• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2023

Although Korea is the world's No. 1 semiconductor producing country, most studies are conducted with risk assessment for simple material risks due to the closedness of the site for industrial protection. In terms of industrial safety, a monitoring system such as a gas detector to determine the leakage of hazardous substances has been established, but research on effectively discharging harmful gastritis substances in case of leakage has only recently begun. Semiconductor manufacturing facilities (gas boxes) where a large amount of flammable materials are handled are currently being safety managed by using a gas detector and blocking the air inlet. It is difficult to dilute in a short time in case of leakage of flammable substances. Therefore, in this study, based on various criteria, the size of the duct according to the size of the gas box is determined and the appropriate size of the air inlet is studied to minimize the exhaust performance requirement without exposing hazardous chemicals to the outside in the event of a flammable leak. We want to do an optimal exhaust design.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.457-466
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• 2023

Background: During hot environment work tasks with whole-body enclosed anti-bioaerosol suit, the combined effect of heavy sweating and exhaled hot humid air may cause the N95 medical respirator to saturate with water/sweat (i.e., water-blocking). Methods: 32 young male subjects with different body mass indexes (BMI) in whole-body protection (N95 medical respirator + one-piece protective suit + head covering + protective face screen + gloves + shoe covers) were asked to simulate waste collecting from each isolated room in a seven-story building at 27-28℃, and the weight, inhalation resistance (R_f), and aerosol penetration of the respirator before worn and after water-blocking were analyzed. Results: All subjects reported water-blocking asphyxia of the N95 respirators within 36-67 min of the task. When water-blocking occurred, the R_f and 10-200 nm total aerosol penetration (P_t) of the respirators reached up to 1270-1810 Pa and 17.3-23.3%, respectively, which were 10 and 8 times of that before wearing. The most penetration particle size of the respirators increased from 49-65 nm before worn to 115-154 nm under water-blocking condition, and the corresponding maximum size-dependent aerosol penetration increased from 2.5-3.5% to 20-27%. With the increase of BMI, the water-blocking occurrence time firstly increased then reduced, while the R_f, P_t, and absorbed water all increased significantly. Conclusions: This study reveals respirator water-blocking and its serious negative impacts on respiratory protection. When performing moderate-to-high-load tasks with whole-body protection in a hot environment, it is recommended that respirator be replaced with a new one at least every hour to avoid water-blocking asphyxia.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.198-205
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• 2017

Background: There are a million ragpickers in India who gather and trade recyclable municipal solid wastes materials for a living. The objective of this study was to examine whether their occupation adversely affects their immunity. Methods: Seventy-four women ragpickers (median age, 30 years) and 65 age-matched control housemaids were enrolled. Flow cytometry was used to measure leukocyte subsets, and leukocyte expressions of $Fc{\gamma}$ receptor I (CD64), $Fc{\gamma}RIII$ (CD16), complement receptor 1 (CD35) and CR3 (CD11b/CD18), and CD14. Serum total immunoglobulin-E was estimated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Compared with the controls, ragpickers had significantly (p < 0.0001) higher levels of CD8-T-cytotoxic, CD16+CD56+natural killer, and CD4+CD45RO+memory T-cells, but depleted levels of CD19+B-cells. The percentage of CD4+T-helper-cells was lower than the control group (p < 0.0001), but their absolute number was relatively unchanged (p = 0.42) due to 11% higher lymphocyte counts in ragpickers. In ragpickers, the percentages of CD14+CD16+intermediate and CD14dim CD16+nonclassical monocyte subsets were elevated with a decline in CD14+CD16-classical monocytes. The expressions of CD64, CD16, CD35, and CD11b/CD18 on both monocytes and neutrophils, and CD14 on monocytes were significantly higher in ragpickers. In addition, ragpickers had 2.7-times more serum immunoglobulin-E than the controls (p < 0.0001). After controlling potential confounders, the profession of ragpicking was positively associated with the changes. Conclusion: Ragpicking is associated with alterations in both innate (neutrophils, monocytes, and natural killer cell numbers and expression of complement and $Fc{\gamma}$ receptors) and adaptive immunity (numbers of circulating B cells, helper, cytotoxic, and memory T cells).

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.195-211
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• 2004

Stress is a primary health promotion issue in worksite research because psychological distress is closely related not only to workers' health status but also to their job performance. This study identified the significant health behaviors affecting workers' job-related stress in Korean manufacturing industry with the national survey data conducted by the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency in 2003. A total of 7,818 factory workers in 1,562 manufacturing companies participated in the Korean nation-wide occupational health survey and 3,390 workers answered that they had any stressors in their workplace among the 7,818 workers finally participated in the analysis. Participants were selected by the stratified proportional sampling process by manufacturing industry classification, company size, and company locations (8 metropolitan and 8 non-metropolitan regions) in Korea. Trained interviewers visited the target companies and interviewed the factory workers randomly selected in each company. Smoking, drinking, weight control, exercise, sleeping, break time at work, and perceived fatigue were included in the health behavior construct. Stress symptoms was consisted of physical and psychological stress with 8 items. All survey responses were anonymously coded into the SPSS statistical program and testified using stepwise multiple regression analysis. Male workers were 73.5% and the 30s were 40.0% among the age groups. The married and the high school graduate were majority with 52.1% and 61.8% each. Current smokers were 44.7% and More than 50% of the participants drank alcohol sometimes. No exercise group was 59.3% and the participants who dissatisfied with their daily sleeping hours were 43.5%. In t-test and analysis of variance, the significant general characteristics associated with physical and psychological job stress were young age (p<0.001), single marital status (p<0.001), and short working period at the present company (p<0.001). The health behaviors related to physical job stress were current smoking, weight change during the past one year (p<0.001), weight control effort (p<0.001), exercise (p<0.001), daily sleeping dissatisfaction (p<0.001), break time, and perceived fatigue (p<0.001). All 10 health behavior factors were significantly associated with psychological job stress (p<0.05). Weight change, weight control effort, exercise, daily sleeping dissatisfaction, little break at work, and high perceived fatigue were significant factors affecting job stress. Daily sleeping dissatisfaction, little break at work, little exercise, weight change for the past one year and young age were selected as the significant health behavior and general factors affecting physical job stress symptoms in stepwise multiple regression analysis. The five factors explained 18.9% of the physical stress score variance. Six factors were selected as the significant health behaviors affecting psychological job stress: daily sleeping dissatisfaction, little exercise, frequent drinking alcohol, high perceived fatigue, little break at work, and little weight control effort. The six factors explained 10.6% of the psychological stress score variance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.64-71
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• 2020

Safety is not a service provided selectively by the country, and it is a basic right that human beings should enjoy. However, as the recent expansion of outsourcing due to the efficient corporate management, fatal accidents such as the Taean Power Plant where subcontractors are pinched on conveyors continued to occur. In addition, public safety concerns have been widespread as there are constant safety-related accidents in public institutions such as KTX trains derailing. As public institutions require safety as a top priority for management rather than profit, the government needs a leading role to enhance the level of private safety activities. The government announced the "Measures to strengthen the workplace safety of public institutions" and is promoting measures to protect the lives and safety of the people. The purpose of this study was to in-depth analysis of the accident and death situation in public institutions in the last 5 years from 2014 to 2018. A recognition survey was also conducted and the results were analyzed. As a result of the analysis of industrial accident death, it showed that the number of industrial accident deaths in public institutions was about 50 people per year, and it occupied about 6.1% of all industrial accidents. Following the government's public policy measures, positive changes as a result of the survey on awareness were detected in the order of rising safety awareness and participation of management (56.9%), safety and health organization and personnel composition (37.9%), and increasing safety awareness and participation of members (18.9%). However, the obstacles to the implementation of government measures were followings; 1) consciousness and lack of participation (42.1%), 2) indifference from other departments (35.1%), 3) absence, or lack of competency of safety manager (33.3%). In addition, safety investments and safety management of contractors and ordering works were analyzed to have remained largely unchanged even after the implementation of safety measures. Through this study, it is intended to provide basic data for strengthening the level and activities of safety in public institutions.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.35-42
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• 2016

Formamide is a colorless fluid with ammonia odor, and irritable when inhaled. It has $LD_{50}$ value of > 5,577 mg/kg in rats for acute oral toxicity and NOAEL of 113 mg/kg/day for target organ (liver) of whole body toxicity. It is also known as reproductive toxicant (1B) and TWA(Time Weighted Average) for it is 10 ppm. Workplace measurements of work places dealing with formamide showed the ppm of all 25 samples was very lower than WEL. However, the exposure concentration can change, depending on workplace condition such as the intensity of work, operating local ventilation system, and wearing protection equipment (Respirators). Therefore, considering it with the risk of whole body toxicity and reproductive toxicity, exposure quantity of each imaginary scenario was calculated at 5.16, 1.72, and $0.43mg/m^3$. The average value was calculated at 0.02-0.58, 0.02-0.66 at 90 percent of cumulative distribution, 0.02-0.69 at 95 percent of cumulative distribution. Therefore, it was generally evaluated to be safe because all values were below 1. However, caution is required to prevent health hazard because it has hepatotoxicity and reproductive toxicity and risk of a high level momentary exposure, depending on the condition of workplace.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.636-645
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• 2022

Purpose: This study intends to suggest alternatives for improving the level of safety culture by measuring/analyzing safety culture targeting employees of national core-based highway operating organizations. Method: Using the 'Safety Awareness Level Diagnosis Tool' of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, 16 sub-factor measurement tools reflecting 4 safety culture areas and 4 safety culture activities were evaluated for a total of 144 items. were surveyed/analyzed by online questionnaire. Result: As for the results by safety culture area, "safe operation" was the highest, and "safe communication" was the lowest. As for the results of each safety culture activity, "safe execution (D)", which evaluates whether the plan was implemented, was high. The lowest level of safety culture is "Safety Improvement (A)" Conclusion: When establishing a company's safety and health management measures, the most important aspect of management is the level of safety culture. The ultimate goal is to improve the level of safety culture. In this study, it was possible to confirm the safety culture level of the national core-based expressway operating institution. In the future, we intend to conduct a study on how safety culture affects business continuity management system (BCMS).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.30 no.4 s.152
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• pp.542-553
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• 2006

The purpose of this study were to analyse of craniofacial shape by 3D and to develope of head models for Korean adults with gender and age groups. The 3D measurement technique adapted in this study was a novel approach compared that the same technique has been commonly used in measuring human bodies. The data and the model of head analysis can be used as a basic reference in developing various head related items such as hat, helmet, gas mask, ear phone, and etc. In this study, heads of 836 Korean adults were measured in 3D, analyzed by statistical methods, and modelized in 3D by gender and age groups. From the basic statistical data analysis, vertex-tragion and the length between the pupils were the longest in their twenties for both men and women, and grew shorter in elderly groups. In all categories, a significant difference appeared between men and women in their 20's, but the differences were less noticeable in elderly groups. Compared to the one size standard head model of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, the above three-dimensional standard head model would provide a more through fit because gender and age groups were sub-divided and analyzed in 3D.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.203-211
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• 2007

This study was conducted in cut rose cultivation field in Goyang to evaluate pesticide exposure of farmers and the relationship between the exposure and work environment/method for cut rose farmers. Dermal exposure was assessed with patch (thin chromatography layer paper), cotton glove by body parts during mixing and spraying works in which pyrethroid, organophosphate, carbamate pesticide were used in 4 cut rose greenhouses located in Goyang province, checking characteristics of environment/working method at the same time. Body parts assessed were as follows ; glove : hand, patch : head, neck(front/back), chest, back, shoulder(right/left), upperarm(right/left), forearm(right/left), thigh(right/left), shin(right/left). Pesticides were analyzed using gas chromatography(NPD/FID) after extracting with ethyl acetate. Exposure amount differed according to pesticide type. But after standardizing with total net weight of pesticide sprayed, there were no significant difference among pesticides. There were significant difference in exposure amount among body parts(especially exposure amount of thigh, shin were more than the others), which means exposure happen not by pesticide dispersion in air but by contact with cut rose(leaf, branch) indirectly. Walking forward during spraying made farmers more exposed than waling backward, these results means contacts with leaves/branches made exposure happen in cut rose greenhouse also. As a result, pesticide exposure in cut rose greenhouse was related with contact of leaf/branch which pesticide remained in, which made exposure pattern (especially exposure amount) differ by body parts

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.173-183
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• 2023

Purpose: In order to reduce industrial accidents caused by forklift trucks, it is actually necessary to analyze the causes of accidents. This study aims to present disaster prevention measures by analyzing accident cases by forklift accident type. Method: For the analysis of industrial accidents, including serious industrial accidents caused by forklifts from 2021 to 2022, accident statistics from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency were used to analyze accidents in four types. Result: In the last two years, the total number of victims, including deaths and other serious injuries, was 2,559, which was 1,396 in 2021 and 1,163 in 2022. Disaster prevention measures were presented for industrial accidents by size and occurrence type of equipment that cause serious industrial accidents in which more than 1,000 people are injured annually. Conclusion: It is necessary to expand the number of workers subject to the forklift financial support project to less than 100. It is necessary to amend the proviso on boarding restrictions in Article 86, Paragraph 7 of the ｢Regulations on Industrial Safety and Health Standards｣. It is mandatory to install front and rear cameras. It is necessary to install driving-linked safety belts. It is necessary to install line beams obligatory. It is necessary to expand the subject of forklift special safety and health education to workplaces that have more than one forklift truck, and it is necessary to redesignate the training hours to 16 hours every year.