• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.60-66
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• 2012

With diversification of research and development activity according to fusion of state-of-the-art technology, potential hazard and risk factors in new forms have been increased in the laboratories. Also, as there are many cases where the experimental condition is extremely high/low temperature and pressure, many many accidents producing loss of life and/or injuries occur due to the extreme condition. In this study, The common fact questionnaire as the survey tool for the establishment of the accident prevention countermeasure in laboratory have been developed to safety security of the laboratory workers. The current status of chemical materials and the realization of important on laboratory safety management using the questionnaire investigated by an electronic mail and visiting survey in the laboratories and universities. The collected data was analyzed with Excel program and it can be utilized as basic data for accident prevention in laboratories.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.83-91
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• 2008

In this study, actual status of safety management for the objects of 173 university, government research institution, and corporate affiliated research center was carried out through questionnaires. For unexpected accident status according to kinds, scale, and types of laboratories, frequency analysis using cross analysis and multiple replies analysis was used. The result of this study is judged to be used for laboratory safety education prevention programs, laboratory environment improvement, investment or improvement of laboratories through the actual safety management status of laboratories such as vulnerable works for generation of unexpected sudden accidents according to kind, scale, and type of laboratories, period of occurrence, prevention education, necessity for preliminary test, and cause of laboratory accidents.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.232-238
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• 2005

There are growing needs for improving the general performances of the domestic working environment evaluation organizations. For this purpose, introduction of laboratory accreditation program has been suggested. This study was conducted as a part of this effort. With a questionnaire developed in accordance with the ISO/IEC 17025, the current status of industrial hygiene (IH) laboratories in terms of manpower, management and technical aspects. The results of this study were as follows: 1. The average working staffs' number of the working environment evaluation organizations was $6.8{\pm}3.3$ persons. In addition, 49% of all organizations are run by less than 5 persons. This suggests that manpower of Korean IH laboratories is very limited. 2. IH laboratories surveyed in this study obtained 53% of the points by the international standard. And there is significant correlation between the number of staffing and total scores (P<0.05). 3. The period of work experience is one of the most important factors to determine the working capability. The average year of work experience of the laboratories' directors was $13.5{\pm}5.3$ years. Directors with more wok experiences obtained higher scores on the questions that ask to prove the appropriateness of the research methodology (p<0.05). 4. As for academic qualifications of laboratory directors, 14% had Ph.D., 31% with Master's, 29% with Bachelor's, and 4% had Associate degree. There was significant correlation between the total scores and the general managers' academic background (p<0.05). The 27% of laboratory directors have majored in either industrial hygiene or health, 8% majored in medicine, another 8% majored environmental studies, and 6% majored in chemistry. 5. Only 14% of all IH laboratories surveyed employ directors with Certified Industrial Hygienist licence, 41% have general managers with Certified Associate Industrial Hygienist (Level 1) licence, and 45% of all laboratories either employ directors without relevant qualification or did not respond. When the laboratory manger holds relevant qualification, laboratory health and safety management was better (p<0.05). 6. When compared to the general international standard in terms of the management, and 55% in terms of technological level.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.221-232
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• 2010

Purpose: It is necessary for dental technicians exposed to hazardous chemicals in the dental laboratories to be informed of the various harmful effects of chemicals for their health and safety. The purposes of this study was to investigate the actual condition of the use of MSDS in dental laboratories and the recognition rate of MSDS for dental technicians. Methods: 231 dental technicians who were self-written questionnaire. The results were analyzed by SPSS 12.0. The answers to the questionnaire underwent frequency analysis, chi-square test and correlation analysis were performed to investigate association between health effects and recognition rate of chemical information. Results: The results from the effects of damage caused by chemicals 60.7%, and when it was less than 2 years working experience 47.6%. Currently any dental laboratories(rooms) was not furnished MSDS(0%) and even similar data furnishing rate was only 17.3%. Answer rate of 'Do not know about MSDS' was 73.6%. In addition to, education in the types and characteristics of chemicals(74.5%) does not receive all the higher education. For the question of 'To prevent human risks and accidents, is to provide chemical information needed', the answer rate of 'needed' was 87.2%. Moreover, the answer rate of 'To provide chemical information that could prevent accidents' was 76.6%. Therefore it was found that dental technicians need to be provided for chemical information. In addition, they wanted to get education related to chemicals used in the workplace(80.5%), and 90.9% was answered that they was willing to keep MSDS in they workplace. Conclusion: This study investigated the current dental laboratories(rooms) and the MSDS for the awareness and recognition of workers was very low, education was not being conducted properly. The dental laboratories(rooms) of the compact characteristics of the MSDS was not reasonably accessible and the furnishing location, dental laboratories(rooms) for the real item was needed for improvement. MSDS for dental technicians through education and promotion of information about chemicals and chemicals was to prevent health problems caused by the MSDS that will raise awareness of the necessity.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2022

Background: Workers are exposed to several risks in academic laboratories due to the presence of potentially hazardous substances. The main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of accident occurrence and associated risk factors among laboratory workers at the scientific laboratories of the public university in Lebanon and the impact of safety measures training and availability. Methods: In this observational study, a survey was conducted for one year in scientific laboratories at faculties of the public university. Results: Among the participants (N = 220), 45.0% have had accidents; the main cause was exposure to chemicals (73.7%) and more specifically by inhalation (45.4%). Females (85.9%) were more exposed to accidents than males. Laboratory workers with a master's degree, a full-time schedule, and more than ten years of experience were significantly more exposed to accidents (p < 0.05). A significant association was found between accident occurrence and training on management of hazardous products (p = 0.044), risks related to workplace (p = 0.030), eyewash and emergency shower (p < 0.001), first aid (p = 0.012), and facial protection availability (p = 0.019). In spite of the lack of safety culture and efficient training on laboratory safety, participants have shown a very good perception regarding safety measures to be applied in case of work accidents. Conclusion: Based on our findings, the prevalence of accident occurrence is elevated among lab workers at the public university. The impact of regular training on laboratory safety preventive measures is of great importance to ensure the efficiency of occupational health and safety in scientific laboratories.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.322-326
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• 2017

In 1992, the quality control program was introduced in Republic of Korea to improve the reliability of the work environment monitoring, which was introduced in the 1980s. The commission entrusted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute has conducted the program for industrial hygiene laboratories including designated monitoring institutions and spontaneously participating agencies. The number of institutions that participated in the program has increased from 30 to 161. The initial conformance ratio in the participants was 43% (organic solvents) and 52% (metals). Thereafter, the conformance ratio increased rapidly and it has remained in a stable state at more than 89% since 1996. As subject materials, 13 kinds of organic solvents and 7 kinds of metals were used. To improve the capability of measurement and analysis of private institutions, educational courses were conducted annually. An assessment at the actual sites of participants was additionally introduced into the program in 2013. Thus, the program turned into a system that administrates the overall process of participants. For the future, the scope of target materials will be extended through additional items. Thus, the reliability of the results of the work environment monitoring is expected to increase accordingly.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.110-115
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• 2011

Objectives: The aim of this study is to survey for finding asbestos containing equipment at the laboratories using picture based questionnaire and polarized light microscopic analysis. Methods: This study was conducted from 2009 to 2010 at a university in Seoul. In 2009, picture based questionnaire was distributed to 100 laboratories during the regular laboratory air quality monitoring. In 2010, we emailed all professors of the same university who have laboratories to participate voluntarily this survey. For the laboratories consented to participate survey, picture based questionnaire was distributed and collected. Suspected asbestos containing material and apparatus were collected at the laboratories which replied they have suspected material and equipment. Collected samples were analyzed with polarized light microscope at the laboratory accredited by ministry of employment and labor in Korea. Results: Total of 18 out of 100 laboratories reported that they had suspected asbestos containing equipment in 2009. Twenty-three samples were collected and three samples (13%), one heating mantle and two pairs of insulation gloves, contained asbestos. Thirty four laboratories reported they had suspected asbestos containing material or equipment in 2010. Sixty samples were collected and four of them (6%), two pairs of insulation gloves, one packing rope in dry oven and, one pair of tongs, contained asbestos. All founded asbestos was chrysotile and the content of chrysotile was more than 90% for all equipment except heating mantle which has less than 1%. Conclusions: We confirmed that asbestos was still used at the laboratories though strict regulations on asbestos use in Korea. The method of picture based questionnaire invented in this study could be applied for asbestos survey to other research institute or university where there are many laboratories because of its simplicity and accessibility without huge man power, cost and time.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.21-27
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• 2012

The loss of life and property due to accidents in the research facilities or the laboratories of the university occurs steadily and the necessity of laboratory accident prevention is proposed. Above all, the main work to laboratory accident prevention is a systematic analysis of laboratories accidents. Analyzing reports or researches on industrial accidents in Korea had been carried out but these researches or reports did not based on laboratory accidents analysis. To the establishment of the accident prevention countermeasure in laboratory, a questionnaire sheet has been developed in this study. The questionnaires to survey the accident cases were gathered by electronic mail and visit survey from the laboratories and universities. The data of accident cases from the questionnaires was analyzed and discussed on accident distribution by season, the type of accident classification, the type of occurrence, the objects that caused the accident and laboratory accident by the damage incurred etc.. These results of this study can be used as basic data to the safety security and laboratory accident prevention of the laboratory worker.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2010

It has been well known that organic industrial solvents such as toluene, xylene and styrene are environmental health hazards causing occupational diseases to workers. The detection of biological metabolites of toluene, xylene and styrene in blood, urine, breast milk, saliva, and hair of workers exposed to these organic industrial solvents is a useful tool for assessing the amount of organic industrial solvents. Therefor, the external analytical quality assurance program is extremely important work for increasing reliability of the data analyzed in the special health examination laboratory. We evaluated the results of analysis by Korean analytical quality assurance program from the second half 2007 to the first half 2009. The number of participants for analytical quality assurance program for both mandatory item and one of optional items, hippuric acid and methylhippuric acid were 116-122, 116-122 and 105-115 laboratories, respectively. The proficient rate of the special health examination laboratories analyzed both mandatory item and optional item, hippuric acid and methylhippuric acid were 92-98%, 92-98% and 96-98%, respectively. We can conclude from our data that the analytical quality assurance program is a essential tool for improvement of reliability on the data analyzed in the special health examination laboratories.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.473-478
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• 2018

Background: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is an acquired disease which etiology remains unknown. It is characterized by the development of sensitivity to certain chemical products. Most of the hypotheses formulated to explain the syndrome associate it to a previous exposition to some kind of volatile chemical. University researchers in chemical laboratories suffer a phenomenon of multi-exposition to chemical agents at low concentration during long periods of time although in an irregular form. Many of these chemical agents have similar properties to those suspicious of causing MCS. This article studies the prevalence of MCS in laboratory researchers. Methods: The study group is university researchers in chemical laboratories. The control group was obtained from administrative personnel who work in the same universities and therefore, are not exposed to chemical products from the laboratories, but have the same exposition to the rest of environmental polluting agents from the area and from the buildings of the university. In this study, it is used the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) (sensitivity of 92%/specificity of 95%). Results: The results showed that the prevalence of MCS for the university researchers is not related to exposition by inhalation to multiple chemical agents, at low concentration. Conclusions: The results disagree with one of the main etiological hypotheses of MCS, which is based on the existence of hypersensitive people, who presents a response after prolonged expositions to very low concentrations during a long period of time.