• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.500-508
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• 2020

Background: Research on the status of many chemicals used in the semiconductor industry is needed. The purpose of this study was to describe the overall status of chemical use in the semiconductor industry in Korea and to examine it from a health perspective. Methods: Data on the status of chemical use and safety data sheets at 11 of 12 major semiconductor workplaces in Korea were collected. The number of chemical products and chemical constituents, quantities of chemicals, and trade secret ingredients used, as well as the health hazards were examined. Results: On average, 210 chemical products and 135 chemical constituents were used at the surveyed workplaces. Among all chemical products, 33% (range: 16-56%) contained at least one trade secret ingredient. Most of the trade secret ingredients were used in the photolithography process. Several carcinogens, including sulfuric acid, chromic acid, ethylene oxide, crystalline silica, potassium dichromate, and formaldehyde were also used. Only 29% (39 of 135) of the chemical constituents had occupational exposure limits, and more than 60% had no National Fire Protection Association health, safety, and reactivity ratings. Based on the aforementioned results, this study revealed the following. First, many chemical products and constituents are being used in the semiconductor industry and many products contained trade secret ingredients. Second, many products contained significant amounts of carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reproductive toxicant materials. Conclusion: We conclude that protecting workers in the semiconductor industry against harm from chemical substances will be difficult, due to widespread use of trade secret ingredients and a lack of hazard information. The findings of the status of chemical use and the health and safety risks in semiconductor industry will contribute to epidemiological studies, safe workplace, and worker health protection.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.371-380
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• 2022

Objectives: To ensure that employers handling petroleum compounds understand whether petroleum-based UVCB (unknown or variable composition, complex reaction products, or biological materials) substances contain hazardous substances and comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act, petroleum-based UVCB substances were analyzed and the results from samples were compared with MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) contents. Methods: Twenty-one petroleum samples were analyzed using GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry), targeting ten volatile organic compounds regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Results: The target chemicals were detected in 13 out of 21 samples. All 13 samples were in the naphtha (low boiling point naphthas (gasolines)) group. There were also naphtha group samples containing 2% benzene. Some naphtha samples used as solvents contained about 1% benzene. Conclusions: This study shows that naphtha group petroleum substances contain hazardous chemicals in many cases. In particular, if benzene, n-hexane, and toluene with low occupational exposure limits are contained above the limit concentration. Such information should be delivered in the article on MSDS legal regulations.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.136-142
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• 2003

This study is planned to investigate the attitude toward the safety and health management of contractor company. Under the contract based production system, all of activities including safety and health management in the contractor company are depended upon the contract. How to make contract influence the worker's health of contractor company. Worker's health of contractor company can be protected by efforts of company of contract-out and contractor company, especially their safety managers. The modelling of the effective safety and health management system for contractor company should consider the need of safety manager of each company and employer of contractor company. Data is collected from safety managers of 3 contract out compaines as electronic and electrical manufacturing industry and 55 safety manager, 57 employers of their contractor compaines using self administered survey with structured questionnaire. The most of all respondents want to support from the contract out compaines. The most important items supported from contract out company is the information based on the safety information network between each company. Safety manager and employer of contactor company also itemized safety education and training in the supporting system from contract out company. These results can be generalized to survey on the other industries.

• 한국환경성돌연변이발암원학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경성돌연변이발암원학회 2002년도 Current Trends in Toxicological Sciences
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• pp.68-68
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• 2002

• 대한안전경영과학회지
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.9-20
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• 2013

OSHA(Occupational Safety and Health Act) generally regulates employer's business principles in the workplace to maintain safety environment. This act has the fundamental purpose to protect employee's safety and health in the workplace by reducing industrial accidents. Authors tried to investigate the correlation between 'occupational injuries and illnesses' and level of regulation compliance using Survey on Current Status of Occupational Safety & Health data by the various statistical methods, such as generalized regression analysis, logistic regression analysis and poison regression analysis in order to compare the results of those methods. The results have shown that the significant affecting compliance factors were different among those statistical methods. This means that specific interpretation should be considered based on each statistical method. In the future, relevant statistical technique will be developed considering the distribution type of occupational injuries.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제13권4호
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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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• 제10권1호
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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.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.143-149
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• 2016

Background: The industrial revolution that took place in the United Kingdom (UK) between 1760 and 1830 led to profound social change. Occupational medicine was concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of occupational diseases, that is, diseases directly caused by exposure to workplace hazards. A similar pattern of development has occurred globally. Methods: A review of relevant literature. Results: The international conceptualization and development of occupational health occurred during the 20th century. A new paradigm for occupational health has emerged that extends the classical focus on what might be termed "health risk management" that is, the focus on workplace hazards and risk to health to include the medical aspects of sickness absence and rehabilitation, the support and management of chronic noncommunicable diseases, and workplace health promotion. Conclusion: The future strategic direction for occupational health will be informed by a needs analysis and a consideration of where it should be positioned within future healthcare provision. What are the occupational health workforce implications of the vision for occupational health provision? New challenges and new ways of working will necessitate a review of the competence and capacity of the occupational health workforce, with implications for future workforce planning.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.118-124
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• 2014

Background: Satisfactory completion of mine safety training is a prerequisite for being hired and for continued employment in the coal industry. Although training includes content to develop skills in a variety of mineworker competencies, research and recommendations continue to specify that specific limitations in the self-escape portion of training still exist and that mineworkers need to be better prepared to respond to emergencies that could occur in their mine. Ecological models are often used to inform the development of health promotion programs but have not been widely applied to occupational health and safety training programs. Methods: Nine mine safety trainers participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews. A theoretical analysis of the interviews was completed via an ecological lens. Each level of the social ecological model was used to examine factors that could be addressed both during and after mine safety training. Results: The analysis suggests that problems surrounding communication and collaboration, leadership development, and responsibility and accountability at different levels within the mining industry contribute to deficiencies in mineworkers' mastery and maintenance of skills. Conclusion: This study offers a new technique to identify limitations in safety training systems and processes. The analysis suggests that training should be developed and disseminated with consideration of various levels-individual, interpersonal, organizational, and community-to promote skills. If factors identified within and between levels are addressed, it may be easier to sustain mineworker competencies that are established during safety training.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.292-299
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• 2024

Background: The aim of this research is to analyze the transformation of workers perceptions of the safety climate in an oil and gas company in Indonesia when they experience a change in ownership from a multinational to a national company. Methods: This cross-sectional study used questionnaires distributed offline and online in three periods of ownership of Company X. Data analysis was carried out descriptively by comparing workers perception scores regarding the safety climate at Company X when managed by the multinational holder, transition period, and national holder. Results: Workers perceptions of the safety climate in Company X when it experienced a change in ownership from a multinational company to a national company has a trend of decreasing scores (from 8.07 to 7.48). Overall, a decreasing trend in scores occurred in several sub-variables of safety climate, namely management commitment (8.33 to 7.56), communication (8.10 to 7.64), safety priority (8.55 to 7.68), personal appreciation of risk (8.25 to 5.48), involvement (7.50 to 7.36), and personal priority and need for safety (8.25 to 5.48). Conclusions: Ownership changes cause a trend of decrease in employee perceptions of the safety climate at Company X. Company's priority on safety related to production target factors is decreasing due to the change of ownership. On the other hand, the national period had a higher score in supportive environments and work environments, compared to the multinational period.