• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.258-267
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• 2000

The result of five year's experience on Inter-laboratory Comparison for Analyses of Heavy Metals and Organic Solvent Metabolites in Biological Samples was described. Since 1995, around a hundred laboratories in the Occupational Health have participated this program twice per year by the Industrial Safety and Health Law. Four metals in blood and five organic solvent metabolites in urine were examined. Reference samples were made by spiking standard materials to human blood or urine pools treated previously to give homogeneity and stability for a specific time periods. Some reference samples for organic solvent metabolites were made from workers' urine who were exposed to the organic solvents. Some items such as Lead in blood and Hippuric acid in urine showed good accordance between participants while the other items such as Mercury and N-methylformamide in urine showed poor proficient rate. The results were published in the internet or newspaper to help the consumer of the laboratory's service to get the information on them and to make competition between them. The inter-laboratory's comparison program have done greate role to improve the ability of analysis and reliability of analytical data produced from each laboratory.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.136-143
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• 2009

The injuries as a result of fall accidents is the one of the most common kind of injuries in Korea, especially fall from height is the top most common kind for fatal injuries. Futhermore, the number of fall injuries in manufacturing industry has been steadily increasing from 2000 to 2007. In 2007 the number of fall fatal injuries increased 10.6 % in comparison with the number in 2006. These numbers are 6~17 times higher than those for foreign countries such as the U.K and the USA. So, it is needed to make a study to reduce these numbers for manufacturing industry. To get the goals, we did research as followings. First, this study analyzed statistics by industry, by fall height, by common agent and so on to gain an insight into real aspect of fall injuries. It showed that ladder is the commonly cited agent for manufacturing industry, and 3 risky activities ; the ladder work, the load/unload work, and the maintenance work. Secondly, this study made a survey of manufacturing workers for their understandings of the most 3 risky activities. It showed that 'tendency to work easily' and 'difficulty of applying measures due to inherent working conditions' are main reasons for workers not to implement the preventive measures against the fall accidents. Thirdly, this study tested the slip characteristics of ladder base and lungs. The tests were done based on ANSI standard and KS. In addition to the standard condition, this study performed slip tests in wet and sandy conditions and compared the results with the those of standard condition. It showed that friction coefficient is standard condition > wet condition > sandy condition, and the friction coefficient of ladder for sandy condition is measured to be reduced by 63.9% compared with that for standard condition. Finally, this study developed safety work models for using of portable ladders in consideration of the safety standards of foreign countries such as the U.K, the USA, and the Australia.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.423-432
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• 2017

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate asbestos handling history of workers at automobile manufacturing plants in Korea. Methods: National regulations on asbestos and Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency(KOSHA) database on the information of asbestos containing products were reviewed. We investigated asbestos related materials from one automobile manufacturing plant. Material safety data sheets(MSDS) collected in 2010, work environment monitoring results reported from 2000 to 2013, trade union reports and asbestos survey reports were reviewed. We also interviewed workers with long career and did walk-through survey. Results: The Ministry of Labor in Korea has permitted asbestos manufacturing since 1990. In 1997, the use of crocidolite and amosite asbestos were banned. In 2007, the Korean government announced a total ban on the manufacturing, importation and use of all kinds of asbestos, which took full effect in 2009. A total of 174 asbestos products information from KOSHA database was analyzed. Extruded cement panel for building, special brake for crane farm machinery, gasket, joint sheet and thermal insulator were produced until 2007. From automobile manufacturing plant survey, we confirmed that asbestos containing materials(ACM) such as gasket, heating induction materials have been used until 2011. Asbestos containing building materials(ACBM) such as bamlites, slate and ceiling tex were reported at 122 asbestos dismantling projects in 2014. Conclusion: Although the use of all kinds of asbestos were banned from 2009, ACMs and ACBMs installed before 2009 were still found at automobile manufacturing plant until 2011 and 2014 respectively. In particular, asbestos slates should be managed because most of slates had not been removed until 2014.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2000.05a
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• pp.639-642
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• 2000

Chemical facility system have dangerous elements that can injure the human like an explosion and a fire, gas poisoning by a leakage of the harmful chemical material. In addition to a vibration of the machine occurs the leakage. Therefore, the chemical factory requires for periodic monitoring of the vibration. But, until now, the operator has executed a monitoring of the machine by the senses. So, the diagnostic expert system by which the operator can judge easily and expertly a condition of the machine is developed. This paper describes the structure of diagnostic system and the diagnostic algorithm using fuzzy inference

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.197-204
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• 2002

Objectives : To evaluate the association between working conditions and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Korea. Methods : We obtained data on health history, lifestyle, housework and Working conditions, such as shift work, hours standing, working time, job demand, lifting at work and at home, between August and September 2000, from self-reported questionnaires. A group of 344, occupationally active, pregnant women from 51 industries were studied. Of the women studied, 328 women were further interviewed by telephone between November 2000 and September 2001. Result : Compared with daytime work, shift work increased the risk for preform birth (an adjusted risk ratio of 2.74, 95% CI=1.02-2.62) and low birth weight (an adjusted risk ratio of 2.74,95% CI=1.02-2.02). A significantly increased risk was found for prolonged standing, with an adjusted risk ratio of preform births of 6.80 (95% CI=2.01-23.0). There were no significant differences in the incidence of spontaneous abortion between the occupational working conditions, with the enception of a previous history of spontaneous abortion. Conclusion : These findings suggest that maternal working conditions, such as shift work and prolonged standing, contribute significantly to preterm birth and low birth weight.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.151-156
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• 2012

Objective: In 2010, the rate of injuries and illnesses in the shipbuilding industry was 1.20, about 1.74 times higher than the average of overall industries(0.69). Musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) became a major problem since 2000 in shipbuilding industry. The purpose of this study was to provide efficient implementation management through evaluating the economic effectiveness of the Musculoskeletal Disorders Prevention Program(MDPP). Successfully implementing the MDPP in the workplace may decrease the risk of MSDs and therefore reduce MSDs related costs. Methods: Occupational accident index (frequency rate, severity rate, and frequency severity indicator), estimated direct costs, and total occupational accident occurrence rate were provided by analysis of MSDs, statistical analysis of MDPP decreed companies, and data analysis of implementation. Results: The study shows the number of MSDs for MDPP decreed companies decreased 76.2% from 2,319 in 2004 to 551 in 2008. Above all, the number of MSDs decreased 78.7% in Shipbuilding industries. Forty companies (85.1%) showed a decreasing tendency and 27.7% of those had an $R^2$ > 0.7. Similar results were found in severity rate and frequency severity indicator. From these results, it appears there are a number of advantages in implementing the MDPP. Conclusion: MDPP effectiveness was demonstrated by analysing implementation and occupational accident index. A more effective and efficient implementation would take into account business sector, size, policy, and organization of the company.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.8-14
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• 2011

The live-line works are very dangerous because of direct contacts with the distribution line or neighboring contacts. So the purpose of this study is to identify the risk factor by accident occurrence form and accident case analysis, and to suggest the quantified risk index by risk occurrence frequency and risk strength analysis. And the risk index assessment is researched by accident cases analysis on work type. Accident cases of transmission distribution line are researched based on data of the Ministry of Employment and Labor in the last ten-year period (2000~2009). In results of this paper, high risk isn't always a priority of safety measures. Risk occurrence frequency and risk strength have to be considered according to detail work types, work methods and conditions of field work. And safety management measures must be planned according to risk occurrence frequency and risk strength.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.110-120
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to examine which factors affected the job stress of workers in the manufacturing industry. The subjects were 128 workers in automobile component manufacturing companies located in Kyonggi-do province. Data were collected through self-reporting technique for 8 days, October 24-31, 2000. The instrument to test the work related truss was NIOSH's Work-related Stress Inventory revised by Korea Occupational Safety and Health Association(KOSHA) in 1999. The collected data were analysed with SAS. and frequency, percentage, mean value, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA. Scheffe's post hoc test and Pearson's Correlation Coefficients. The major findings were as follows: 1. Mean job stress score for the job-related stress was $2.6{\pm}0.5$ on the basis of 5.0 points. Job stress was significantly different according to gender. The stress by role conflict showed higher score than the stress by role ambiguity. 2. Discretionary power(freedom to determine) of workers was scored $2.6{\pm}0.7$ on the basis of 5.0 points. And it was significantly different according to gender, duration of work and shift experience. 3. The work environment scored $2.2{\pm}0.3$ on the basis of 3.0 points and significant difference according to gender, age, marital status, type of employment, type of service, and shift work. 4. Role ambiguity showed significant negatively correlate with job control(r=-.32, P=.000) and decision making(r=-.31, P=.000). And decision making showed positively correlated with job control(r=.62, P=.000), and role conflict(r=.26, P=.003).

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.2 no.4 s.8
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• pp.99-106
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• 2001

Construction workers occupies only $10{\%}$ of the entire industry, but the $30{\%}$ of the critical accidents in whole industry occurs in construction industry. Since there are many dangerous process and lack of safety information measures in the construction industry, both short and long term operation in education, training, and information are necessary. Examples for existing accidents in construction sites will be very useful for preventing accidents. And if the research for individual accidents perfectly achieved, it will give valuable information to construction sites which will be very useful for preventing accidents. The object of this study is to develop construction safety information system to give safety information to construction process by work field. The data base are made from 860 major accidents mostly in buildings and apartments in year 1999 through 2000(KOSHA).

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.179-189
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• 2001

This study was performed to identify the current status of work environment management and to provide appropriate recommendations for small scale industry with less than 5 workers from September, 2000 to October, 2000 in Seoul city and Gyoung-gi province. The 211 companies were surveyed by checklist included the elements of management of work environment, hazardous chemicals, MSDS, personal protective equipment, and ventilation system. The proportion of metal products manufacturing and printing industries are 25.6 % and 22.3%, respectively. The daily working hours in printing industry is longer than others. The industries that produce potentially hazardous agents, such as noise, dust, metal, organic solvents, radiation and chemical material are pulp, plating, machinery, and printing, respectively. In above industries, only 2.8 % of those recognised and had MSDS. The proportion of companies providing fire extinguishers, safety showers are found to be 13.3 %, 7.1 %, respectively. Only 24.2 % of companies provided personal protective equipment to the workers. The ventilation system was operated in most of companies. But local exhaust ventilation system is provided to 22.3 % of those, also had not been annually inspected. This study showed that the current status of occupational safety and health was not appropriate for workers in small scale industries. It is suggested that annual physical examination have to be performed, MSDS usage must become widespread, and employer and emplyees in small scale industry should be educated for the treatment and storage of hazardous chemicals to improve the occupational safety and health of the working environment. also, regulatory standard has to be applied to local exhaust ventilation system in small scale industry to improve the working condition.