• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.321-331
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• 2013

Objective: The aim of this study is to review the literatures on the regulation, standard and guideline for the human vibration in Korea and other countries. Background: This review can be used to prevent various diseases caused by the human vibration as a basis for the development of the policy. Results: In Korea, the general employers' duties related to human vibration are set forth the Health Measures(Article 24) in the Occupational Safety and Health Act. And then an employer shall take measures to protect the health of the workers concerned by improving other working conditions relating to working hours for the vibration prevention measures referred to in Article 24 of the Act. The European Union adopted a Directive in 2002 on minimum requirements for the health and safety of workers exposed to vibration. New Regulations on Vibration at Work will be introduced in Great Britain on 2005 to implement the Directive. In the U.S., both ANSI and ACGIH adopted the ISO standard for measurement and suggested exposure action and limit values. In Japan, the Ministry of Labor decided that the vibration syndrome among operators of rock drills and riveters etc. could be included in an occupational disease(1947). In addition, ISO standard was based on proposals and draft documents of many countries such as U.K, Japan and European, etc. Conclusion: In Korea, Occupational Safety and Health Act prevent vibration to health, but do not include exposure limits. It is therefore important to consider the new duties regarding to vibration risks added to the general duties.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.607-618
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• 2023

Purpose: In this study, we proposed a plan to establish and implement a safety and health management system by utilizing corporate resources so that manufacturing companies can effectively respond to the Serious Accident Punishment Act. Methods: We identified critical factors and response strategies necessary for manufacturing companies to respond to the Severe Accident Punishment Act effectively and surveyed employees working at the company regarding their importance and performance. Results: In this study, we presented a method of strategically constructing the response strategies (20) shown in previous studies by matching them with the company's resources (leadership, organization, budget, education, and awareness). In particular, leadership refers to the ability of managers who can prevent serious accidents by carrying out safety and health security obligations to avoid safety and health hazards or risks to employees in the business or workplace that is controlled, operated, and managed. Conclusion: Based on the manager's firm leadership, the system's purpose and direction must be accurately set and sufficiently communicated to members. In addition, for companies to identify and improve risk factors on their own, a Process approach must be established to improve execution by referring to legal standards together with field managers and supervisors.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.378-385
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• 2017

Background: The present rapid shift of industrialization from developed to developing countries requires developing countries to understand issues related to work organization, management, and working conditions. There are many factors slackening production, of which working conditions is part. A complete inquiry into the workers' working conditions can enable managements to reduce risks in the workplaces and improve productivity. Understanding and awareness of the benefits of workplace research and a probe into the working conditions in the Ugandan apparel assembly plants are urgently required. Methods: A total of 103 (70 women and 33 men) workers from five different plants were interviewed. Together with the top management of various plants, questionnaires about the workers' opinions of their physical working conditions were prepared. Data was collected using two methods: (1) questionnaire; and (2) observation of the workers during their work. Results: The results indicated that poor plant working conditions were mainly contributed by the workers' social factors and the management policies. Conclusion: The government, together with the management, should work to improve the working conditions in the apparel assembly plants, as it greatly affects both.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.294-297
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• 2012

Previous studies on the vast increase in suicide mortality in Southeast Asia have indicated that suicide rates increase in parallel with a rise in unemployment or during periods of economic recession. This paper examines the effects of economic recession on suicidal rates amongst agriculture, fisheries, and forestry workers in Korea. Monthly time-series gross domestic product (GDP) data were linked with suicidal rates gathered from the cause of death records between1993-2008. Data were analyzed using generalized additive models to analyze trends, while a polynomial lag model was used to assess the unconstrained time lag effects of changes in GDP on suicidal rate. We found that there were significant inverse correlations between changes in GDP and suicide for a time lag of one to four months after the occurrence of economic event. Furthermore, it was evident that the overall relative risks of suicide were high enough to bring about social concern.

• Korean journal of aerospace and environmental medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.40-49
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• 2020

In accordance with ICAO SARPs, the states should implement appropriate aviation-related health promotion for airmen subject to an aviation medical examination to reduce future medical risks to flight safety. We aimed to analyze the results of the aviation medical examination to use as objective evidence for establishing an aviationrelated health promotion plan. The results of the final issuance of airmen medical certificate from 2015~2017 were collected from the e-sky computer system. The 30 cases (0.3%) in 2015, 22 cases (0.2%) in 2016, 38 cases (0.3%) in 2017 were unfit for flight duty. The 34 unfit out of the total 90 cases were renewal physical examinations. The cardiovascular disease was most commonly in 11 cases, followed by 8 tumors, 4 psychiatric diseases, 3 ophthalmic diseases, 2 respiratory diseases, 2 neurologic diseases, 2 otolaryngological diseases, 1 endocrine disease and 1 digestive disease. The results of this study can be used as objective data in aviation-related health promotion plan. The health promotion activities based on objective data can contribute to improving aviation safety by improving the lifestyles of airmen.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.282-289
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• 2011

Objectives: We sought to establish a novel method to generate nano-sized carbon black particles (nano-CBPs) with an average size smaller than 100 nm for examining the inhalation exposure risks of experimental rats. We also tested the effect of nano-CBPs on the pulmonary and circulatory systems. Methods: We used chemical vapor deposition (CVD) without the addition of any additives to generate nano-CBPs with a particle size (electrical mobility diameter) of less than 100nm to examine the effects of inhalation exposure. Nano-CBPs were applied to a nose-only inhalation chamber system for studying the inhalation toxicity in rats. The effect on the lungs and circulatory system was determined according to the degree of inflammation as quantified by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The functional alteration of the hemostatic and vasomotor activities was measured by plasma coagulation, platelet activity, contraction and relaxation of blood vessels. Results: Nano-CBPs were generated in the range of 83.3-87.9 nm. Rats were exposed for 4 hour/day, 5 days/week for 4 weeks to $4.2{\times}10^6$, $6.2{\times}10^5$, and $1.3{\times}10^5$ particles/$cm^3$. Exposure of nano-CBPs by inhalation resulted in minimal pulmonary inflammation and did not appear to damage the lung tissue. In addition, there was no significant effect on blood functions, such as plasma coagulation and platelet aggregation, or on vasomotor function. Conclusion: We successfully generated nano-CBPs in the range of 83.3-87.9 nm at a maximum concentration of $4.2{\times}10^6$ particles/$cm^3$ in a nose-only inhalation chamber system. This reliable method can be useful to investigate the biological and toxicological effects of inhalation exposure to nano-CBPs on experimental rats.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.419-429
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• 2016

Objectives: According to the new Chemical Control Act from the Korean Ministry of Environment (2014-259), workers handling hazardous chemicals should wear personal protective equipment (PPE). However the act simply states in basic phrases that every worker handling one or more of the 69 listed chemicals should wear PPE and does not consider the unique hazard characteristics of chemicals and work types. The main purpose of this study is to provide basic data to revise the act to suit particular work processes and situations. Methods: The hazard rank of the substances was classified based on hazardous characteristics such as LC50 and vapor pressure using matrix analysis. The workplace exposure risk of the substances was also determined through a matrix analysis based on the previously determined hazard ranks and the demands of manual handling together with the likelihood of accident frequency of the operation combined with the exposure of workers during spill accidents. Results: To meet the demands for developing subsequent guidelines for the risk-based application of PPE in hazardous workplaces, this study sorted the 69 listed chemicals into five hazardous categories based on their LC50 and vapor pressures, and also assigned exposure categories according to exposure vulnerability for various types of work which are frequently performed throughout the life cycle of the chemicals. Conclusion: In the next study, an exposure risk matrix will be produced using the hazard rank of chemicals and workplace exposure risk, and then PPE will be selected to suit the categories of the exposure risk matrix.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.2-15
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide basic data for the development of the most appropriate and effective educational materials for patients and their caregivers through the educational experiences of patient safety officer. Methods: This study is a qualitative analysis that involves using the focus group interview to understand the patient safety education experience of the patient safety officer. Results: The patient safety education experience of the patient safety officer is divided into four topics: (1) patient safety education content (2) patient safety education method (3) patient safety education status (4) activation and improvement of patient safety education. Additionally, the study incorporated twelve subtopics: (a) falls (b) speak up (c) patient safety campaign (d) patient safety rounding and a one on one training (e) education through medical staff (f) education using broadcast, video, post, among others (g) a lot of education in patient (h) patients not interested in patient safety education (i) patient safety education is less effective (j) human and medical expenses support (k) provision of standardized educational materials (l) patient safety culture for patient participation. Conclusions: This study indicate that education for patients and the caregivers should be inclusive and protective of stakeholders from the risks involved in patient safety events. The experience of patient safety officer is necessary for patient safety education for both patients and the caregivers since it is the source of basic data for the future development of patient safety education.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.119-127
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate the contamination level of micro plastics in Korean mackerel and to investigate the detection method of micro plastics in fish. This study analyzed the detection and composition of micro plastics using natural mackerel and wild mackerel. 30% hydrogen peroxide and surfactant were added to GF/C filter paper in order to detect micro plastics in the sea. If micro plastics are exposed to the ocean for a long time, accumulation of heavy metals in the water will make pollutant bioaccumulation more serious. Microscopic consequences The risk to human health of plastics has already been studied by many researchers and the risks to human health already caused by marine microorganisms and zooplankton are becoming clear. The conclusion of this study is that there is a difference between the length and height of the mackerel when it is cooked from the standpoint of food in terms of practical implications. The conclusion of this study is that the probability of micro-plastic-contaminated mackerel to reach and be consumed by end-consumers is low in academic implications. Residual contaminants adsorbed on micro plastics are absorbed by digestive organs and cause disruption, and further research on micro plastics is needed in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.55-61
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• 2014

In this study, we evaluated the measurement of working environment, the amount of exposure, the hazards and risks of biphenyl, that was registered as 2A in IARC. Based on the exposure scenario, it was calculated that the exposure amounts are $1.0{\times}10^{-2}$, $4.2{\times}10^{-4}$, $7.0{\times}10^{-6}mg/m^3$, respectively, and the $RfC_{work}$ is 0.21, 2.13, 0.53 $0.31mg/m^3$ as carcinogenicity, target toxicity (oral), target toxicity (inhalation), developmental toxicity, respectively. According to these hazards evaluation and risk assessments, it was estimated that 0.57, 0.39 as carcinogenicity and non-carcinogenicity (developmental toxicity), respectively. It was also estimated relatively lower risks below 1. But since biphenyl is hazardous used much amounts, and could be exposed to workers directly, it was determined to require exposure monitoring to protect workers' health.