• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.273-279
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• 2023

Objectives: Objectives of this study were: 1) to introduce industrial situation and health hazards of synthetic fiber, 2) to review a case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a worker exposed to synthetic fiber reported to the Korea Occupational Disease Surveillance Center, and 3) to suggest supplementary measures for the occupational health system for workers exposed to synthetic fibers. Methods: Respiratory exposure, health hazards, and exposure standards for synthetic fiber dust in Korea and other countries were reviewed. In addition, a case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to exposure to nylon dust reported to the Korea Occupational Disease Surveillance Center was reviewed and summarized. Results: The worker was a 53-year-old non-smoking male who had been involved in the nylon weaving process for 26 years. He had shortness of breath from three years ago. He was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. PM1.0, PM_2.5, and PM10 were measured at 26.6 ㎍/m³, 48.2 ㎍/m³, and 91.7 ㎍/m³, respectively. Fiber components estimated as nylon fiber were detected in the microscopic examination of a solid sample. Conclusions: For workers exposed to synthetic fiber dust, special health examinations of the respiratory system, regular work environment measurement, and work environment management through workplace health management should be performed. It is necessary to research on health effects of synthetic fibers.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.50-62
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• 2003

Exposure to metalworking fluids (MWFs) has significantly been associated with cancer developed in multi-organs, respiratory diseases and skin diseases. Several carcinogens to humans or animals are contained in MWFs. They have been reported to be mineral oils, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), formaldehyde and N-nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA). The great hazards of MWF have forced the advanced country including United States to regulate carcinogens contained in MWF. In 2001, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIHs) regarded MWF mist as suspected carcinogen to human (A2) and added it to “Notice of Intended Change (NIC)” list of 2001. In spite of the fact that much MWF has widely been used in many industries using machines, Korea has no legal actions for management of MWF. What is worse, even toxicity such as Carcinogenicity has not been reported. KS (Korean Standards) lists 7 advices of MWF but it does net state the hazards to health. It is very hard to control or minimize worker's exposure to MWF containing many carcinogens. Prier to the introduction of MWF to workplace, it is the most effective measure to regulate carcinogens below a certain level. Regulation on the content of PAH seems to be necessary because less amount of PAH in mineral oils improves the quality of MWF. Also, addition of nitrosating groups to MWF should be prohibited to minimize worker's exposure to NDELA. Employers and manufacturers should indicate the Carcinogenicity of all carcinogens in MWFs in Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) in order fer workers to recognize Carcinogenicity. Legal actions have to be taken to protect workers from health hazards due to exposure to MWF by further investigation on MWF.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.201-233
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• 1999

This study was carried out to find out the factors affecting on organizational commitment of hospital employees. For the purpose, the questionnaire-based research was done with 1280 hospital employees who were working in 2 university hospitals and 4 general hospitals located in Taegu City and Kyungpook Province from November 20, 1997 to December 22, 1997. The results of the study were summarized as follows. There were significant correlations among environmental variables, psychological variables, structural variables, vertical conflict, horizontal conflict, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. By path analysis, variables such as pay, work involvement, work definiteness, met expectations, positive affectivity, distributive justice, job security, expectations before entering a hospital had significant positive effect on job satisfaction in order of size, while, vertical conflict, job opportunity, and horizontal conflict had significant positive effect on job satisfaction in order of size, while, vertical conflict, job opportunity, and horizontal conflict had signifecant negative effect in order of size. Variables such as job satisfaction, job security, work involvement, pay, vertical conflict, met expectations, distributive justice, positive affectivity, work unit control, job autonomy, and job routinization had significant positive direct effect on organizational commitment in order of size, while, job opportunity, job hazards and resource inadequacy had significant negative direct effects in order of size. It was found that the following variables, listed in order of size, had significant total effects on organizational commitment : job satisfaction, job security, job opportunity, work involvement, pay, met expectations, distributive justice, positive affectivity, job hazards, and work unit control. In considering abovc findings, it is recommended that programs for job satisfaction promotion, job security, decrease of intent to leave, work involvement promotion, adequate pay, met expectations, distributive justice, positive affectivity promotion, job hazards decrease, and work unit control grant should be implemented to increase organizational commitment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.156-172
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• 1999

Potential chemical hazards encountered in painting operation of four shipyards and a ship-repair shop were investigated through the material safety data sheets (MSDS). Material safety data sheets (MSDS) for 307 paints, 50 thinners and 34 binders were collected and reviewed. It was shown that various organic solvents such as aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, ketones, alcohols, glycols, glycol ether acetates and esters were contained in painting materials. Of these solvents, xylene was found in the largest number of painting materials. sixty percent of the thinners contained xylene in the contents of 20-100%. Other most frequently found solvents were 1-methoxypropanol, 1-methoxypropyl acetate, n-butanol, methyl isobutyl ketone, toluene, isopropanol, and n-butyl acetate, etc. Glycol ethers such as 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME), 2-methoxyethyl acetate (2-MEA), 2-ethoxyethanol (2-EE), 2-ethoxyethyl acetate (2-EEA) and 2-butoxyethanol (2-BA) were regarded as having the potential to cause adverse reproductive effects, embryotoxic effect and hematotoxic effects, and were found in some epoxy panting materials. Coal tar pitch was included in some paints(13%) where polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) could be contaminated. Inorganic pigments such as lead chromate and zinc potassium chromate were found in some paints (8%). The epoxy resin based paints, which may contain isocyanates such as toluene diisocyanates and hexamethylene diisocyanates causing potential sensitization and asthma to upper respiratory organ, were mostly used in the shipyards. The constituents in the MSDS were significantly different from the results analyzed using gas chromatography/mass detector: minor constituents or impurities were omitted in many MSDS. In conclusion, xylene was the most frequent organic solvent in painting materials, and glycol ethers, including 2-ME, 2-MEA, 2-EE, 2-EEA and 2-BA, were found some products. Also, painting workers may be exposed to PAHs, lead, chromate, isocyanates, organic tin and other various chemicals. The compositions of chemicals in painting materials were variable significantly, and the hazards were changed. These facts should be considered in environmental monitoring and control of the hazards.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.256-262
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the major volatile organic compounds generated during extrusion work with nylon 66 resin and evaluate causes of discomfort among extrusion workers. Methods: A thermal decomposition experiment using nylon 66 resin collected at a worksite was conducted in the laboratory. Based on hazards identified through the thermal decomposition experiment, the exposure levels of the workers were evaluated. Results: The major decomposition products were formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, aniline, cyclopentanone and diphenyl amine. These materials were identical to those sampled in the extrusion booth. The sources of the annoying smells, about which the workers had complained, were formaldehyde, aniline, diphenyl amine, and other hazards in the vapor and fine particles produced by the extrusion work. Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and aniline were detected from air samples among workers involved in extrusion work. However, the concentration levels were much lower than Korean occupational exposure limits. The average concentration levels of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and aniline were 0.0120 ppm, 0.0036 ppm and 0.0006 ppm, respectively. Conclusions: The extrusion process at around $300^{\circ}C$ thermally decomposes the nylon 66 resin, emitting formaldehyde, aniline, and other hazards, which might have made workers uncomfortable due to their smells. The workers exposure levels to volatile organic compounds were far lower than Korean occupational exposure limits. However, since formaldehyde is a human carcinogen and acetaldehyde and aniline are also confirmed animal carcinogens, it is recommended that exposure levels should be maintained at a minimum level.

• Journal of Urban Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2021

The number of old buildings older than 30 years in Korea continues to increase from 29.9% in 2005 to 38.8% in 2020. Considering the growing urban regeneration projects, urban maintenance projects, the suppression of urban expansion, and the lack of idle land in the city, the dismantling of old buildings is expected to increase further in the future. As major accidents at building dismantling sites continue to occur, related agencies are also strengthening safety management of building dismantling works. While physical safety management such as collapse and fall is strengthened, there is a relative lack of interest in the health of workers at dismantling sites due to environmental hazards. Since relevant laws stipulate that construction waste should be separated and discharged, old buildings need to be considered for environmental hazards such as fine dust, floating bacteria, and floating molds when dismantling. In this study, we intend to find important safety management elements in the management of building dismantling sites, measure environmental factors harmful to dismantling workers, and present basic data for the management of dismantling sites in the future. "Safety management" was the highest priority, followed by "dust," "vibration," "noise," "bacteria," and "smell." The perception of the importance of "physical damage prevention" with workers working on dismantling and managers managing the site came out similar, but the perception of "work efficiency" and "health disorder prevention" through environmental hazard management showed different priorities. In the process of dismantling, floating bacteria and floating mold were collected, cultured, and measured the concentration in the indoor air. The measurement was measured by dividing it into pre-dismantling and during dismantling.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.165-174
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• 2023

This study used Korean work environment surveys data to confirm the relationship between exposure to harmful and risk factors and absenteeism of manufacturing workers according to the survey period. Accordingly, 8,318 workers in the manufacturing industry were analyzed for the same questions of harmful and risk factors in 2011 (3rd), 2017 (5th), and 2020 (6th). Work-related hazards and risks, vibration, noise, high temperature, dust inhalation, vapor inhalation, chemical handling, and infectious material handling were found to affect absenteeism more than 3/4 of the time of exposure in 2020 compared to 2011. In conclusion, it was found that non-exposure to work-related hazards and risk factors increased one survey after another, and that the time of exposure to work-related hazards and risk factors affected absenteeism.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.21-30
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• 2013

OSHMS(Occupational Safety and Health Management System) is able to define as a typical convergence of all kinds of activities and elements that support maintaining safety at workplace and protecting employee's health. In particular, fundamental function of OSHMS is preventing diverse hazards at workplace through high level of regulation compliance. Furthermore, insuring safety in workplace, protecting employee's health and increasing effectiveness in manufacture are OSHMS's additional functions. Based on the division of manufacture in 2009 Survey on Current Status of Occupational Health & Safety data, the study analyses certain relation between OSHMS and level of regulation compliance. The main finding is that most activities and elements which formed by OSHMS are being affected by regulation clauses.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2019

The health benefits associated with consumption of fresh produce have been clearly demonstrated and encouraged by international nutrition and health authorities. However, since fresh produce is usually minimally processed, increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables has also led to a simultaneous escalation of foodborne illness cases. According to the report by the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 10 people suffer from foodborne diseases and 420,000 die every year globally. In comparison to other processed foods, fresh produce can be easily contaminated by various routes at different points in the supply chain from farm to fork. This review is focused on the identification and characterization of possible sources of foodborne illnesses from chemical, biological, and physical hazards and the applicable methodologies to detect potential contaminants. Agro-chemicals (pesticides, fungicides and herbicides), natural toxins (mycotoxins and plant toxins), and heavy metals (mercury and cadmium) are the main sources of chemical hazards, which can be detected by several methods including chromatography and nano-techniques based on nanostructured materials such as noble metal nanoparticles (NMPs), quantum dots (QDs) and magnetic nanoparticles or nanotube. However, the diversity of chemical structures complicates the establishment of one standard method to differentiate the variety of chemical compounds. In addition, fresh fruits and vegetables contain high nutrient contents and moisture, which promote the growth of unwanted microorganisms including bacterial pathogens (Salmonella, E. coli O157: H7, Shigella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus) and non-bacterial pathogens (norovirus and parasites). In order to detect specific pathogens in fresh produce, methods based on molecular biology such as PCR and immunology are commonly used. Finally, physical hazards including contamination by glass, metal, and gravel in food can cause serious injuries to customers. In order to decrease physical hazards, vision systems such as X-ray inspection have been adopted to detect physical contaminants in food, while exceptional handling skills by food production employees are required to prevent additional contamination.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 1979

Comparison of the risk of death due to radiation exposure with the same risk due to occupational hazards in other safe industries underlines the importance of the ALARA principle. The outlined responsibilities and listed examples presented here can serve as a basis for expanding and developing the concepts necessary for its successful application.