• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.384-392
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• 2013

Objective: This study inspected incident cases, legal control levels, and GHS(Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals) classification results of strong acids such as hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid, which have been responsible for many recent chemical accidents. As a result, it is deemed necessary for legal control levels of these strong acids to be revised and GHS classification be managed nation-wide. Methods: This study inspected incident cases and legal control levels for strong acids such as hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid. The study analyzed and compared chemical information status and GHS classification results. Results: There were 76 domestic incidents involving strongly acidic hazardous materials over the five years between 2007 and 2011. They include 37 leakage incidents(46.7%) within a workplace, 30 leakage incidents(39.5%) during transportation, and nine leakage incidents(13.8%) following an explosion. The strongly acidic materials in question are defined and controlled as toxic chemicals according to the classes of Substances Requiring Preparation for Accidents, Managed Hazardous Substance, Hazardous Chemical(corrosive) as set forth under the Enforcement Decree of the Toxic Chemicals Control Act and Rules on Occupational Safety and Health Standards of Occupational Safety and Health Act. Among them, nitric acid is solely controlled as a class 6 hazardous material, oxidizing liquid, under the Hazardous Chemicals Control Act. The classification results of the EU ECHA(European Chemicals Agency) CLP(Commission Regulation(EC) No. 790/2009 of 10 August 2009, for the purposes of its adaptation to technical and scientific progress, Regulation(EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures) and NIER (National Institute of Environmental Research) are almost identical for the three chemicals, with the exception of sulfuric acid. Much of the classification information of NITE (National Institute of Technology and Evaluation) and KOSHA(Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, KOSHA) is the same. NIER provides 12(41.4%) out of 29 classifications, as does KOSHA.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2008

The purposes of this study are to quantify energy expenditure by measuring oxygen consumption while performing occupational therapy activities most commonly used for adult hemiplegia patients, to recommend a optimal dosage of exercise by comparing energy expenditure according to the recovery stage, and to suggest a precaution in the treatment of patients with cardiac disorders. According to Brunnstrom recovery stages in hand function, subjects were allocated to group I(3rd and 4th Brunnstrom recovery stages) and group II(5th and 6th Brunnstrom recovery stages). Outcome measures included oxygen consumption, energy expenditure rate, and heart rate during each activity and in recovery period after the activity. Occupational activities including sanding activity, putty activity, and skateboard activity were carried out for all patients. In sanding and putty activities, there were significant differences of oxygen consumption and energy expenditure during the activity between groupⅠandⅡ(p<0.05), but there were not significant differences of oxygen consumption, energy expenditure and heart rate in the recovery period(p>0.05). In skateboard activity, there were no significant differences in oxygen consumption, energy expenditure and heart rates between the two groups during the activity and in the recovery period(p>0.05). The findings indicates that cardiovascular demands for basic activities usually peformed for a treatment may be depended on the physical recovery of patients with hemiplegia. Therefore, therapeutic activities for patients should be selected with the great care.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2020

Objectives: 3D printing technologies have become widely developed and are increasingly being used for a variety of purposes. Recently, the evaluation of 3D printing operations has been conducted through chamber test studies, and actual workplace studies have yet to be completed. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the emission of volatile organic compounds(VOCs), metals, and particles from printing operations at a workplace. This included monitoring conducted at a commercial 3D printing service workplace where the processes involved material extrusion, material jetting, binder jetting, vat photo polymerization, and powder bed fusion. Methods: Area samples were collected with using a Tenax TA tube for VOC emission and MCE filter for metals in the workplace. For particle monitoring, Mini Particle Samplers(MPS) were also placed in the printer, indoor work area, and outdoor area. The objective was to analyze and identify particles' size, morphology, and chemical composition using transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy(TEM-EDS) in the workplace. Results: The monitoring revealed that the concentration of VOCs and metals generated during the 3D printing process was low. However, it also revealed that within the 3D printing area, the highest concentration of total volatile organic compounds(TVOC) was 4,164 ppb at the vat photopolymerization 3D printing workplace, and the lowest was 148 ppb at the material extrusion 3D printing workplace. For the metals monitoring, chromium, which, is carcinogenic for humans, was detected in the workplace. As a characteristic of the particles, nano-sized particles were also found during the monitoring, but most of them were agglomerated with large and small particles. Conclusions: Based on the monitoring conducted at the commercial 3D printing operation, the results revealed that the concentration of VOCs and metals in the workplace were within Korea's occupational exposure limits. However, due to the emission of nano-sized particles during 3D printing operations, it was recommended that the exposure to VOCs and metals in the workplace should be minimized out of concern for workers' health. It was also shown that the characteristics of particles emitted from 3D printing operations may spread widely within an indoor workplace.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.196-205
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• 2002

The purposes of this study was to evaluate an occupational health promotion program for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Method: This study employed a quasi-experimental non-equivalent pre and post test to evaluate the program. The subjects of this study were 48 employees selected by convenience sampling who were suspected of having hypertension and hyperlipidemia in routine physical examinations and who were working in A University Hospital in Suwon. 25 subjects were assigned to the experimental group and 23 to the control group. Data collection was done using questionnaries before and after the subjects used the program. Results: The results of this study showed that systolic blood pressure, ALT, γ-GTP in the experimental group was lower than that of the control group. There were significant differences between two groups in the percentage of 'irregularity of diet' and in health behavior compliance. There were significant differences between the two groups in the number of complaints of symptoms after using the program. Conclusion: This study shows that there were no obvious differences between the two groups in all areas, but this program had a positive effect on health behavior changes. It is expected that employees' lifestyles can be changed through continuous health promotion programs.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.208-214
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• 2010

Green tobacco sickness (GTS) is an illness associated with nicotine exposures among tobacco harvesters. The purposes of this study were to measure the concentration of nicotine residues on the hands and forearms of tobacco harvesters, and to compare the concentrations according to the harvesting task. Wipe samples from the both hands and forearms were obtained from 16 workers at three sampling times (before work, in the morning after harvesting leaves, and in the afternoon after binding leaves). The geometric means of the right and left hand nicotine levels in harvesting work were 0.70 and $0.61\;{\mu}g/cm^2$, respectively, which were substantial, if significantly lower than the corresponding levels in binding work of 5.19 and $1.50\;{\mu}g/cm^2$ (p=0.016). The overall combined nicotine levels for the hands (i.e., left and right) were significantly higher than those for the forearms (p=0.013). The results of this study therefore indicate that, for GTS prevention, waterproof gloves should be worn while harvesting.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.34-46
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• 2023

Objective : The purpose of this study was to systematically analyze the methods by which virtual reality (VR)-based occupational therapy interventions are applied to disabled children and adolescents and to assess their effectiveness. Methods : The RISS, DBpia, KCI, Science Direct, and CINAHL MEDLINE databases were searched for relevant literature from January 2012 to August 2022. The main search terms used were "virtual reality," "work therapy," "youth," "virtual reality," "occupational therapy," "child," and "adolescent." A total of 16 documents were selected for analysis by the 4th stage of the PRISMA flowchart. Results : In the 16 selected studies, VR-based occupational therapy when used with children and adolescents with disabilities and was shown to have meaningful effects. Among the types of cerebral palsy covered in the studies, the most common was hemiplegia, and the evaluation tools used for measurement of the VR effect were daily activities, cognition, exercise technology, social-interaction technology, and visual-perception evaluation. Nintendo wii and Microsoft Kinect produced the VR tools most commonly used to improve motor skills and daily life. Conclusion : The results of this study indicate that VR interventions can be used effectively in clinical practice. In the future, they may assist in the diagnosis of disabled children and adolescents, in helping to select VR tools that are suitable for the purposes of intervention, and in the presentation of specific methods.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.93-109
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• 2001

The purposes of this study are to identify stress and coping strategies of married working women. Data were collected from 185 married working women, living in the metropolitan area. The results were as follows: 1. Low family function and high occupational stress affected stress symptoms of married working women significantly, but type A personality was not related to the stress symptoms. 2. The more the married working women perceived stress symptoms, the more they utilized organizational coping strategies. 3. The women who used personal coping strategies effectively also used more effective organizational coping strategies. 4. Two paths were statistically significant : family function$\rightarrow$stress symptoms, occupational stress$\rightarrow$stress symptoms. But the others were not. Based on those results, the model was modified by adding four paths : A type personality$\rightarrow$personal coping strategies, occupational stress$\rightarrow$organizational coping strategies, personal coping strategies$\rightarrow$organizational coping strategies, organizational coping strategies$\rightarrow$stress symptoms. 5. The modified model produced a better fit than hypothetical model(GFI=0.9985, ACFI=0.9893, NFI=0.9920, NNFI=1.1330, RMSR=0.0030, PNFI=0.1984). In conclusion, the stress management for married working women needs to focus on both organizational coping strategies and personal coping strategies.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.50.1-50.11
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• 2023

Background: The rise in telecommuting or non-face-to-face work owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has fueled conversations regarding the "right to disconnect." Although evidence suggests that receiving work-related communications through telecommunication devices outside of work hours may lead to various symptoms and illnesses, limited research has been undertaken on these symptoms. This study therefore aims to investigate the correlation between receiving work communications through telecommunication devices after work hours and the occurrence of work-related headaches and eyestrain in full-time, non-shift white-collar workers. Methods: This study used data from the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey. The frequency of using telecommunication devices for work purposes outside of working hours was divided into five categories: "Every day," "Several times a week," "Several times a month," "Rarely," and "Never." Work-related headaches and eyestrain were categorized based on a "yes" or "no" response to the survey questions. Descriptive statistics, χ² tests, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS 27.0. Results: After adjusting for sex, age, income level, education, occupation, workplace size, work hours, and sleep disorders, the odds ratio (OR) of work-related headaches and eyestrain based on frequency of telecommunication device usage were as follows: "rarely" (OR: 1.292; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.111-1.503), "several times a month" (OR: 1.551; 95% CI: 1.249-1.926), "several times a week" (OR: 1.474; 95% CI: 1.217-1.784), and "every day" (OR: 1.548; 95% CI: 1.321-1.813). Conclusions: Employees who use telecommunication devices for work after regular hours are more susceptible to experiencing work-related headaches and eyestrain compared to those who do not. However, there is a dearth of research examining the physical and mental health impacts of using telecommunication devices for after-hours work. Furthermore, the existing preventative measures in Korea are insufficient. Consequently, it is imperative to develop effective measures and conduct additional research to address this issue.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.73-92
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• 2021

Objectives: The purposes of this study was to describe workers' perceived values and the affecting factors (pros and cons) of the experience education for occupational safety and health and to suggest the strategies and future directions to improve the experience educational quality. Methods: A total of 8 male workers taking the safety and health education of the 7 safety experience education centers involved in this study (5 centers managed by Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA), 2 centers of large commercial companies). This study used Photovoice, a qualitative method, as the study method. We conducted the photovoice-based in-depth interview with the SHOWeD questions and strategy and used the taxonomical analysis. Results: The study participants' perceived values of experience education were strengthening self-efficacy of the safety and health practices, providing practically useful information, and enjoying refreshing experiences different from daily jobs. Positive affecting factors of the experience education (pros) were providing the educational environments and opportunities of direct experiences, teaching practical safety and health contents for the participants, and the trainer's instruction competencies. Negative affecting factors of the experience education (cons) were learner's negative or standing postures during trainer's lecturing, insufficient exercise conditions and facilities for education, and difficult and theory-oriented lecture far from the practical jobs in reality. Conclusions: Major values of exercise education were direct experiences, useful contents and interesting opportunities from the education participants' perspectives. To improve the exercise education quality, overall educational environments such as convenience facilities as well as exercise facilities should be modified altogether. This study partially and conveniently used the photovoice method as the study limitation.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.338-344
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• 2015

Background: The present study aims to investigate job stressors and stress relievers for Korean emotional laborers, specifically focusing on the effects of work conditions and emotional labor properties. Emotional laborers are asked to hide or distort their real emotions in their interaction with clients. They are exposed to high levels of stress in the emotional labor process, which leads to serious mental health risks including burnout, depression, and even suicide impulse. Exploring job stressors and relieving factors would be the first step in seeking alternatives to protect emotional laborers from those mental health risks. Methods: Using the third wave data of Korean Working Conditions Survey, logistic regression analysis was conducted for two purposes: to examine the relations of emotional labor and stress, and to find out job stressors and relievers for emotional laborers. Results: The chances of stress arousal are 3.5 times higher for emotional laborers; emotional laborers experience double risk-burden for stress arousal. In addition to general job stressors, emotional laborers need to bear burdens related to emotional labor properties. The effect of social support at the workplace is not significant for stress relief, unlike common assumptions, whereas subjective satisfaction (wage satisfaction and work-life balance) is proven to have relieving effects on emotional laborers' job stress. Conclusion: From the results, the importance of a balanced understanding of emotional labor for establishing effective policies for emotional laborer protection is stressed.