• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.24-32
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• 2024

Background: Learning from incidents for accident prevention is a two-stage process, involving the investigation of past accidents to identify the causal factors, followed by the identification and implementation of remedial measures to address the identified causal factors. The focus of past research has been on the identification of causal factors, with limited focus on the identification and implementation of remedial measures. This research begins to contribute to this gap. The motivation for the research is twofold. First, previous analyses show the recurring nature of accidents within the Ghanaian mining industry, and the causal factors also remain the same. This raises questions on the nature and effectiveness of remedial measures identified to address the causes of past accidents. Secondly, without identifying and implementing remedial measures, the full benefits of accident investigations will not be achieved. Hence, this study aims to assess the nature of remedial measures proposed to address investigation causal factors. Method: The study adopted SMARTER from business studies with the addition of HMW (H - Hierarchical, M - Mapping, and W - Weighting of causal factors) to analyse the recommendations from 500 individual investigation reports across seven different mines in Ghana. Results: The individual and the work environment (79%) were mostly the focused during the search for causes, with limited focus on organisational factors (21%). Forty eight percentage of the recommendations were administrative, focussing on fixing the problem in the immediate affected area or department of the victim(s). Most recommendations (70.4%) were support activities that only enhance the effectiveness of control but do not prevent/mitigate the failure directly. Across all the mines, there was no focus on evaluating the performance of remedial measures after their implementation. Conclusion: Identifying sharp-end causes leads to proposing weak recommendations which fail to address latent organisational conditions. The study proposed a guide for effective planning and implementation of remedial actions.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.35-47
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• 2024

Objectives: Many cases of lung cancer have been reported by school kitchen workers as occupational cancer. Twenty-eight schools in Gyeongsangnam-do Province were selected to evaluate the effect of improved kitchen ventilation systems. Ventilation characteristics before and after renovation were compared and design techniques were identified. Methods: In the design stage for kitchen ventilation systems, expert intervention was used to improve the designs. Ventilation characteristics and air quality were evaluated before and after the renovations. Hood face velocity and fan flow rate were measured and the smoke visualization technique was used to evaluate the capability of protecting worker's breathing zone. The concentrations of PM_0.3 were measured at points not adjacent to cooking equipment because these concentrations fluctuate greatly. Results: Mean hood face velocity increased from 0.29 m/s before renovation to 0.7m/s after renovation. The concentrations of PM_0.3 showed a roughly 95% reduction. Concentrations of CO showed more than a 75% reduction. Smoke visualization showed greater protection of workers' breathing zone. Conclusions: Advanced design techniques for school kitchen ventilation systems were applied to renovate old kitchen ventilation systems. The performance of the new kitchen ventilation systems was nearly excellent. Further improvement of design techniques is still needed, however.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.271-283
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• 2024

The study seeks to examine the alignment between the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) and the Six Principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) through qualitative analysis. The study utilizes a qualitative methodology that entails a comprehensive review of the existing literature to establish connections between MOHO and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) principles, with a specific focus on collaborative special education environments. Data collection involves examining academic literature on MOHO, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) principles, and the partnership between occupational therapists and special education teachers. Thematic analysis is employed to identify recurrent themes and relationships, offering valuable insights into the theoretical foundations of MOHO and its compatibility with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)The Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) highlights the significance of active engagement and meaningful participation in inclusive education. It promotes the development of independence and self-determination in occupational performance for children with special needs. Moreover, MOHO stresses the importance of offering tailored support and adjustments for these children.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.37-43
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• 2009

This study compared the electromyographic activities and input performance of computer operators using a computer mouse and a trackball. Muscle activities were assessed at the upper trapezius (UT), middle deltoid (MD), extensor digitorum (ED), and first dorsal interosseous muscle (FDI). Twenty-six healthy subjects were recruited, and the test order was selected randomly for each subject. The task set was to click moving targets on a Windows program. The EMG amplitude was normalized using the percentage of reference voluntary contraction for UT and MD and the percentage of maximal voluntary contraction for ED and FDI. To analyze the differences in EMG activity, a paired t-test was used. UT muscle activities were significantly greater when the computer mouse was used (p<.05). FDI muscle activities were significantly greater when the trackball was used (p<.05). Using a trackball can reduce the load on the UT during computer work and help to prevent and manage work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.98-104
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• 2017

Human Resources Development of Korea has been practicing performance evaluation for occupational qualification licences in environmental sectors that include water, air, and wastes management, but not soil. The purpose of the study was to improve overall quality of the national qualification test in the soil sector to better train applicants based on National Competency Standards (NCS), which is designed to emphasize site-specific conditions and knowledge. This study systematically analysed the current licence test in the soil sector with respect to qualification units, performance criteria, knowledge, techniques, and attitude as described in NCS. Furthermore, test evaluation was conducted to examine the validity of the revised licence test. The test results indicated the revised test method would bring positive outcomes to the related industry. Upon the reviews and amendments by the field experts, the result of this study could serve as a framework to the development of more robust and reliable licence test.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.77-81
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• 2017

Purpose : This study examined the effects of driving rehabilitation functional training on visual perception ability and driving reaction velocity. Those subjects were put under MVPT-3 test to see their visual perceptual functions before and after the 4weeks' driving rehabilitation function training and then put to TMT A-type test to see their driving reaction velocity performance. The followings are the results of this study. Methods : Using a driving simulator, driving rehabilitation functional training was performed targeting men and women aged in 20s 20 minutes per time, two times per week, for a month. Results : As for the change in visual perception, the Raw Score of MVPT-3 very significantly increased (p<.01), and the Standard Score also very significantly increased (p<.01). As for the change in reaction velocity, TMT A-type very significantly decreased (p<.01), and TMT B-type also very significantly decreased (p<.01). Conclusion : It could be found that driving rehabilitation functional training should be effective for both visual perception and reaction velocity. Consequently, the driving rehabilitation function training can be applied to clinics as training method for functional recovery and improvement of visual perceptual functions and driving reaction velocity performance ability of the patients. Thus, various functional programs should be studied in the future.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.3 s.62
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• pp.440-448
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• 1998

In many developed countries, for example, USA, respirator fit testing is required before entering specific work environment to ensure that the respirator worn satisfies a minimum of fit and that the user knows when the respirator fits properly. Unfortunately because we have not fit test regulation in Korea, a lot of workers wearing respirators may be potentially exposed to hazards. This study was conducted to evaluate the fitting performance for respirators and correlation fit factors with facial dimensions of wearers. 110 subjects (70 males, 40 females) were fit tested for three quarter masks, i.e., two domestic-made Mask 2, and Y and one foreign-made Mask T using PortaCount 8020. A facial dimension survey of the same subjects was conducted to develop a facial dimension grids fer correlation fit factors with facial dimension parameters. A facial dimension grid was developed on the basis of face length and lip length for quarter masks. The results obtained were as follows : 1 Fit factors of Mask T were much higher than those of Masks Z, and Y. 2. Males were fitted more properly than females. 3. Male in box 'f' of grid would be adequately fitted Mask Y and male in box 'b', 'e', 'f', 'h' of grid would be sufficiently fitted Mask T. Female in box 'h' of grid may have a good fitting performance for both Mask Y, and T. But subjects in all boxes of grid would be inadequately fitted Mask Z.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.77-83
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• 2009

The manufacturing industry is the one with the most frequent industrial disasters, and it is important to study the safety climate recognized by workers in the industry in order to actively prevent industrial accidents. However, little research has been performed on the safety climate in workplaces felt by the workers in the manufacturing industry. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors affecting work environment safeness based on practical analysis via survey, and to establish the relation between safety performance factors and safeness of work environment. The survey was performed for workers in the manufacturing industry(n=228), and structural equations model analysis by using the AMOS 7.0 was performed in order to identify the fit of the research model and the causation among factors. According to the results of the analysis, the reliability and the model fit were appropriate for interpretation, and safety participation was shown to affect safeness of work environment more than safety compliance. The results of this study may serve as the reference for taking a measure to improve the level of safeness of the work environment felt by workers in the manufacturing industry.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 1995

The widespread use of VDU has improved the efficiency of information transmission between man and machine, but has caused new occupational health and ergonomics problems. In this study, we tried to construct a fuzzy hyman performance model of VDU workers in Korea. Fuzzy inferences of human perfor- mance are obtained from the fuzzy inference rule with the job difficulty, CFF, SACL, Type A. and the degree of concentration in VDU work. Eight healthy female undergraduate students at Kyungnam university for subjects aged 20 to 23 years were examined in this experiment. They calculated continuous addition, subtraction, and multiplication of 1 or 2 digit numbers that were produced randomly on the CRT. Subjects peoformed two types of a numeric operation, which easy and difficult work produced 400 and 600 problems within a 40 minute work session, respectively. Subjects were tested over two workdays according to the type of work(easy and difficult) consisting of four 40 minutes work sessions in the morning. Each work lasted for five minutes with a ten minutes rest break. 117 fuzzy inference rules were obtained from the experimental data. The value of consequent part was obtained by a descent method. The difference between real human error and estimated value of fuzzy inference was $1.8075{\pm}1.8591%(M{\pm}SD)$. The difference in easy and diffcult works were $2.69{\pm}2.13%$ and $0.92{\pm}0.93%$, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.342-349
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• 2016

Objectives: The objective of this paper is to find flow and heat transfer characteristics numerically in boiler buildings for three different ventilation window configurations. Methods: Turbulent natural convection flow in boiler buildings with a constant heating wall temperature was analyzed numerically. Governing equations were solved with standard finite-volume method using the SIMPLE algorithm. Conclusions: Flow and heat transfer characteristics are found for three different ventilation types. In the lower area under furnace, velocity and temperature distributions show similar patterns among the three different ventilation types. In the upper area over furnace, however, air flow is well mixed with lower peak temperatures for types B and C, which have roof ventilation windows, compared to type A which has side wall louvers only. Also, type B, with a single large roof window, shows better ventilation effect than does type C with its distribution roof windows.