• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.1723-1729
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• 2021

Energy and directional distribution of neutrons at the Beloyarsk NPP workplaces is a subject of this study. Measurements of H^*(10) rate and neutron energy distribution were taken at 8 workplaces, which can be divided into three categories: work with spent or fresh nuclear fuel, work with radionuclide neutron sources, work at the rooms adjusted to reactors. The Hp(10) measurements were performed only at 6 out of 8 locations, due to the fact that long term placing of an effective neutron moderator in fresh nuclear fuel storage facility is forbidden. As a result of the research energy and direction distribution of the neutron fields at 8 locations of the Beloyarsk NPP workplaces was obtained. To estimate the accuracy of the H^*(10) rate and Hp (10) measurements the reference values of dose equivalents were calculated using energy and directional distribution. To take into account the difference between the reference values and the measured results site-specific correction factors were calculated.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.522-535
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was constructed in order to examine factors that influence work-related musculoskeletal disease (WMSD) approvals and current status according to the company size. Method: This is a descriptive study that utilized Industrial Accident Compensation Claim Data. Workplaces with over 35,811 workers derived from the 2012 claim data, which comprised approximately 91.5%, were selected for this study. Then workplaces were divided into three groups according to the number of workers: less than 5, 5~299, and 300 and over. Results: Since 2008, the number of small sized workplaces has increased. The 2012 data showed that 32.5% of workers at small sized workplace had WMSD. However, workplaces with 5~299 workers showed WMSD approval rate of 60%. Of note most WMSD approved workers were employed by manufacturing and construction companies, regardless of the workplace size. Most of them were engaged in elementary tasks. The days of medical treatment at OPD and IPD were most prevalent among workers at the largest workplaces. Conclusions: It is certain from this study that WMSD has been polarized by the company size. More policy attention should be paid to the WMSD status of workers at small sized workplaces which usually do not have their own health office.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.425-434
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• 2022

Objectives: This study analyzes TVOC concentrations in root industry workplaces in order to prevent probable occupational disease among workers. Root industry includes all the infrastructure of manufacturing, such as casting and molding. Methods: Real-time TVOC sensors were deployed in three root industry workplaces. We measured TVOC concentrations with these sensors and analyzed the results using a data-analysis tool developed with Python 3.9. Results: During the study period, the mean of the TVOC concentrations remained in an acceptable range, 0.30, 2.15, and 1.63 ppm across three workplaces. However, TVOC concentrations increased significantly at specific times, with respective maximum values of 4.98, 28.35, and 26.65 ppm for the three workplaces. Moreover, the analysis of hourly TVOC concentrations showed that during working hours or night shifts TVOC concentrations increased significantly to higher than twice the daily mean values. These results were scrutinized through classical decomposition results and autocorrelation indices, where seasonal graphs of the corresponding classical decomposition results showed that TVOC concentrations increased at a specific time. Trend graphs showed that TVOC concentrations vary by day. Conclusions: Deploying a real-time TVOC sensor should be considered to reflect irregularly high TVOC concentrations in workplaces in the root industry. It is expected that the real-time TVOC sensor with the presented data analysis methodology can eradicate probable occupational diseases caused by detrimental gases.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.50-59
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• 2023

Objectives: This study was designed to examine the effect of risk assessment on employee safety behavior in manufacturing workplaces. In addition, this study attempted to explore factors related to the occupational safety and health system in the workplace affect the risk assessment of manufacturing sites. Methods: This research is a cross-sectional study using the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency's 2018 Occupational Safety and Health data. The sample for study is 1,967 manufacturing workplaces. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, chi-square test, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis using SPSS (ver.25.0). Results: As a result of the multiple hierarchical regression analysis, it was found that risk assessment had an effect on employee safety behavior (t=4.435, p=<.001). Furthermore, the size of the workplace affected employee safety behavior (t=2.494, p=<.001). In addition, the presence of safety and health management organizations affected employee safety behavior (t=4.301, p=<.001). The factors of the safety and health organization (𝑥²=35.245, p=<.001), the occupational safety and health committee (𝑥²=149.440, p=<.001), and the supervisor (𝑥²=16.472, p=<.001) were identified as factors that increased the possibility of risk assessment in the manufacturing workplaces. Conclusions: In this study, it was found that risk assessment is a factor that increases the level of workers' safety behavior in manufacturing workplaces. Therefore, it is necessary to provide institutional support for activating risk assessment at manufacturing workplaces.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.265-272
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• 2023

Objectives: Since the material safety data sheets(MSDS) submission and non-disclosure review system was introduced in January 2021, the implementation status of MSDS for chemical manufacturing and importing workplaces being supervised for the first time. Methods: A supervisory team consisting of two labor inspectors and one from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency directly visited the selected workplaces to check compliance with the MSDS system as a whole. Results: As a result of supervising 214 chemical substance manufacturing/importing workplaces, a total of 241 violations of the law were found in 121 workplaces, or 57% of them. In response, the Ministry of Employment and Labor took legal action on 8 cases in 6 locations, imposed a fines totaling of 249.69 million won on 120 chemical handling workplaces, and took action to correct the violations immediately. Conclusions: Major violations were in the order of non-request for warning signs, non-submission of MSDS, non-execution of MSDS training, and non-posting of MSDS. This shows the reality that employers who handle chemical substances are sufficiently communicating chemical information to workers. In the future, the government will actively implement preparation and submission support and system guidance for the implementation of the MSDS system, while making efforts to ensure that the MSDS system works well in the field through thorough on-site supervision in the future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.31-34
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• 2003

The monitoring of genotoxic effect or oxidative DNA damage in workers exposed to hazardous materials is increasingly applied for hazard identification or risk assessment purposes in workplaces. The current generation of biomarkers has the potential to allow for the earlier detection of occupational disease, for the reduction of misclassification of exposure and outcome. (omitted)

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.385-395
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• 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to select items for technical guidelines through the guidelines of the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) for agricultural workplaces. Methods: All 1,308 guidelines provided by KOSHA were reviewed and categorized using a Delphi technique questionnaire on their compatibility and urgency. Results: Among all the KOSHA guidelines, 100 items related to agricultural workplaces were selected. After that, two Delphi questionnaires were conducted and 46 items were finally selected. The average compatibility was calculated as 4.26, and urgency was 2.39. As a result of measuring the content validity of 46 items, six items were identified that were not relevant to agriculture. The final selected items were classified into four categories: Health examination and management, machinery standards, safety and health standard guides, and workplace environment management. Conclusions: The various risk factors at agricultural workplaces should be prevented and managed. It was shown that related technical guidelines or work standard manuals should be prepared. The technical guidelines of KOSHA will be provided as basic categories in the agricultural sector.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.22-32
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• 2022

The domestic smart factory is being built and spread rapidly, mainly by mid-sized companies and large enterprises according to the government's active introduction and support policy. But these factories only promote production system and efficiency, so harmfulness and risk factors are not considered. Therefore, to derive harmful risk factors in terms of industrial safety for 12,983 government-supported smart factory workplaces from 2014 to 2019, industrial accident status analysis compared workplaces with automation facilities and government-supported workplaces with automation facilities. Also, to reduce risks associated with domestic smart factory processes, twenty government-supported workplaces with automation facilities underwent analysis, evaluating risks through a status survey using the process evaluation table. In addition, the status survey considered region, size, industry, construction level, and accident rate; the difference in risk according to the structure of the process was confirmed. Based on the smart factory process evaluation results, statistical analysis confirmed that serial, parallel, and hybrid structures pose different risk levels and that the risks of mixed structures are greater. Finally, safety control system application was presented for risk assessment and reduction in the smart factory process, reflecting the results of disaster analysis and actual condition investigation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.144-150
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the trend for exceedance of the domestic permissible exposure limit of benzene based on a review of the previous literature. Materials and methods: From among 13 chemical substances regulated through a PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit) in the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the research object of this study is benzene. The information utilized is work environment measurement data from 2004 to 2013. The highest level among the concentration data measured at various workplaces was selected as a representative value through the data process. N.D. (Not Detected) data was considered as 1/2 of the LOD (limit of detection). Results: Among the work environment measurement data between 2004 and 2013, the highest number of exceeding workplaces and the excess rate (12 sites and 5.4%) was observed in the 2006 data when applying the current PEL for benzene. When compared with the action level, which means a level one-half of the PEL, 2005's data showed the highest number of exceeding workplaces and greatest excess rate (89 sites & 13.3%). The number of exceeding workplaces and excess rate relative to the PEL for benzene showed an increasing trend in 2004, but tended to decrease after 2007. Conclusions: Based on the results obtained from this study, the exposure level for benzene among domestic workers is not considered to be in a safe phase regardless of the year of work environment measurement. Thus, strict preventive management in workplaces should be provided for reducing exposure to benzene.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2019

Objective: This study analyzed the status of the application of trade secrets in MSDSs according to size and type of industry. The contents of the MSDS non-public approval policy are summarized. We suggest proactive improvement requirements related to the operation of the MSDS non-public approval policy. Methods: To review this subject, we selected 153 manufacturers and six importers in such fields as organic chemical production. The trade secrets application status and ratio (%) of MSDSs by industry size and industry classification were investigated. Improvements toward a proactive system related to the operation of the MSDS non-public approval policy under the Occupational Safety and Health Act(OSHA) were summarized. Results and Conclusions: According to the results, the trade secret ratio in MSDSs by industry size was 33% in workplaces with less than 50 employees, 23.1% in workplaces with more than 50 but less than 100 workers, 73% in workplaces with more than 100 workers, and 83.4% in workplaces with 300 or more workers. For the trade secret writing rate for MSDSs by industry, the highest was MOCCP (Manufacture of ink, paint, coating and similar products) at 80.9%. MOC (Manufacture of other chemicals) was the lowest at 16.2%. We propose four proactive efforts to minimize the administrative burden of implementation of the MSDS non-public approval policy. The results of this study can be used as basic data for policy improvements to make more effective use of MSDS.