• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.389-395
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• 2016

Objectives: Acute methanol poisonings known to be typical occupational diseases occurring in developing countries broke out in sub-contract manufacturers in the early 2016. The present paper attempted to identify underlying causes which hide under apparent findings, and suggest alternative policies to prevent recurrence of similar intoxication Methods: We evaluated occupational health and safety characteristics of workers in micro-enterprises similar to workplaces with methanol poisoning by in depth-interview of employers, workers, and labor inspectors, and literature review. Results: The common findings of workplaces with methanol poisoning were addressed; First, the victims were illegal agency workers. Second, the workplaces were sub-contract micro-manufacturers with less than 5 employees. Investigators found that local ventilations did not work, while most of workers did not wear any proper personal respiratory protective equipment in the workplace. In addition, periodic environmental monitoring and medical check-ups were not done. However, these apparent findings do not appear to be root causes of methanol poisoning. Our in depth-analysis clarified a root cause; micro-enterprises with less than 5 employees are exempted with essential regulations of OSH Act, and employers do not know about OSH Act. Conclusions: We suggest occupational health policies to prevent recurrence of similar intoxication; First, government should introduce programs so that all employers should know about employers' responsibilities in OSH Act from the start of business. Second, even manufacturers with less than 5 employees should not be exempted with essential regulations of OSH Act. Finally, employers should take responsibilities for health and safety of all the workers including agency workers working in workplaces.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.230-239
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify the kinds and exposure levels of health hazards in the metalworking process in relation to acute poisoning accidents caused by methanol in 2016. Methods: The number of industries, workplaces, exposed workers, regional distribution, and exposure level of health hazards in metalworking process were investigated based on employee exposure assessment database provided by KOSHA (the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency), which was collected from workplace hazard evaluation programs in Korea. Exposure metrics for methanol were assessed by RCR (risk characterization ratio). Results: The numbers of processes, workplaces, and exposed workers of metalworking, which include CNC (computer numerical control) were 25, 14,405, and 169,102 respectively. The numbers of samples of chemical hazards including methanol were 91,325, and it was found that workers in metalworking were exposed to 249 kinds of chemical hazards. There were 16 kinds of special controlled substances including beryllium. It is estimated that the number of workplaces involving CNC process was 2,537, and the number of exposed workers was 27,976. In CNC process, the total number of workplaces handling methanol was 36, and 298 workers were estimated to be exposed. There was no exceeded that surpassed the OEL and 49% of samples were below the limit of detection. Methanol exposure concentrations in Gyeonggido Province were statistically significantly higher than in other areas (p <0.0001). Conclusions: In the metalworking process including CNC, there is exposure to a wide variety of health hazards. There was no sample exceeding the OEL for methanol. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize the limits of the employee exposure assessment system and urgently improve measures to prevent the occurrence of events like methanol poisoning.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.845-853
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• 2023

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced a roadmap for reducing serious accidents to create a "safe and healthy workplace, happy Korea" and ordered a risk assessment for all work processes in all workplaces on November 30, 2022. Accordingly, even workplaces that handle new chemicals must conduct risk assessment when introducing new chemicals, but the risk assessment techniques currently proposed by the government focus on preventing conventional accidents such as falls, getting caught, and bumping. Currently, there is a Chemical Hazard Risk Management (CHARM) technique that is most commonly used for chemical risk assessment, but in small and medium-sized businesses that lack professional manpower related to chemical substances, there are many technical terms in the technique and it is difficult to interpret, so its utilization is very low. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to present a method that can make risk assessment easier and simpler before handling new chemicals so that it can be used well in small and medium-sized businesses that lack professional manpower related to chemical substances. Through actual cases, the method of using CHARM was confirmed step by step, and based on this, risk reduction establishment and execution methods were derived. Based on the results of this study, it is expected that it will be used as the best tool for preventing accidents such as acute poisoning when handling chemicals in small and medium-sized workplaces that lack professional manpower related to chemical substances and make every effort to protect workers' health.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.17-27
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• 2020

To identify the relationship between types of employment(regular and non-regular group) and departments classification (administration, product and research group) and the levels of recognition of chemical substances, a total of 117 workers in cosmetics workplaces. Mainly, regular group and research group showed higher recognition of chemical substances (PPE, ventilation, chemical management, hazards in handling chemicals, skin contact) than non-regular group and administration, product group, but In some cases, production and administrative groups were high. Descriptive statistics(SAS ver9.2)was performed. the results of recognition of chemical substances were analyzed the mean and standard deviation by t-test, and anova, (P=0.05). These results cosmetics manufacturing workplaces have normal level of the perception of chemical substances. In most of the employment types, the regular workers showed high recognition, and the working departments showed high recognition in the research and production groups. Therefore, OEM and ODM cosmetics manufacturers regularly identify characteristics and needs of workplaces and workers, and suggest the development of experience and practiced education programs and risk assessment tools that can raise worker awareness.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.307-317
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• 2008

In this study, we investigated the elementary school students' perceptions of the scientific and technological professions by using the 'drawing scientific and technological workplaces'. The subjects were 401 students of 4th and 6th grades at three elementary schools in Seoul. The results revealed that many students drew the interiors of laboratories or factories as scientific and technological workplaces, and explained the nature of the work- place, but students' images were superficial and general. Most students' drawings also exhibited the stereotypical images of science and technology as androcentric and negative perceptions. Students were mainly inclined to perceive that the works relevant to science were experiments, and the works relevant to technology were productions and repairs. Most students answered more than two examples of scientific and technological professions, but their responses were not various and were biased toward basic scientists, blue-collar workers, and repairers. Educational implications of these findings were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.78-87
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of occupational health service(OHS) for the aged workers in small workplace. Method: A single group of pretest-posttest design was used. 608 aged workers of 253 small workplace who had one out of 4 risk factors were randomly selected. The OHS consisted of education, medical checkup, and counseling. Also information was provided by a visiting nurse 4-5 times every 4-5 weeks from March to November, 2009. The data were collected by interview, self report, and monitored by a nurse. Results: The OHS led to significant reduction of the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures of 6.46mmHg and 5.22mmHg, each respectively. The mean total cholesterol, glucose, and BMI were also reduced significantly by 6.35mg/dL, 5.91mg/dL, and 0.31kg/$m^2$. And stages of health behavioral change were moved from 1,2,3 stages to 4,5 stages significantly. Conclusion: The OHS showed an effective intervention to improve the aged workers' health in the small workplaces. Therefore, The OHS by visiting a nurse can be a good strategy to extend to small & medium-sized companies having no in-site health manager.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.363-372
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• 2007

Purpose: This study is to examine the effects of the drinking-reduction program that utilizes transtheoretical model and leisure ability model on the problem drinking behavior, alcohol outcome expectancy, and abstinence self-efficacy of. problem drinkers at workplaces. Method: The subjects consisted of 54 male problem drinkers who scored over 12 points in the AUDIT-K with 23 persons in the experimental group and 31 persons in the control group. The research results were analyzed using the SAS program with Chi-square test, t-test, repeated ANOVA, and post-hoc comparison. Results: 1) The experimental group showed a significantly lower score in problem drinking behavior than the control group. 2) The experimental group showed a significantly lower score in alcohol outcome expectancy than the control group. 3) The experimental group showed a significantly higher score in abstinence self-efficacy than the control group. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that the drinking-reduction program effectively reduces the drinking behavior of problem drinkers at workplaces, reduces alcohol outcome expectancy, and enhances abstinence self-efficacy. Accordingly, it is considered that a drinking-reduction program can be a useful nursing intervention method for problem drinkers at workplaces to reduce drinking and improve the quality of life.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.9-15
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• 2022

The analysis of the causes of accidents in workplaces where machines and tools are used is essential to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of safety prevention policies in places of employment in Korea. The causes of workplace accidents are not fully understood mainly due to difficulties in analyzing available descriptive information. This study focuses on the automated accident cause analysis in workplaces based on the accident abstracts found in industrial accident reports written in an unstructured descriptive format. The method proposed in this paper is based on text data mining and uses the keyword search function of Excel software to automate the analysis. The analysis results indicate that the primary reason for the frequency of accidents is related to technical aspects at a stage in which dangerous situations occur in the workplace. Accidents due to managerial causes are typically observed when danger exists in the workplace; however, managerial actions play a more important role in reducing accident severity. A small company tends to use unsafe machines and devices, leading to further accidents due to technical causes, whereas managerial causes are more conspicuous as the company grows. To preclude the occurrence of accidents due to inadequate knowledge, the implementation of safety management and the provision of safety education to elderly workers at the early stage of their employment are particularly important for small companies with less than 100 workers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.765-774
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• 2023

The Ministry of Employment and Labor implemented the process safety management(PSM) system from 1996 to prevent major industrial accidents caused by chemical substances, but the number of accidents did not drastically decrease. Even in workplaces with excellent PSM ratings, large-scale chemical accidents still occur due to non-compliance with safety work procedures and insufficient safety measures during maintenance and other work. Accordingly, the chemical accident risk warning system was introduced in 2014 to supplement the PSM system and prevent accidents that may occur during regular or unexpected maintenance and repair work. In the meantime, changes in the safety management system have been checked since the introduction of the chemical accident risk warning system at chemical handling workplaces, and based on the results, a plan for upgrading this system has been proposed. The effect of the CARW system was found to directly prevent accidents through wired and on-site consulting and post-management at the workplace and indirectly contribute to the establishment of a safety and health management system at the workplace, such as improving safety culture awareness.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.26 no.6_3
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• pp.1305-1314
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• 2023

The global ship repair and modification market is expected to grow up to approximately $ 30 billion by 2025. Korea's shipbuilding industry is leading the world grounded on its international competitiveness in design and production technology. The reality, however, is that the ship repair and modification industry is centered on Gyeongnam, and there are only two to three ship repair workplaces that can repair large ships. Therefore, domestic ship repair companies target small and medium-sized ships mainly. This is because there are few workplaces equipped with a large dock in which large ships like LNG ships can be inspected regularly or repaired, complaints are severe for environmental problems, and related environmental regulations are so strict that it is very hard to obtain government approval for the extension of ship repair and modification workplaces or the opening of new shipbuilding sites. Besides, on account of the workers' high wages, few experts related, and higher ship repair price compared to that of Southeast Asia, most of the volume of repairing large ships including domestic LNG ships is being lost to Southeast Asian or Chinese markets. In this study, the work process and pre-work preparation process for ship hull (winch, windlass, hatch cover, ramp door, cargo gear, anchor chain) repair were analyzed and presented to foster domestic ship repair experts and revitalize related industries.