• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.87-96
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• 2011

In 1967, the problem of occupational lead exposure came to public attention in Korea. Since then, regular progress has been made in lowering workplace lead exposures, instituting new workplace controls, and implementing health examinations of exposed workers. Past serious lead poisoning episodes made it possible to introduce biological monitoring programs on a voluntary basis in high-lead-exposure facilities in Korea. Industry-specific occupational health services for lead workers in Korea during the last 22 years can be categorized into three phases. During the first phase (1988-1993), efforts were directed at increasing awareness among workers about the hazards of lead exposure, biological monitoring of blood zinc protoporphyrin began, and a respiratory protection program was introduced. During the second phase (1994-1997), a computerized health management system for lead workers was developed, blood-lead measurement was added to biologic monitoring, and engineering controls were introduced in the workplace to lower air-lead levels to comply with air-lead regulations. Finally, during the third phase (1998-present), a new biomarker, bone-lead measurement by X-ray fluorescence, was introduced. Bone-lead measurement proved to be useful for assessing body burden and to demonstrate past lead exposure in retired workers. Occupational health service practice for lead workers, including the industry-specific group occupational health system, has brought considerable success in the prevention of lead poisoning and in reducing the lead burden in Korean lead workers during the last several decades. The successful achievement of prevention of lead poisoning in Korea was a result of the combined efforts of lead workers, employers, relevant government agencies, and academic institutes.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.268-278
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to establish a control group based on the big data from National Health Insurance Service. We also presented presented the number of incidences for each cancer, and analyzed the cancer incidence rate among Korean workers. Methods: The cohort definition was separated by 'baseline cohort', 'dynamic cohort', and 'fixed- industry cohort' according to the definition. Cancer incidence was calculated based on the Korean Standard Classification of Disease code. Incidence rate was calculated among the group of all workers and public officials. Based on the study subjects and each cohort definition, the number of observations, incidences, and the incidence rate according to sex and age groups was calculated. The incidence rate was estimated based on the incidence per 100,000 person-year, and 95% confidence intervals calculated according to the Poisson distribution. Results: The result shows that the number of cancer cases in the all-worker group decreases after the age of 55, but the incidence rate tends to increase, which is attributed to the retirement of workers over 55 years old. Despite the specific characteristics of the workers, the trend and figures of cancer incidence revealed in this study are similar to those reported in previous studies of the overall South Korean population. When comparing the incidence rates of all workers and the control group of public officials, the incidence rate of public officials is generally observed to be higher in the age group under the age of 55. On the other hand, for workers aged 60 or older, the incidence rates were 1,065.4 per 100,000 person-year for all workers and 1,023.7 per 100,000 person-year for civil servants. Conclusions: This study analyzed through health insurance data including all workers in Korea, and analyzed the incidence of cancer of workers by sex and age. In addition, further in-depth researches are needed to determine the incidence of cancer by industry.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to reveal the circumstances under which the cases of harm to health caused by humidifier disinfectant were neglected and show the points where the number of victims and the degree of damage could have been reduced. In addition, it attempts to describe how damage management proceeded immediately after the incident and actually exacerbated the damage. Finally, it explores the unfortunate aspects of the recent trial. By doing so, it attempts to take this as an opportunity to consider whether a tragic event such as the humidifier disinfectant incident could occur in the future. Methods: This study collected and analyzed data on chemical material characteristics related to humidifier disinfectants, data on health effect characteristics, data on related laws and regulations from the Ministry of Environment, data related to the damage investigation by the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute, and current contents. Results: The lack of related systems and laws is the area where the greatest responsibility for the cause of the humidifier disinfectant disaster falls, so it is difficult for the government to escape this responsibility. Establishing a dedicated department to identify the prevalence of certain diseases within the functions of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service to monitor health can greatly contribute to the prevention and management of diseases through early detection and management of group outbreaks caused by harmful factors. Humidifier disinfectant damage relief should have been expanded earlier beyond HDLI (humidifier disinfectant lung injury) to include non-specific diseases such as asthma, pneumonia, and interstitial pneumonia. The scope of relief benefits should have also been expanded earlier to include the payment of disability benefits. Fortunately, with the 2020 revision of the Special Act, the conditions for estimating causal relations were eased and individual screening systems such as health impact assessment were reorganized along with the introduction of a rapid screening system. Conclusions: The management system for chemical substances in a country is clearly of paramount importance, and the ministry in charge must have a response system in case of damage to health effects. Administration that looks at the victims' situation from their point of view is needed, and technical countermeasures are required to quickly recognize the prevalence of certain diseases.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.137-146
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• 2003

과거 군 복무 기간 동안 청력에 영향을 미치는 사격 및 포격 등 소음에 노출된 군 경력이 현재 소음 노출 근로자에게 어떤 청각학적 영향을 미치며, 소음성 난청의 발생과 관련이 있는지를 평가하고자 하였다. 중소규모 선박수리 및 건조업체 15개 사업체 440명을 대상으로 근로자의 일반 사항, 임상증상, 현재의 청력과 관련한 과거 이과적 병력, 군 복무시 충격소음의 상시적 노출 등의 군 경력, 이명 등의 자각증상에 관한 설문조사와 순음청력검사 및 중이검사를 시행하였다. 현 직종에서의 소음 노출군 중 과거 군에서 소음 노출군이 각 주파수별 청력역치와 평균 청력역치가 가장 컸으며, 특히 2-8kHz의 주파수 역치에서 차이가 크게 나타났다. 청력손실자의 비율 및 중증도의 정도가 현 직종에서의 소음 노출군 중 과거 군에서 소음 노출군이 가장 높은 비율을 보였으며, 특히 감각신경성 난청으로서 소음성 난청자가 통계적으로 유의하게 더 많았다. 이명은 현재 소음 노출 직종에 있는 군에서 높았으며, 그중 군 소음 노출군이 46.2%로 유의하게 더 높았다. 소음성 난청 여부를 종속변수로 한 로지스틱 회귀분석 결과, 연령, 현 직종 근무기간, 군 소음 노출력, 현 직종에서의 소음 노출 여부가 유의한 독립변수로 작용하였다. 우측 귀의 경우, 소음성 난청에 대한 군 소음 노출력의 비차비는 4.5이었고, 현 직종의 소음 노출의 비차비는 7.9이었다. 군 소음 노출 및 현 작업 소음 노출 여부에 따른 각 군별 좌우측 귀의 4 kHz 청력역치와 평균 청력역치는 I군에서 좌우측 귀 모두 나이 및 근무기간이 증가할수록 가장 크게 영향을 미치며 유의하게 증가하였으며 II군, III군, IV군 순으로 청력 역치가 증가하였다. 군에서 노출되는 충격소음은 청력손실과 이명 등 청각학적 영향을 미치며 사업장에서 소음 노출에 따른 소음성 난청의 발생에도 부가적인 영향을 미친다. 따라서 군에서의 소음 노출에 따른 청각학적 영향을 예방하기 위해서뿐만 아니라 소음 노출 근로자에 대한 청력 관리 측면에서도 이의 조기 진단, 치료, 보상 및 재활을 위해서는 군에서의 소음 노출 문제까지 함께 다루어야 함을 시사한다.