• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.137-152
• /
• 2024

In order to derive a plan to increase the field effectiveness of the safety and health management(SHM) system, this study suggested plans for practical application of SHM system to the actual sites managed by the branch office of a public enterprise along with practical implications that should be considered. For this, in-depth interviews were conducted with employees in charge of safety and health work at the sites to analyze SHM system of the branch office, and the implementation processes and frameworks for establishing SHM system were suggested by grasping the actual conditions of the construction company performing the construction ordered by the branch office. This study shows that in order for SHM to be internalized in public enterprises, plans and performance indicators that can be applied in the field should be specifically presented in consideration of the hierarchical structure and processes of the organization performing the work, and a work environment should be created to focus on practical works related to safety and health.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.384-392
• /
• 2013

Objective: This study inspected incident cases, legal control levels, and GHS(Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals) classification results of strong acids such as hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid, which have been responsible for many recent chemical accidents. As a result, it is deemed necessary for legal control levels of these strong acids to be revised and GHS classification be managed nation-wide. Methods: This study inspected incident cases and legal control levels for strong acids such as hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid. The study analyzed and compared chemical information status and GHS classification results. Results: There were 76 domestic incidents involving strongly acidic hazardous materials over the five years between 2007 and 2011. They include 37 leakage incidents(46.7%) within a workplace, 30 leakage incidents(39.5%) during transportation, and nine leakage incidents(13.8%) following an explosion. The strongly acidic materials in question are defined and controlled as toxic chemicals according to the classes of Substances Requiring Preparation for Accidents, Managed Hazardous Substance, Hazardous Chemical(corrosive) as set forth under the Enforcement Decree of the Toxic Chemicals Control Act and Rules on Occupational Safety and Health Standards of Occupational Safety and Health Act. Among them, nitric acid is solely controlled as a class 6 hazardous material, oxidizing liquid, under the Hazardous Chemicals Control Act. The classification results of the EU ECHA(European Chemicals Agency) CLP(Commission Regulation(EC) No. 790/2009 of 10 August 2009, for the purposes of its adaptation to technical and scientific progress, Regulation(EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures) and NIER (National Institute of Environmental Research) are almost identical for the three chemicals, with the exception of sulfuric acid. Much of the classification information of NITE (National Institute of Technology and Evaluation) and KOSHA(Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, KOSHA) is the same. NIER provides 12(41.4%) out of 29 classifications, as does KOSHA.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.393-401
• /
• 2013

Objectives: Endotoxins in dust generated in occupational settings is known to contribute to the occurrence of respiratory illness among workers. The relationship between the level of endotoxins in total dust or respirable particulates collected from swine farms and immunological markers related with respiratory allergy was evaluated among swine husbandry workers. Materials and Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from ten workers at ten swine farms at Gyeonggi province, Korea. Peripheral mononuclear cells were stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin for 48 hours. The levels of various cytokines produced at culture supernatants were determined using a commercially available ELISA kit. The concentration of particulate matter($PM_{10}$) in the indoor air of the swine farms was evaluated using a PVC membrane filter and mini volume air sampler, and endotoxin levels in the dust were measured by Limulus Amebocyte Lysate Kinetic QCL method. Results: Levels of endotoxins in the total dust were categorized into high(geometric mean: $109.35EU/m^3$) and low concentrations (geometric mean: $0.95EU/m^3$) for five swine farms. Interleukin-4 levels were higher in the high endotoxin group than in the low endotoxin group, while interferon-${\gamma}$ levels were lower in the high endotoxin group than in the low endotoxin group. The ratio (interferon-${\gamma}$ to interleukin-4), indicating immunologic skewedness against allergic reactivities, was lower in the high endotoxin group($1.15{\pm}0.60$) than the low endotoxin group($3.09{\pm}2.38$). In addition, the level of interleukin-13, another cytokine contributing to the occurrence of allergic responses, was significantly higher in the at the high endotoxin group($1.12{\pm}0.37ng/m{\ell}$) than in the low endotoxin group($0.37{\pm}0.04ng/m{\ell}$). Hematologic assessment showed significantly lower cellularity in the number of total leukocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils in the high endotoxin group than in the low endotoxin group. Conclusions: Even though a sufficient number of swine workers and farms were not investigated, this study generlly suggests that the immunological function of swine farm workers exposed to high levels of endotoxin could be modulated toward allergic reactivities.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.403-411
• /
• 2009

This study was performed to propose appropriate conditions suited to the analysis of naphthalene by comparing desorption efficiencies under various conditions. 1. As to influence by adsorbing media and desorbing solvent on desorption efficiency of naphthalene, when adsorbed by CCT, o-xylene gave the highest desorption efficiency of $73.96{\pm}0.53%$ while the lowest of $1.14{\pm}0.03%$ desorbed by ether. Both XAD-2 and Chromosorb 106 showed around 90% of desorption efficiencies for each solvent, especially desorption efficiencies more than 95% were achieved when adsorbed by Chromosorb 106 and desorbed by $CS_2$ or o-xylene. 2. Desorption efficiencies descended over the storage period in any condition(p<0.05). For all three adsorbing media, while desorption efficiencies showed no significant difference(p>0.05) between room temperature and refrigeration a day of loading, samples kept in room temperature had higher desorption efficiencies than refrigerated ones in 7 and 14 days with significant difference(p<0.05).Also, desorption efficiencies dropped drastically in 7 days, from that point the decreasing tendency went mild. 3. When respective 1 TLV and 0.1 TLV of naphthalene were spiked on CCT and desorbed by CS2($46.45{\pm}0.59%$ vs. $30.15{\pm}0.81%$), o-xylene($73.96{\pm}0.53%$ vs. $67.51{\pm}1.34%$), and ether($1.14{\pm}0.03%$ vs. N.D.) desorption efficiencies increased as the amount of loading increased(p<0.05).On the other hand, naphthalene spiked on XAD-2 and Chromosorb 106 indicated no significant difference(p>0.05) in desorption efficiencies between 1 TLV and 0.1 TLV. In conclusion, in order for favorable desorption efficiencies of naphthalene it is important to select appropriate adsorbing media and desorbing solvent accordingly. The result revealed that adsorbing media of XAD-2 and Chromosorb 106 outperformed CCT and desorbing solvents of $CS_2$ and o-xylene achieved over 90% of desorption efficiencies when adsorbed on XAD-2 and Chromosorb 106. Also, considering the tendency that desorption efficiencies of naphthalene decrease with time, the samples should be analyzed as soon as possible.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.38 no.6
• /
• pp.541-549
• /
• 2012

Objectives: This study was undertaken in order to evaluate a potential mechanism involved in gastro-intestinal problems observed in autistic subjects and uses an animal model of autism investigation. Methods: BTBR T+tf/J, a mouse strain with typical socio-behavioral characteristics of autistic subjects and FVB mice with highly social behaviors as the control strain were used. Both genders of mice aged three weeks and six months were used from four separate litters for each strain. Serum was prepared following cardiac puncture, and mesenteric lymph nodes were collected for in vitro stimulation and enumeration of major immune cell proportion. Results: The level of serum IgA was significantly enhanced in six-month-old BTBR mice compared with three-week-old BTBR, which was not observed with the FVB control mice. The serum IgE level was also higher among BTBR mice than among age-sex matched FVB mice, respectively. Considering the ratio of interleukin-4 vs interferon-gamma production from mesenteric lymph node T cells, skewedness toward type-2 reactivities was observed. In addition, the proportion of B cells in mesenteric lymph nodes was significantly higher in BTBR mice than in FVB mice. Conclusion: Upregulation of mucosal immunity related with enhanced type-2 immune reactivity observed in BTBR mice could be involved with the etiology of gastro-intestinal abnormalities in autism.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute Of Construction Engineering and Management
• /
• 2008.11a
• /
• pp.197-201
• /
• 2008

Conceptual cost estimates for domestic highway projects have generally been conducted using governmental unit-price references. Inaccuracies in governmental unit-price data has repeatedly addressed in the Korean construction industry which often lead to poor decision making and cost management practices. Thus, needs for developing a better way of conceptual cost estimating has been widely recognized. This research is considered as the first step in developing such model using real-world cost data based on actual construction activities. The data analyzed in this paper includes 41 P.S.C (Prestressed Concrete) Box bridges which broke into 4 categories based on construction methods such as I.L.M(Incremental Launching Method), M.S.S(Movable Scaffolding System), F.S.M(Full Staging Method), and F.C.M(Free Cantilever Method). Actual design documents; including actual cost estimating documents, drawings and specifications were carefully reviewed to effectively break down cost structures for PSC girder bridges. Among more than 40 cost categories for each P.S.C girder bridge type, 7 of them were identified which accounted for more than 95% of total construction cost (ILM: 99.47%, MSS: 99.22%, FSM: 98.18%, and FCM: 98.12%). In order to validate the clustering of cost categories, the variation of each cost category has been investigated which resulted in between -1.16 % and 0.59%.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.630-637
• /
• 2019

Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate the secular changes in indoor airborne dust or endotoxin levels in the dust from swine confinement buildings. Indoor levels were compared with the level at the exhaust outlet in order to examine the contribution potential of indoor dust to nearby ambient air dust. Methods: Comparisons were made on inhalable and respirable dust levels reported in 2002, 2012, and 2017 from 14, 10, and 36 swine fattening confinement buildings in Korea, respectively. This data was produced by the same research group. Levels of endotoxin adsorbed into inhalable or respirable dust were also compared. Samples of inhalable or respirable dust were collected indoors and at exhaust outlets from 17 swine fattening confinement buildings in 2019, and dust levels were compared between the indoor and the outlet. Results: The outlet inhalable dust level (0.111 mg/㎥) was approximately 19% of that from indoors, and the respirable dust level (0.033 mg/㎥) was approximately 74% of that from indoors. The outlet respirable dust levels were lower than the airborne fine dust levels in the towns where those farms are located. No significant difference was observed in the inhalable dust levels among the years examined, but the respirable dust level in 2017 (0.143 mg/㎥) was significantly lower than in 2002 (0.328 mg/㎥). The level of endotoxin in inhalable dust was significantly higher in 2017 (722 EU/㎥) than in both 2002 (75 EU/㎥) and 2012 (171 EU/㎥). Conclusion: Even though no apparent contribution from swine farm indoor dust to nearby ambient air dust was observed in terms of amount, a certain control strategy to reduce the production of airborne dust and endotoxin from swine farms is merited.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.184-193
• /
• 2013

Procurement System for Korean construction industry has mainly been controlled by the complicated regulatory system which has been recognized as unflexible and remotely separated from the global standard. This has been identified by many Korean construction experts as one of the main reasons that hamper the Korean construction industry becoming the global leader. One commonly discussed regulatory system is the compulsory multiple contracting system that has been enforced for a long time. According to the Korean governmental contracting law 68-3, all construction projects cannot be divided into separate contracting packages with a few exceptions. Exceptions stated in the law include construction activities related electrical, Information communication, fire-fighting, and cultural assets which all are governed by the separate laws/acts controlled by the different governmental bodies. This research is to closely investigate multiple prime contracting system that has been compulsory in Korean construction industry and to provide policy recommendations to these restrictions. Although, there has been a long history of this compulsory contracting system, this study attempted to provide objective analysis on current status of the system as well as global standard on the issue. This study suggests main considerations when considering different contracting system such as rights of owners, flexibilities of regulatory systems, and efficiencies of conducting a construction project. It is envisioned that recommendations from this study, if accepted by the regulatory bodies, would improve the Korean construction contraction system by making it more compatible with global standard. Moreover, these would help making the Korean industry more effective in terms of regulatory restrictions.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.791-800
• /
• 2013

Needs for developing a better way of cost estimating process for public construction projects have been widely recognized. Those needs are mainly from the early phases of the project through the construction life cycle due to the its importance to the control process. In contrast to the traditional estimating method based on unit-price references, this research utilized this following process. The first step is analyzing the real cost data from actual cost activities (2000~2010) about the statement of P.S.C(Prestressed Concrete) Box Girder Bridge. The collected data was broken into four categories based on technical construction methods such as I.L.M(Incremental Launching Method), M.S.S(Movable Scaffolding System), F.S.M(Full Staging Method), and F.C.M(Free Cantilever Method). The second, actual design documents including the actual cost estimating documents, drawings and specifications were carefully reviewed to cluster the cost itemized statement from four categories. It was also attempted to seek the proper breakdown of standard works that are responsible for more than 95 percentage in each categories in terms of its cost. The third, this research comes up the index for standard unit materials and unit price of standard work and develops the approximate estimating model applying for the specification(length and breadth of bridges) per square area that the user takes as well as suggests the practical application plan within the original time alloted.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.781-790
• /
• 2013

This research focuses on development of the conceptual cost estimation models for I.L.M box girder bridge. The current conceptual cost estimation for public construction projects is dependent on governmental average unit price references which has been regarded as inaccurate and unreliable by many experts. Therefore, there have been strong demands for developing a better way of conceptual cost estimating methods. This research has proposed three different conceptual cost estimating method for a P.S.C. girder bridge built with the I.L.M method. Model (I) attempts to seek the proper breakdown of standard works that are accountable for more than 95 percentage in total cost and calculates the amount of standard work's materials from the standard section and volume of I.L.M box girder bridge. Model (II) utilizes a correlation analysis (coefficient over 0.6 or more) between breakdown of standard works and input data that would be considered available information in preliminary design phase. Model(III) obtains conceptual estimating through multiple-regression analysis between the breakdown of standard works and all of input data related to them. In order to validate the clustering of coverage in the preliminary design phase, the variation of I.L.M cost coverage from multiple-regression analysis[model(III)] has been investigated which result in between -3.76% and 11.79%, comparing with AACE(Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering) which informs its variation between -5% and +15% in the design phase. The model proposed from this research are envisioned to be improved to a great distinct if reliable cost date for P.S.C. girder bridges can be continually collected with reasonable accuracies.