly, and set it as ‘positive pressure breathing.’ Lastly, you set it as ‘open,’ and start breathing in the fresh air.
In Case of Fire
The initial step is to use the emergency call system to inform the driver, how small the fire may seem. It is critical to let the driver know so that he may communicate with other trains’ drivers or a nearby station. Then, if possible, you should try to treat it with the fire extinguisher. To use the extinguisher, remove the safety pin, aim, press the lever, and spread it thoroughly. In doing so, be careful not to be too close burning yourself or to breathe in the substance from the equipment. However, if the fire is not at all docile, it is better to evacuate as quickly as possible. After notifying the driver, who will stop the train immediately, open the door using the emergency handle and escape. If you were stopped at a station, you have to open another set of doors, which are the glass slide door that prevent falls in to the railroad. Simply push the red bar or slide them aside to open. If either set of doors fail to open, break their windows to escape, using high heels or the extinguisher to shatter the window.
When Smoke is Present As widely known, place a wet piece of cloth or your shirt to cover your nose and mouth to protect them from the smoke. Also, keeping low stance, too, is a common knowledge, but you should avoid crawling, because it is simply too inefficient and dangerous. Try to escape in less than 6 minutes, which is considered to be the ‘golden time’ to survive. This minimizes the chances of suffocation from the toxic gas. If the smoke is too dense and you cannot figure out which way to go, you have those following options: walking against the wind, following the emergency light, or depending on the tiles for the blind on the floor.
Using the Railroad to Escape Use the railroad as the means of escape only when passing through the dense layers of smoke is impossible within the station. In the case of a subway fire in between stations, this is the only option. From the station platform, use the emergency ladder as mentioned above. If in the subway, you may make the best use out of the escaping ladder placed at the ends of the train. However, make sure to walk on the sides of the tunnel, not between the rails to avoid the on coming trains.
Conclusion What is it that we want with this project? Recognition? Appreciation from others? Actually, we only desire to be helpful and effective. As mentioned, the MSG Group’s goal is to prepare people, especiallly students before a real disaster strikes. Hopefully, we will be able to reach out to all out there in need, gradually spreading the knowledge and hope to more and more people. Through this Risk Management Project, the MSG Group hopes to see an increased amount of people alert and protected from the risks and be aware of the importance of the ability to help teenagers and the other ones.
Appendix
Motion Graphics
MSG Info Game
MSG App Game MSG Game App
Design and Programmed by Do Hoon Kim
MSG Board Game
MSG Board Game
Have a safe trip!