• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.123-128
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• 2024

Background: Coal miners are highly prone to occupational health risks, such as black lung disease. This study aims to assess the prevalence of black lung disease and the factors associated with black lung disease among coal miners in Asia. Method: This systematic review, conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, searched through the scientific literature of the following databases: EBSCO, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Scopus. We selected articles that studied black lung disease among coal miners from 48 countries in Asia and were published between 2014 and 2023. Article quality was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program. Result: The seven articles that we review studied a total of 653,635 coal miners from various types of coal mines from three countries in Asia. Of these miners, 59,998 experienced black lung disease. Black lung disease is prevalent among 9.18% of coal miners in Asia, which is approximately four times higher than the worldwide prevalence. Common factors that influence black lung disease in Asia include age, years of dust exposure, smoking, drinking, working types, and sizes of mines, type of mines, respiratory functions, spirometry parameters, tenure, lack of attention to occupational health, inefficient surveillance, and weak occupational health service. Conclusion: Although the prevalence of black lung disease among coal miners in Asia is considerably high, it can be addressed through effective prevention measures, monitoring, control, and case reporting.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.353-363
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• 2020

Objectives: Occupational diseases that occur due to or aggravated by work have commonly been recognized in the manufacturing industry, but there are now more incidences happening in the service industry due to changes in the industrial structure. Health workers are exposed to direct factors and various other causes of occupational disease at work, such as physical, chemical, biological, and psyco-social factors. This study aims to identify work-related diseases affecting health workers that are recognized as occupational diseases. Methods: The research is based on the data of workers whose diseases were accepted as work-related by the Industrial Accidents Compensation Insurance, and filed by the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency. Amongst the approved claims during 2011 to 2015, we focused on healthcare workers and health-related workers of the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations. Descriptive statistics were performed. Results: The number of health workers(HWs) with approved work-related disease was 1,707 over 5 years. The number of healthcare workers(HCWs) excluding caregivers was 370 (21.7%) and of health-related workers (HRWs) it was 736 (43.1%). Out of HWs who were approved for their illnesses, females were 80% of HCWs and 88% of HRWs. The most common occupational disease in HWs was musculoskeletal diseases, while that of nurses was infectious disease. Conclusions: HWs are exposed to various risks from their profession and are affected by occupational diseases. It is necessary to focus on this issue and provide preventive measures.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1994.02a
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• pp.651-657
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• 1994

To assess quantitatively the association between benzene exposure and leukemia, we examined the mortality rate of a cohort with occupational exposure to benzene. Cumulative exposure for each cohort member was estimated from historical air-sampling data and, when no sampling data existed, from interpolation on the basis of existing data. The overall standardized mortality ratio (a measure of relative risk multiplied by 100) for leukemia was 337 (95 percent confidence interval, 154 to 641), and that for multiple myeloma was 409 (95 percent confidence interval, 110 to 1047). With stratification according to levels of cumulative exposure, the standardized mortality ratios for leukemia increased from 109 to 322, 1186, and 6637 with increases in cumulative benzene exposure from less than 40 parts per million-years (ppm-years), to 40 to 199, 200 to 399, and 400 or more. respectively. A cumulative benzene exposure of 400 ppm years is equivalent to a mean annual exposure of 10 ppm over a 40-year working lifetime; 10 ppm is the currently enforceable standard in the United States for occupational exposure to benzene. To examine the shape of the exposure-response relation, we performed a conditional logistic-regression analysis, in which 10 controls were matched to each cohort member with leukemia. From this model, it can be calculated that protection from benzene induced leukemia would increase exponentially with any reduction in the permissible exposure limit.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.144-148
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• 2018

Background: The objective of this study is to find temporal trends in the associations between cardiovascular disease and occupational risk factors in the context of the Canadian population. Methods: Population data were analyzed from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) collected between 2001 and 2014 for trends over time between heart disease and various occupational risk factors: hours worked, physical exertion at work, and occupation type (management/arts/education, business/finance, sales/services, trades/transportations, and primary industry/processing). Results: We found no significant difference in the average number of hours worked/wk between individuals who report having heart disease in all years of data except in 2011 ($F_{1,96}=7.02$, p = 0.009) and 2012 ($F_{1,96}=8.86$, p = 0.004). We also found a significant difference in the degree of physical exertion at work in 2001 ($F_{1,79}=7.45$, p = 0.008). There were statistically significant results of occupation type on self-reported heart disease from 2003 to 2014. Conclusion: Canadian data from the CCHS do not exhibit a trend toward an association between heart disease and the number of hours worked/wk. There is an association between heart disease and physical exertion at work, but the trend is inconsistent. The data indicate a trend toward an association between heart disease and occupation type, but further analysis is required to determine which occupation type may be associated with heart disease.

• Proceedings of the Korea Inteligent Information System Society Conference
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• 2001.01a
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• pp.330-335
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• 2001

The occurrences of occupational illness and injury have been seriously underestimated in Korea. Surveillance systems for occupational diseases have recently emerged as important strategies for the control of occupational hazards and the implementation of intervention programs to protect workers. However, health service providers do not actively diagnose occupational diseases and are unwilling to report occupational diseases. With the rapid growth of Internet usage in Korea, the computer network has become the predominant means of communicating and sharing information. Therefore, we developed a web-based updated information and education network to assist the health services providers in reporting occupational diseases. Information systems for occupational disease surveillance were also designed to support occupational disease reporting. Commonly available database systems, such as web databases, are useful to manage occupational diseases data efficiently. Standardized case definitions and report guidelines were also established, which included cumulative trauma disorder, occupational asthma, occupational contact dermatitis, and occupational cancer. This system may provide the basis of an efficient and continuously updated source of educational information and provide specific information concerning the occurrence of occupational diseases in specific areas. Background information on occupational diseases obtained in this way will be invaluable for preventing hazards and enforcing occupational disease prevention programs. Moreover, our experiences in establishing these information systems will be of great use in other countries and settings.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.130-140
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• 1999

Objectives: This study was carried out to estimate the magnitude of skin disease related to occupation and to find out the characteristics of it. Methods: We collected and analyzed the cases of occupational skin disease reported by surveillance system composed of doctors and nurses in 150 enterprises with dispensary or attacked hospital and physicians in 92 specific health examination institutes and 150 dermatologists from May to November, 1998. Results: Among members of surveillance system, 66 enterprises and 47 specific health examination institutes and 55 dermatologists reported 571 cases of occupational skin disease in 512 workers. Excepting 81 cases reported by dermatologists, We analyzed 490 cases reported by enterprises and specific health examination institutes. Among 490 cases, contact dermatitis was most common(368 cases, 75.1%) and the second was hyper or hypopigmentation(36 cases, 7.3%). When we analyzed the characteristics of workers with occupational contact dermatitis, male workers were 281 (79.2%) and female were 74(20.8%). 165 workers(64.5%) had chronic skin disease with repeated cure and relapse. 245 workers(72.5%) answered positively that their coworkers had similar skin disease. 27 workers(8.7%) experienced absence due to contact dermatitis related to occupation. To analyze the type of industries of workers with occupational contact dermatitis, automobile and trailer manufacturing industry was most common(105 cases, 29.6%) and the second was manufacturing industry for image, sound and communication equipment(55 cases, 15.5%). Organic solvent(183 cases, 46.7%) was the most common treating material of workers with contact dermatitis and the second was various kinds of chemicals(59cases, 15.1%). Conclusions: This is the first study using nationwide surveillance system to collect data of occupational skin disease. We found that many workers had skin disease related to occupation and characteristics of occupational skin disease were chronic and clustering. Therefore, we had to establish counterplan to manage occupational skin disease and to operate surveillance system to identify trends of occupational skin disease, continuously.

• 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.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.109-119
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• 2004

Objective : To broaden our understanding on occupational disease of market workers and to evaluate the effect of TKM treatment focusing on acupuncture and herb medicine and to promote base studies and clinical trials on occupational disease. Materials and Methods : Analysis was done on 33 Ga-Rak market workers' chart which had been selected through investigation of 1508 outpatient's chart of Kyung Won University Hospital from Jun. 1st, 2002 to May. 31th, 2003. Results : 1. Out of 33 patients, Men had more occupational diseases than women had and Most people were in their forties. 2. Major cause of the disease include repetitve bending, heavy weight lifting and overwork. 3. Past History of patients mostly include frequent lumbar sprain, periarthritis of shoulder, lumbar HNP 4. The patients with occupational disease were diagnosed as lumbar sprain, periarthritis of shoulder, lumbar HNP, degenerative spondylosis, spinal stenosis and their chief complaints were low back pain, omalgia, back pain with radicular pain. 5. The duration of treatment was mostly within a week. 6. Acupuncture, Bee Venom Acupuncture, moxibustion, Herb-medicine, extract, taping therapy, physical therapy were used as treatment methods. 7. Applied herb medicine were composed of 8 kinds of prescriptions and extract were made up of 6 prescriptions 8. Applied acupoints belonged mainly to 14 meridians 9. The treatment of herb medicine combined with acupuncture proved effective in treating the ocupational disease. Conclusion : The occupational disease of patients working in Ga-Rak market were closely related with overwork, especially with repetitive bending and heavy weight lifting and TKM treatment focusing on acupuncture combined with herb medicine was effective in treating occupational disease.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.507-511
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• 2022

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) often encounter rapidly changing and uncontrolled situations that expose them to various hazards. A law enforcement agency requested an evaluation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) when multiple LEOs reported illness after executing a search warrant and taking a suspect into custody. NIOSH investigators interviewed LEOs and reviewed medical records, forensic laboratory results for collected evidence, and environmental testing results of samples taken after the operation. Two-thirds (25 of 38) of LEOs who participated in the operation reported ≥1 symptom. Eleven LEOs met a case definition for influenza-like illness (ILI). Members of one unit were more likely to have ILI than non-members (prevalence ratio (PR), 4.1; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-13.0; p = 0.01). Influenza vaccination was associated with a lower prevalence of ILI (PR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.9; p = 0.02). Preventing employees from working while ill and annual influenza vaccination might prevent similar occurrences.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.92-100
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• 2012

Objectives: The French National Occupational Diseases Surveillance and Prevention Network (RNV3P) is a French network of occupational disease specialists, which collects, in standardised coded reports, all cases where a physician of any specialty, referred a patient to a university occupational disease centre, to establish the relation between the disease observed and occupational exposures, independently of statutory considerations related to compensation. The objective is to compare the relevance of disproportionality measures, widely used in pharmacovigilance, for the detection of potentially new disease ${\times}$ exposure associations in RNV3P database (by analogy with the detection of potentially new health event ${\times}$ drug associations in the spontaneous reporting databases from pharmacovigilance). Methods: 2001-2009 data from RNV3P are used (81,132 observations leading to 11,627 disease ${\times}$ exposure associations). The structure of RNV3P database is compared with the ones of pharmacovigilance databases. Seven disproportionality metrics are tested and their results, notably in terms of ranking the disease ${\times}$ exposure associations, are compared. Results: RNV3P and pharmacovigilance databases showed similar structure. Frequentist methods (proportional reporting ratio [PRR], reporting odds ratio [ROR]) and a Bayesian one (known as BCPNN for "Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network") show a rather similar behaviour on our data, conversely to other methods (as Poisson). Finally the PRR method was chosen, because more complex methods did not show a greater value with the RNV3P data. Accordingly, a procedure for detecting signals with PRR method, automatic triage for exclusion of associations already known, and then investigating these signals is suggested. Conclusion: This procedure may be seen as a first step of hypothesis generation before launching epidemiological and/or experimental studies.