Journal of the Society of Disaster Information ISSN:1976-2208(Print) 2671-5287(Online) 한국재난정보학회논문집

Purpose: The current “Water Rescue Activity Risk Assessment Criteria” lacks experimental and theoretical foundations and is difficult to intuitively understand as it is presented in a table classified into four levels based on the intensity of water flow. Therefore, this study aims to redefine the existing criteria. Method: Experiments were conducted in a facility simulating an actual river, with participation from 119 rescue team members. The experimental stages were differentiated by water flow velocity and discharge. During each stage, the risk of level of rescuers during water rescue operations was assessment using quantitative data, such as task completion time, hydraulic pressure, and heart rate, as well as qualititative data collected through sutveys. Result: Based on the analysis data obtained from the hydraulic experiments, a risk curve was developed. This curve complements the existing risk assessment criteria, which only considered water flow velocity and increased risk proportional to a 5cm rise in water depth. The new curve allows for a simultaneous assessment of risk levels based on both water flow velocity and discharge. Conclusion: The application of the risk assessment curve derived from this study confirms that the aquatic environment conditions, such as a water depth of 50cm and a flow velocity of 2m/s or higher - previously classified as a danger level in existing water rescue activity risk assessment standards - remain within the safe range based on actual experimental results.