• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.175-189
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• 2018

Objectives: In this study, we analyze statistics on industrial accidents caused by chemical skin contact and provide skin toxicity hazard information on the related domestic system and circulation volumes. Methods and Results: We analyzed occupational fatalities and skin diseases caused by chemical leaks and contact from 2007 to 2016(10 years) and surveyed data on occupational skin diseases using the 2014 work environment survey data. The NIOSH Skin Notation Profiles for 57 chemical substances, which are provided to prevent occupational skin diseases, were searched and hazard information on skin contact with chemical substances was classified. In order to identify skin toxicity information among domestically distributed and legally regulated substances and to investigate skin-toxic substances, MSDS basic data on 19,740 chemical substances provided on the homepage of Korea Occupational Safety & Health Agency were searched. Acute toxicity(dermal) category 1-4 substances totaled 1,020, and the number of chemical substances classified as category 1 and 2 substances were 135 and 137, respectively. In the chemical substances prescribed by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, 173 substances were classified into acute toxicity(dermal) categories 1-4, 58 of which correspond to category 1 or 2. Conclusions: Within the present range of industrial accidents, the proportion of skin diseases due to contact with chemicals is not high. However, there is always a risk of occupational skin diseases due to increasing chemicals and due to the use of new chemicals. It is hoped that this information will be used by workplace safety and health officials and health and safety experts to prevent acute toxity(dermal) due to chemical skin contact.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.423-432
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• 2017

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate asbestos handling history of workers at automobile manufacturing plants in Korea. Methods: National regulations on asbestos and Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency(KOSHA) database on the information of asbestos containing products were reviewed. We investigated asbestos related materials from one automobile manufacturing plant. Material safety data sheets(MSDS) collected in 2010, work environment monitoring results reported from 2000 to 2013, trade union reports and asbestos survey reports were reviewed. We also interviewed workers with long career and did walk-through survey. Results: The Ministry of Labor in Korea has permitted asbestos manufacturing since 1990. In 1997, the use of crocidolite and amosite asbestos were banned. In 2007, the Korean government announced a total ban on the manufacturing, importation and use of all kinds of asbestos, which took full effect in 2009. A total of 174 asbestos products information from KOSHA database was analyzed. Extruded cement panel for building, special brake for crane farm machinery, gasket, joint sheet and thermal insulator were produced until 2007. From automobile manufacturing plant survey, we confirmed that asbestos containing materials(ACM) such as gasket, heating induction materials have been used until 2011. Asbestos containing building materials(ACBM) such as bamlites, slate and ceiling tex were reported at 122 asbestos dismantling projects in 2014. Conclusion: Although the use of all kinds of asbestos were banned from 2009, ACMs and ACBMs installed before 2009 were still found at automobile manufacturing plant until 2011 and 2014 respectively. In particular, asbestos slates should be managed because most of slates had not been removed until 2014.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.7-16
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• 2000

In the study, three criteria(toxicity, fire & explosion, environment) and damage prediction method for each case was set up, and all these criteria were applied to the subject substance that was selected as hazardous level by integrating all criteria through Algorithm. Particularly, the environment criterion is a comprehensive concept, environment index modeling by combining USCG(United State Coast Guard) & MSDS(Material Safety Data Sheet) environment criteria classifications and the environment part of MFPA's health hazardousnes(Nh). And for damage prediction method of each criterion were adopted and they were applied to hazardous chemical substances in use or stored by chemical substance related enterprises located in each region that made possible to set up total hazard level of used substances(inflammability, poisonousness and counteraction on a unit substance, and hazard level & display modeling on environment) & damage prediction in case of accident & solidity setup(CPQRA: Chemical Process Quantitative Risk Assessment, IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency, VZ eq: Vulnerable Zone) risk counter. Thus it is deemed that it can be applied to toxic substance leakage that can happen during any chemical processing & storage, application as a tool for prior safety evaluation through potential dangerousness computation of fire & explosion.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.29 no.2 s.43
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• pp.233-250
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• 2003

We often use the KCID(Korean Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary) and ICID(International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary) within cosmetics research and within their export and import. so far, we do not have a database of a cosmetics' raw materials. Because of this, we consume a lot of time to find the raw material data that is needed. This study constructs a cosmetics' raw material database and develops the program to retrieve it. We used a Linux machine as the equipment for this study and we used Apache web server, MySQL database server and PHP as the tools of this study. 11,817 kinds of raw materials data were registered as ICID, 866 kinds of raw materials data were registered as KCID and 28,008 kinds of raw materials data with registered trade name into the database. Also, The database was composed of the database of the association form. The database of the online form could ultimately reduce the task time as soon as it did its purpose. The product of this study can become a good basis of data to reconfigure. In the future, it can become a good database in relation with different databases.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.79-85
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• 2009

In this study, the effects of psychosocial stress (box color and precision demand) on muscle activity were evaluated in laboratory setting. Eight subjects performed sagittally symmetric lifting tasks. Box color (yellow, black), precision demand (yes, no), and box weight (5%MVC, 10%MVC, 15 %MVC) were varied and surface EMG signals from seven muscles(medial deltoid right, biceps brachii right, lateral triceps right, latissimus dorsi right, erector spinae right, external oblique right, internal oblique right) were recorded. EMG signals were band-pass filtered($10{\sim}400\;Hz$), rectified, RMS smoothed and normalized (NEMG). Analysis of variance tests were conducted on the total NEMG (TNEMG: the sum of the seven muscles' NEMGs) and on the individual muscle's NEMGs. Box color had no effect on the TNEMG and on the seven muscles activities(p>0.05). When precision demand was required at the end point of lifts, the mean NEMG showed higher values than no precision demand conditions: TNEMG (14% increase) and medial deltoid(40% increase), biceps brachii(10% increase), lateral triceps(26% increase), latissimus dorsi(25% increase) muscles. Those increases showed more conspicuous as the box weight increased in the muscles of medial deltoid, lateral triceps, and latissimus dorsi.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.71-78
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• 2011

The aim of study was to reduce risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders, and prevent it according to evaluation and analysis of its symptoms survey, and work postures which doing much frequently. This study was conducted by 64 firefighters. It was surveyed physical burden levels, distribution of musculoskeletal symptoms, and analized work postures by using ergonomics tools, such as Rapid Entire Body Assesment(REBA), Rapid Upper Lim Assessment(RULA), NIOSH Lifting Equation(NLE). Physical burden levels, and distribution of musculoskeletal symptoms were surveyed according to frequency analysis, and the analysis of above tools were presented figures and scores. The all the results of REBA were that risk level was "High", action level was "Need soon" and the results of RULA were "The results are required detailed survey and immediate improvement" at Require rescue person handling, fire hose, hybraulic rescue equipment, universal axe work postures. The occurrence possibility of musculoskeletal disorders of fire fighters is quite high due to instability postures, excessive physical work and so on. Thus, making various efforts to prevent disorders, and improving working environment is necessary continuously.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.140-148
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was performed to provide harmonized guidelines on health and environmental classification criteria and its results of chemicals in Korea. Methods: Firstly, The history of GHS implementation in UN and Korea was reviewed. Secondly, the differences in classification criteria on health and environmental hazards among UN GHS and two Korean government agencies, Korea Ministry of Employment and Labour (KMoEL) and Korea Ministry of Environmental (KMoE). The classification results were compared between classifications of Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) based on KMoEL and classifications of Korea National Institute of Environmental Research (KNIER) based on KMoE. Finally, an inter-agency harmonization on the classification criteria and the results was suggested by comparing the classification results of 5 chemicals; Benzene, carbon disulfide, formaldehyde, toluene-2,4-diisocyanate, and trichloroethylene. Results: KMoEL and KMoE revised regulations on chemical management and published a Notices on GHS classification criteria according to UN GHS document. However, the hazard to the ozone layer contained in the latest edition of UN GHS document published in 2011 was not included yet. The differences in classifications of 5 chemicals between KOSHA and KNIER were 36.2% in health hazards and 23.4% in environmental hazards, respectively. In conclusion, we suggested that a new revision be needed to include newly contained hazard and inter-agency working party be organized to harmonize classification results.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.88-95
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• 2009

There are many assessment techniques used for occupational risk factors of MSDs in the workplaces. However, because all ergonomic assesment techniques or tools are based on theoretical background derived from workphysiology, biomechanics, psychophysics, industrial hygiene, work system, and etc, it is impossible to compare the assessment techniques. This study was conducted to compare the excess rates of risk factors among ergonomic assessment techniques and to make alternative methods. Site-visits to 6 automobile products and parts company provided data for process repeated work where the produced data was examined for evaluating the relationship between workplace lay-out and work posture by using ergonomic assessment techniques. We evaluated 157 jobs for simple repeated work and 37 jobs for manual materials handling (MMH). In simple repeated work, the exceeded rates of AC were 36.3% in OWAS method and 93.0% in RULA method. The exceeded rate for RULA method was significantly higher than those for OWAS method (p<0.05). In MMH, the exceeded rates of AC were 80.0% in NLE method and 76.5% in WAC method. Statistically significant differences were not identified in the exceeded rates for NLE and MAC methods (p<0.05). The analyzed results among ergonomic assessment techniques (OWAS, RULA, NLE/WAC) were applied to the same work places performing simple repeated work and manual materials handling simultaneously. The applied results showed statistically significant differences (p<0.05) among ergonomic assessment techniques (OWAS, RULA, NLE/WAC). Exceeded rates of four ergonomic assessment techniques in decreasing order was "RULA>NLE>WAC>OWAS". The RULA method was the strongest assessment technique for automobile products and parts company. We discovered that the results could easily be overestimated or underestimated when the ergonomic assessment techniques were not applied correctly during the evaluation process. Therefore, we recommend using at least 2 methods when evaluating and analysing the results.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.49-58
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• 2019

There was a difference in recognition of chemical substances according to cognitive level of GHS, knowledge level of organic solvents and each department of workers. they were showed higher recognition of chemical substances by research group, partially group and good group. To identify the relationship between types of job classification(group of department, group of GHS cognitive level and group of organic solvents knowledge level) and the levels of recognition of chemical substances, a total of 153 workers in a small and medium business workplace. Descriptive statistics(SAS ver 9.2)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 In general, small- and medium-sized workplaces have low levels of GHS awareness and organic solvents knowledge. The perception of chemical substances according to the departments. In general, the demand for chemical substances education was highly suggested regardless of the job type. There was a significant difference in the perception of health, safety and practice according to the level of GHS cognitive, and a high perception in the incomplete group. There was not much difference in average awareness of health, safety and practice according to organic solvents knowledge level, but there was a high perception in good group. It is very important to regularly check the worker's perception of the workplace and identify problems with the work environment and improve the work environment. In addition, each department presents appropriate safety and health education such as chemical process safety, toxicity of chemical substances and human exposure. We also propose a chemical substances assessment and management plan that integrates safety and health.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.501-509
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• 2021

In 2018, total 263 micro and emerging contaminants were selected as target substances by the Ministry of Environment, and 80 of them were first-class substance including endocrine disruptors, residual Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs), residual organic pollutants, pesticides and heavy metals. In this study, in order to evaluate the Hazard Quotient (HQ) of the 80 types in the domestic water environment the concentration of discharged effluent and nearby water environment reported by Korean institutes since 2010 was investigated. There were 45 substances reported to be detected, and Measurement Environment Concentration (MEC) were obtained by collectively converting them into water environment concentration. For biotoxicity, half maximal Effective Dose (EC50) to Daphnia magna, a water fleas species widely adopted in Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) was applied. As for the biotoxicity level, the Predicted No-Effect Concentration (PNEC) was obtained by applying the Assessment Factor (AF) and the HQ was derived by dividing it from the MEC. As a result of calculating the HQ, more than 1 substances were Cabamazepine, Mefenamic acid, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Nonylphenol, Nickel, Erythromycin, Acetylslic acid, etc. Meanwhile, perfluorinated compounds were identified as hazardous substances in the water env ironment, with 5 out of 14 species included in the 20 ranks of first-class substance.