• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.3-20
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• 2019

This review aimed to identify risk factors for occupational accidents and illnesses among young workers in the Nordic countries and to attain knowledge on specific vulnerable groups within the young working force that may need special attention. We conducted a systematic review from 1994 to 2014 using five online databases. Of the 12,528 retrieved articles, 54 met the review criteria and were quality assessed, in which data were extracted focusing on identifying occupational safety, health risk factors, and vulnerable groups among the young workers. The review shows that mechanical factors such as heavy lifting, psychosocial factors such as low control over work pace, and organizational factors such as safety climate are all associated with increased injury risk for young Nordic workers. Results show that exposures to chemical substances were associated with skin reactions, e.g., hand eczema. Heavy lifting and awkward postures were risk factors for low back pain, and high job demands were risk factors for mental health outcomes. The review identified young unskilled workers including school drop-out workers as particularly vulnerable groups when it comes to occupational accidents. In addition, apprentices and young skilled workers were found to be vulnerable to work-related illnesses. It is essential to avoid stereotyping young Nordic workers into one group using only age as a factor, as young workers are a heterogeneous group and their vulnerabilities to occupational safety and health risks are contextual. Politicians, researchers, and practitioners should account for this complexity in the education, training and organization of work, and workplace health and safety culture.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.55
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• pp.131-153
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• 2003

This study was aimed at investigating important factors influencing career success among disabled workers. The current researcher scrutinized the degree to which variables and factors affect the career success and occupational turnover rates of the research participants. The participants in this study (n=837) were 374 workers with disabilities and 463 workers without disabilities. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: First, the results of factor analysis showed important categories of conceptual themes of career success. The initial conceptual factor model did not accord with the empirical one. Second, both research participant groups seemed to be influenced by their occupational types. However, all predictive variables excluding the wage rate and the average length of work years had significant impact on job success for the disabled work group, while all the variables excluding the frequency of advice and length of working years had significant impact on job success for the non-disabled worker group. Third, the turnover rate was significantly influenced by the age and the experience of turnover of the research participants. However, the number of co-workers was the strongest predictive variable for the worker group with disabilities, but the occupation choice variable for the worker group without disabilities. Fifth, as a result of verifying the hypothetical path model, it showed that the first model was somewhat proper and could predict the career success on both research participant groups. In conclusion, the following research implications can be suggested. The occupational type of research participants was one of the most important variables to predict the career success for both research participant groups.

• Journal of Engineering Education Research
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.59-73
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• 2017

This study aims to examine whether a gender works to make the difference on the university experiences of natural sciences and engineering major students; and the income and quality gap between the graduates. In this study, university experiences means job market and job searching related experiences such as job fair attending, The main research questions are as follows; fist, what are the significant university experiences related job preparation and application, and is there a gender gap on those experiences? Second, how is the job market performance of the national sciences and engineering graduates for their income level and quality job, and is there a gender gap on the job market performance of the sample? Third, which variables among the university experiences for job searching and application impacts the job quality and income level of the natural sciences and engineering graduates? To find out the research results, this study conducts a panel data analysis with GOMS (Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey) throughout survey year of 2006 to 2015, towards 568,264 as weighted value number. As analysis methods, this study carries out a descriptive analysis, ANOVA, discriminant analysis, linear regression and T-test. Therefore, here are the brief outputs of the study; first, for natural sciences and engineering students, the off-campus experiences such as job fair, job recruit festival and internship programs are more favored; second, female students are more likely to attend personal and self-driven job preparation programs; third, on job market performance, the graduates' income level and company scale rate are higher in the male but job stability is higher in the female; fourth, as a result of the linear regression, gender factor decides the income level in considerable degree; additionally, gender factor shows the difference of the job satisfaction and self-effectiveness on one's job as a qualitative variables. For obtaining strictness, university program factors are controlled through model fitness process. As above, this study finds out the main factors of university life of natural sciences and engineering graduates which are related their job searching and preparation experiences and figures out stronger factors in job market; and examines the statistically significance of the gender in this casual-effect relationship between job preparation and job quality of the graduates.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.32-38
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• 2023

Job stress factors are factors that induce biological, psychological, and behavioral responses in individuals when they encounter mental and physical stimuli in the workplace. According to occupational safety and health standards, employers are responsible for the health consequences of job stress when workers engage in activities that result in high levels of physical fatigue and mental stress. Such activities include long working hours, shift work (including night shifts), driving vehicles, and operating precision machinery. Therefore, precautionary measures should be implemented. Following the COVID-19 epidemic, the logistics industry in Korea has experienced rapid growth owing to the shift from offline to online platforms facilitated by advanced digital infrastructure. Consequently, this study conducted a survey to analyze job stress factors among delivery workers. The survey utilized a Korean job stress factor assessment tool comprising 43 items and analyzed job stress factors considering the work characteristics of the courier business field obtained from responses provided by 421 courier workers nationwide. The survey analysis revealed that the physical environment, job demands, and job autonomy exhibited higher stress indices among Korean workers. Furthermore, the younger the age, the higher the stress on job demands, whereas the higher the age, the higher the stress on relationship conflict, job instability, and workplace culture. In addition, daytime delivery work was associated with higher stress levels in job demands and job instability compared with nighttime delivery work. These findings can serve as foundational data for reducing and preventing job stress among courier workers, whose workload has increased owing to the growth of the logistics industry.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.861-877
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to survey job stress and Musculoskeletal Disorder(MSDs) of workers in small plants with agricultural products. The subjects were comprised of 69 workers participated in "Helping the rural women to get the small businesses" project. The questionnaire surveys were Korean Occupational Stress Scale(KOSS), and Legal Risk Assessment of Musculoskeletal Disorders(KOSHA CODE H-30-2003). As a result of the survey, scores of KOSS 8 sub-items except for job demand were similar to that of Korea workers. Prevalence of MSDs symptoms of small plants workers was high percent (44.9%). And the rate according to kinds of product was significant difference at neck (p<0.01), lumbar (p<0.01), and leg (p<0.01). There was no significant difference between view person sign of MSDs and non MSDs according to sex, year, the number of workers, working years, working time per one day, rest time per one day, and subjective working intensity, but there were significant difference between high stress group and low stress group about MSDs at interpersonal conflict(p<0.05). Job stress and MSDs were important factor to workers of small plants producted agricultural products. Therefore, starting a business with small plats, workers consider interpersonal conflict and body part showing MSDs.

• Proceedings of the Safety Management and Science Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.329-341
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• 2008

The psychosocial stress and musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) have been one of major health problems for hospital workers. This study tried to understand the relationship between symptoms associated with MSDs and risk factors such as working posture, job stress, psychosocial stress and fatigue. A total number of 655 hospital workers participated in this study. Specifically, REBA was applied for evaluating working posture and a checklist prepared by KOSHA(Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency) was used for symptom survey. A questionnaire from KOSHA was also used for collecting data associated with job stress, psychosocial stress and fatigue. All these data were formulated and modeled by path analysis which was one of major statistical tools in this study. Specifically, path analysis for the data we collected came up with several major findings. The risk scores from working posture based on REBA had indirect effects via fatigue factor(MFS) as well as direct effects on symptoms. The factors associated with job stress(KOSS) and psychosocial stress(PWI-SF) had significant effects on symptoms. Specifically, indirect effect of job stress factors via fatigue factors(MFS) had bigger than that of direct effect of job stress on symptom.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.379-390
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was conducted to improve the working conditions of dental technicians, through survey for working conditions related to perform one's duty, the extent of personal exposure to substances hazardous and complaint rate and factor of job stress and subjective symptom on musculoskeletal disorders. Methods: Using four types of structured questionnaires: social and demographic factor; the actual conditions of working space; working conditions; and characteristics of dental technicians, respondents filled in the questionnaires and the results were analyzed statistically. Results: The evaluation of comfort in working place found that satisfaction level on indoor noise was the lowest with 2.6 on a five-point scale and privacy space followed 2.8 point. In reasons for dissatisfaction with job, over workload ranked the highest by 25.4% and role overload had the highest by 39.5% in job stress factors. Based on the results, we could draw conclusion that dental technicians were unsatisfied with role overload and heavy workload a day. In reasons for musculoskeletal symptom prevalence, long-patient work was the highest by 24.1%. It was thought to cause dental technicians need deep procession and long-patient work due to the nature of their job. Conclusion: In conclusion, noise reduction and privacy space are required to improve job efficiency of dental technicians. In addition; we need to think of ways to increase the job satisfaction with adequate rest while deep procession and long-patient working.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.70-82
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• 2011

Objectives: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a major cause of death in Korea and known to result from several occupational factors. This study attempted to estimate the current magnitude of IHD mortality due to occupational factors in Korea. Methods: After selecting occupational risk factors by literature investigation, we calculated attributable fractions (AFs) from relative risks and exposure data for each factor. Relative risks were estimated using meta-analysis based on published research. Exposure data were collected from the 2006 Survey of Korean Working Conditions. Finally, we estimated 2006 occupation-related IHD mortality. Results: For the factors considered, we estimated the following relative risks: noise 1.06, environmental tobacco smoke 1.19 (men) and 1.22 (women), shift work 1.12, and low job control 1.15 (men) and 1.08 (women). Combined AFs of those factors in the IHD were estimated at 9.29% (0.3-18.51%) in men and 5.78% (-7.05-19.15%) in women. Based on these fractions, Korea's 2006 death toll from occupational IHD between the age of 15 and 69 was calculated at 353 in men (total 3,804) and 72 in women (total 1,246). Conclusion: We estimated occupational IHD mortality of Korea with updated data and more relevant evidence. Despite the efforts to obtain reliable estimates, there were many assumptions and limitations that must be overcome. Future research based on more precise design and reliable evidence is required for more accurate estimates.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.356-364
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• 2011

Purpose: This descriptive study was to examine the effect factors on health promotion lifestyle of shift work nurses. Methods: The 418 working nurses who completed questionnaires with consent were analysed. Results: The average level of health promotion lifestyle of shift work nurses was 2.21 and it was significantly lower than 2.36 of fixed work nurses. In shift work nurses, the highest health promotion lifestyle was personal relationship of 2.79 and the lowest was physical activity of 1.58. The young, shorter shift work duration, unmarried and general nurses were evaluated as not-healthy diet. The old, longer shift work duration and married showed less physical activity. Less self-efficacy and more job stress, depression, fatigue showed lower health promotion lifestyle. Conclusion: Self-efficacy on health behavior of shift work nurses was the most effective factor on all areas of health promotion. Therefore, we need to develop a health promotion program including self-efficacy encouragement. We suggest that this program be more effective when more precisely characterized according to age, marital status, shift work duration, job position, and psychological problems such as depression and fatigue.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1-7
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• 2015

The study conducted questionnaire analysis to 413 industrial safety field employees in order to examine the necessity and validity of industrial safety field's 17th neo-job classification based on National Competency standards(NCS). As a result, 50.1% of industrial safety management field and 43.3% of industrial health management field answered that classification details of occupational safety and health management field are classified by job(duty) performance. Industrial safety management field recognizes that management and engineering section play a significant role in their work, while industrial health management field recognizes worker's health care and work environment management and overall control of work environment assessment to be significant in their work. Furthermore, industrial safety management field recognizes that separating qualification and foundation of 'construction safety manager', 'chemicals(safety and health) manager', '(toxic)risk assessment evaluator or risk factor manager' to be highly significant. The study is meaningful in that it suggests industrial safety field's qualification items practical in industrial sites.