High-rise buildings present substantial challenges for firefighting and rescue operations owing to their considerable height. The stack effect, which becomes more pronounced with increasing building height, accelerates smoke propagation and significantly increases the likelihood of casualties. This study identifies and analyzes the risks associated with fire incidents in high-rise residential buildings. A 49-story building was selected as the reference model, and population density was applied to estimate occupant numbers for the risk assessment. For the damage scenario, one disaster-vulnerable individual per household was assumed. The simulation results revealed that firefighters and vulnerable occupants were exposed to smoke within 541 s. The findings of this study indicate that the stack effect, amplified by building height, exacerbates fire and smoke spread, thereby increasing firefighting risks and potential casualties. These results highlight fire incidents in high-rise structures as a critical category of urban disaster. Furthermore, the study underscores the limitations of existing firefighting facilities in addressing such scenarios and emphasizes the urgent need for new paradigms in firefighting strategies and smoke control technologies to mitigate the risks associated with the stack effect.

In this study, the case of Pohang Steelworks, a national infrastructure leading the Korean steel industry, was analyzed. Pohang Works, which is a national infrastructure and a national core technology, requires continuous operation, so a risk assessment is required. The survey involved the participation of 30 safety experts from Pohang Works, and additional interviews were conducted to improve the understanding of the survey results. As a result of the qualitative evaluation, the value of the identified risk was obtained, and the value was variable in probability and damage impact. In addition to being prioritized in order of highest risk, they are also placed according to the size of the risk. As a result, the necessary structural and non-structural treatments were proposed for a total of four hazards. Due to the nature of the qualitative evaluation conducted by internal experts, we were able to confirm that internal experts tend to be very aware of and respond to the risks they often face. It is expected that the objectivity of risk assessment results can be increased by adding quantitative methods in future studies. In addition, it is meaningful in that it practically suggests a treatment that focuses on risk management.