The purpose of this preliminary study was to analyze the effectiveness and variability of the flame retardant performances of different flame retardants with different main ingredients. This study selected plywood made of oak and three types of flame retardants with different main ingredients. The flame retardant performance measurements were conducted according to Article 31, Paragraph 2 of the “Enforcement Rule of the Fire Safety Installation and Management Act” and Article 7-2 of the “Flame Retardant Performance Test of Flame Retardant Materials.” The flame retardant performance of the plywood was also measured according to the domestic legal standard. The following conclusions were drawn. First, the after-flame and after-glow times were both measured as 0 seconds regardless of the flame retardant treatment. This was presumed to be because oak plywood is made from a species of oak tree that is naturally fire-resistant owing to its thick bark layer. Second, the flame retardant performances differed depending on the main ingredient of the flame retardant used on the oak plywood. The experimental results confirmed that a phosphorus mixture was the most effective main ingredient. Third, based on the results of this study and previous studies, it was confirmed that flame retardant performances vary depending on their main ingredients and composition ratios, as well as according to the tree species and type of flame retardant. Therefore, it is necessary to continue researching and comparing flame retardant performances through quantitative measurements based on the main ingredients and composition ratios for various tree species and flame retardants.

This study allows comparative analysis of the evacuation time required for nursing hospitals using an evacuation simulation program and proposes an optimized procedure to enhance safety. Considering the current laws and regulations that nursing hospitals may be exempted from using ramps or elevators, this study analyzed the evacuation time of all occupants, including patients who cannot evacuate by themselves. The following three cases were analyzed in order: elevators were exempt but ramps were installed, ramps were exempt but elevators that can move a bed were installed, and both elevators and ramps were installed. Last, the study comparatively analyzed the evacuation time for the above-mentioned cases when an additional evacuation space was installed. The results of the evacuation simulation showed that the required evacuation time was the shortest when a ramp, an elevator, and an evacuation space were all installed. Although there are provisions exempting ramps or elevators in nursing hospitals, the law should be revised to require the installation of both of them in nursing hospitals of two floors or higher. It is also an appropriate time to discuss the retroactive enforcement of evacuation space—which replaces the vertical evacuation of those vulnerable during evacuation—currently required for newly built or change-of-use nursing hospitals.

This study aims to measure the changes in evacuation time, with respect to the arrangement of a neonatal unit in a postnatal care center, by using an evacuation simulation program for analysis. Currently, the “Mother And Child Health Care Act, 2022” prohibits the installation of postpartum care centers above the second floor, but more than 80% of existing centers are located on the third floor or higher, producing problems with vertical evacuation. There are also no regulations for the placement of the neonatal unit when only one neonatal unit is in operation. Therefore, in the event of a fire, crowding and confusion would produce problems when mothers are evacuating with their babies. Since there are no regulations regarding the distribution of neonatal rooms, postpartum nursing homes are operating only one neonatal room in order to cut costs. Therefore, in such a concentrated arrangement, in the event of a fire, crowding and confusion would produce problems when mothers are evacuating with their babies. Considering these issues, evacuation times were compared and analyzed by changing the layout of a postnatal care center. This included where there was only one neonatal unit, where the neonatal and postpartum units were distributed on the same floor, and where these units were distributed on separate floors. The results showed a significant difference in evacuation times for the proposed arrangements, ranging from 584.3s to 456.0s. Considering the safety of vulnerable newborns and mothers, regulations for low-floor layouts of postnatal care centers are necessary to ensure quick evacuation.