• International Journal of Safety
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.33-37
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• 2007

In recent days, the accidents have happened at experimental laboratories in universities or institutes. In order to improve safety assurance of workers in laboratories, it is required to carry out systematic study concerned with evaluation of safety and health level. The safety and health inspection checklists were developed and conducted the case study. The case study was carried out laboratory safety inspection with 5 inspectors by the checklists to become aware of safety and health level. From the evaluation results of the inspection, we could be made quantification of laboratory through evaluation of safety and health level in laboratory. It was found that was recognized present states of the laboratory and established a plan for improvements in laboratory safety facilities from the case study. The safety inspection checklists can be used as basic data to establish evaluation criteria of safety and health level.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.372-377
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• 2020

Infection risks of handling specimens associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by public health laboratory services teams were assessed to scrutinize the potential hazards arising from the work procedures. Through risk assessments of all work sequences, laboratory equipment, and workplace environments, no aerosol-generating procedures could be identified except the procedures (mixing and transfer steps) inside biological safety cabinets. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as surgical masks, protective gowns, face shields/safety goggles, and disposable gloves, together with pertinent safety training, was provided for laboratory work. Proper disinfection and good hand hygiene practices could minimize the probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection at work. All residual risk levels of the potential hazards identified were within the acceptable level. Contamination by gloved hands was considered as a major exposure route for SARS-CoV-2 when compared with eye protection equipment. Competence in proper donning and doffing of PPE accompanied by hand washing techniques was of utmost importance for infection control.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.47-59
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• 2004

Safety in the laboratory has been a growing interest due to recent recurrences of the fatal accidents such as physical or chemical explosions. It is not easy to determine the extent to what the industrial safety and health law should be applicable to the laboratory. Most laboratory workers are not sufficiently trained and recognized for the generic features of safety and health. The actual conditions of safety and health in the laboratory are not familar with laboratory workers. Safety and health in the laboratory is unfortunately in the dead ground. Therefore, it is most imperative to secure safety in the laboratory. This study proposes a method to improve safety in the laboratory.

• Proceedings of the Safety Management and Science Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.289-299
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• 2004

Safety in the laboratory has been a growing interest due to recent recurrences of the fatal accidents such as physical or chemical explosions. It is not easy to determine, to what extents the industrial safety and health law should apply the laboratory. Most laboratory workers are not sufficiently trained and recognized for the generic features of safety and health. The actual conditions of safety and health in the laboratory are not appropriate for laboratory workers. Safety and health in the laboratory is unfortunately in the dead ground. Therefore, it is most imperative to secure safety in the laboratory. This study proposes a method to improve safety in the laboratory.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.159-173
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• 2015

The hand coordinate systems for measuring vibration exposures and biodynamic responses have been standardized, but they are not actually used in many studies. This contradicts the purpose of the standardization. The objectives of this study were to identify the major sources of this problem, and to help define or identify better coordinate systems for the standardization. This study systematically reviewed the principles and definition methods, and evaluated typical hand coordinate systems. This study confirms that, as accelerometers remain the major technology for vibration measurement, it is reasonable to standardize two types of coordinate systems: a tool-based basicentric (BC) system and an anatomically based biodynamic (BD) system. However, these coordinate systems are not well defined in the current standard. Definition of the standard BC system is confusing, and it can be interpreted differently; as a result, it has been inconsistently applied in various standards and studies. The standard hand BD system is defined using the orientation of the third metacarpal bone. It is neither convenient nor defined based on important biological or biodynamic features. This explains why it is rarely used in practice. To resolve these inconsistencies and deficiencies, we proposed a revised method for defining the realistic handle BC system and an alternative method for defining the hand BD system. A fingertip-based BD system for measuring the principal grip force is also proposed based on an important feature of the grip force confirmed in this study.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.118-122
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• 2024

To understand biosafety's current situation in laboratory animal research and risk factors affecting occupational health. Compliance surveys were conducted by questionnaire via Questionnaire Star (an application app on the Internet) in Chinese. Thirty-nine anonymous questionnaires were collected. The surveyed institution has established 24 types of ABSL (Animal Biosafety Laboratory) and biosafety management organizations and systems equipped with safety equipment. Our study also suggests that the principal of the laboratory establishment fails to perform supervision and inspection responsibilities, the inappropriate design of the animal biosafety laboratory, non-standardized personnel training and health management, non-strict waste management, and insufficient emergency management. The administrative department and work units should address certain safety and occupational health risks in laboratory animal research. The author proposes control strategies based on organizational guarantee, personnel management, emergency management, etc., to help prevent risks and ensure occupational health. Due to regional limitations and small sample size, the results may not be generalisable to all parts of the world. However, some of the key common issuesmay also be present in other regions, sowe believe that this research still has some relevance.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.111-119
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• 2016

Background: Shift work and/or sleep quality may affect health. We investigated whether shift work and sleep quality, separately and jointly, were associated with abnormal levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol (TC), and low-and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in 360 police officers (27.5% women). Methods: Triglycerides, TC, and high-density lipoprotein were analyzed on the Abbott Architect; low-density lipoprotein was calculated. Shift work was assessed using City of Buffalo payroll work history records. Sleep quality (good, ${\leq}5$; intermediate, 6-8; poor, ${\geq}9$) was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire. A shift work + sleep quality variable was created: day plus good sleep; day plus poor sleep; afternoon/night plus good; and poor sleep quality. Mean values of lipid biomarkers were compared across categories of the exposures using analysis of variance/analysis of covariance. Results: Shift work was not significantly associated with lipids. However, as sleep quality worsened, mean levels of triglycerides and TC gradually increased but only among female officers (age- and race-adjusted p = 0.013 and 0.030, respectively). Age significantly modified the association between sleep quality and TC. Among officers ${\geq}40$ years old, those reporting poor sleep quality had a significantly higher mean level of TC ($202.9{\pm}3.7mg/dL$) compared with those reporting good sleep quality ($190.6{\pm}4.0mg/dL$) (gender- and race-adjusted p = 0.010). Female officers who worked the day shift and also reported good sleep quality had the lowest mean level of TC compared with women in the other three categories (p = 0.014). Conclusion: Sleep quality and its combined influence with shift work may play a role in the alteration of some lipid measures.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.30-38
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• 2019

Background: Police officers' stress perception, frequency of stressful events (stressors), and police work characteristics may contribute to poor sleep quality through different mechanisms. Methods: We investigated associations of stress severity (measured by stress rating score) and frequency of stressors with sleep quality and examined the influence of police work characteristics including workload, police rank, prior military experience, and shift work on the associations. Participants were 356 police officers (256 men and 100 women) enrolled in the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress Study from 2004 to 2009. A mean stress rating score and mean frequency of stressors occurring in the past month were computed for each participant from the Spielberger Police Stress Survey data. Sleep quality was assessed using the global score derived from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index survey. Linear associations of the stress rating score and frequency of stressors with sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score) were tested. Age, sex, race/ethnicity, and smoking status were selected as potential confounders. Results: The stress rating score was positively and independently associated with poor sleep quality (${\beta}=0.17$, p = 0.002). Only workload significantly modified this association (${\beta}=0.23$, p = 0.001 for high workload group; p-interaction = 0.109). The frequency of stressors was positively and independently associated with poor sleep quality (${\beta}=0.13$, p = 0.025). Only police rank significantly modified the association (${\beta}=0.007$, p = 0.004 for detectives/other executives; p-interaction = 0.076). Conclusion: Both police officers' perception of stress severity and the frequency of stressors are associated with poor sleep quality. Stress coping or sleep promotion regimens may be more beneficial among police officers reporting high workloads.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2009

Fullerene의 유전독성을 평가하기 위하여 Chinese hamster유래의 난소유아세포(CHO-K1 cell)를 이용하여 직접법(-S9)과 대사활성화법(+S9 mix)의 염색체이상시험을 실시하였다. 시험물질은 1% CMC 나트륨염의 현탁액(1% CMC 용액)에 희석하여 조제하였다. 대사활성화를 시키지 않은 직접법의 염색체이상시험에서 24시간 투여군은 8단계의 농도(0.078, 0.156, 0.313, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10 mM)로 투여하여 실시하였다. 투여 농도 증가에 따른 염색체이상의 빈도가 증가하는 양상이 나타나지 않았다. 48시간의 투여군에서는 8단계의 농도(0.078, 0.156, 0.313, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10 mM)로 투여하여 실시하였는데 투여 농도 증가에 따른 염색체이상의 빈도가 증가하는 양상이 나타나지 않았다. 배수체의 염색체이상은 직접법에서 관찰되지 않았다. 대사활성화법을 이용하여 6시간 시험물질을 투여한 시험에 있어서는 8단계의 용량단계(0.078, 0.156, 0.313, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10mM)를 설정하였는데 투여 농도가 증가함에 따른 염색체이상빈도의 증가양상이 관찰되지 않았다. 이상의 결과를 종합할 때 본 시험물질은 본 시험 조건하에서 CHO-K1세포에서 대사활성화를 시켰을 때 염색체이상을 유발하지 않는 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.31 no.5 s.86
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• pp.365-371
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• 2005

This study was peformed to explore the current situation of university environmental health and safety (EHS) system and evaluate the effects of such system on university EHS practices. Essential elements for the university EHS system were identified based on the representative examples of foreign universities, and Hey were incorporated into a questionnaire, which was used in this study. Among the academic institutions we surveyed in this study, 89% of the universities employed health and safety manager, and 65% kept departments. However, less than 50% of universities maintained EHS policies, maintained health and established safety committees within the university headquarters, and held health and safety meetings on regular basis. Several basic requirements such as chemical hygiene program and laboratory safety training program lacked in many universities. Some basic surveillance was performed in many universities, however, only few universities carried out surveillance on biological safety, medical examination, and chemical exposure monitoring. EHS system had significant influence on university EHS program (p<0.05). Performances of EHS activities were influenced by presence of EHS policies, and university health and safety committees.