• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.267-276
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• 2016

Objectives: This study, aims to examine the distribution characteristics of asbestos-containing building materials; risk assessment and area of distribution of asbestos-containing building materials depending on year of construction; building materials; types of building materials; and usage in public buildings in order to create fundamental data for safe management of public buildings. Methods: The asbestos investigation was conducted by an asbestos research institution from March to May 2014, targeting 41 public buildings which were subject to asbestos investigation in South Chungcheong-do Province. With respect to 381 presumed asbestos-containing materials, an investigation was conducted into whether they contained asbestos, asbestos type, content, year of construction, and use in the building were examined, and a risk assessment was performed. Results: Asbestos-containing building materials were used in 35 buildings(85.4%). Among them, 31(88.6%) were public buildings. Asbestos was detected in 73% of 381 suspected asbestos-containing materials, which were mostly ceiling materials (85.2%). The older the buildings, the more they showed a tendency to have a significantly higher risk assessment score. The ratio of average area with asbestos-containing building materials to total floor area was 57.6%, 44.1%, and 17.8% for buildings built in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, respectively. This showed a tendency to be significantly higher with the age of the building. Conclusions: From the results above, it can be concluded that with the age of the buildings, the risk assessment score and the ratio of average area with asbestos-containing building materials to total floor area became significantly higher. Given the concern about the exposure to asbestos of residents and civil petitioners, safety management of older public buildings and measures for dismantling and removal of asbestos-containing building materials should therefore be urgently established.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.425-431
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• 2020

When a radiation generating device is installed in an export container due to COVID-19, the purpose of this study was to measure the space dose in the radiation room and to study the effectiveness of the shielding wall in the laboratory. Air dose measurement method was set behind the X-ray tube, 50 cm, 100 cm, 200 cm, and measured 12 locations. The dose values before and after the use of the movable radiation shielding wall were compared by measuring 3 locations behind the X-ray tube using the movable radiation shielding wall. The measured values were 50 cm on the left behind the X-ray tube: 1.446 μSv, behind the X-ray tube: 0.545 μSv, and 50 cm on the right behind the X-ray tube: 1.466 μSv. Measurements behind the radiation barrier were 0.190 μSv, 0.204 μSv, and 0.191 μSv. As a result of performing the corresponding sample t test of the average value according to the use of movable barrier walls, p <0.001 was found. As a result of the actual measurement, the medical exposure of the examiner due to the shielding wall in the laboratory decreased to 82.3%. In order to reduce occupational exposure in screening radiological laboratories, it is recommended that sufficient separation from radiation sources and the use of shielding walls are recommended.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.227-236
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• 2007

We investigated the factors which influence the musculoskeletal symptoms in diagnostic medical sonographer. The Korean Society of Medical Sonographer conducted a survey through e-mail. Of the 400 subjects, 124 subjects responded(31%). The number of abdominal sonographer was 72(71.3%), obstetrics sonographer was 20(19.8%), echocardiographer was 9(8.9%) for effective 101 participant among themselves. According to the NIOSH diagnostic criteria, 86 subjects(85.1%) had musculoskeletal symptoms on their shoulders/neck, 73 subjects(72.3%) on their hands/wrists/arms/elbows, 44 subjects(43.6%) on their lower back. The factor of musculoskeletal symptoms were analyzed by the logistic regression analysis. The factors of symptoms for the hands/wrists/arms/ elbows were official autonomy, number of scans performed per week. The factors of symptoms for the shoulders/neck and the lower back were work break. However scan type were not observed as a significant factor. The study came to conclusion that many study subjects experienced musculoskeletal symptoms. These measures should be taken properly and promptly by the hospital's administrators.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.550-561
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to provide basic data for the improvement of the working environment for health prevention and related countermeasures for shift workers. This study was conducted based on the Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS), which analyzed the health effects of shift work forces and compared them with preceding studies. Methods: By analyzing secondary rates using raw data from the 5th KWCS, 4,870 (9.7%) of the 50,184 total study subjects were divided into shift work and 45,314 (90.3%) non-shift work groups based on the response to shift status. Variables that could affect work health issues were identified and corrected. A cross-analysis was conducted to examine demographic characteristics (gender, age, and education level) of the workers and occupation characteristics (monthly net earnings, employment type, occupation, working period up to now, workplace scale, type of work system, and weekly working hours). In order to find the work health issue ratio between the shift and non-shift work groups, logistic regression was analyzed and the association with health problems according to shift type by gender was looked at through cross-analysis. Results: According to the surveys conducted from the 1st KWCS (2006) to the 5th KWCS (2017), the proportion of shift workers continued to increase. Also, muscular pains in the lower limbs (hips, legs, knees, feet, etc.) (OR=1.135, 95%CI 1.031-1.251), headaches, eyestrain (OR=1.580, 95% CI 1.428-1.748), anxiety (OR=1.715, 95% CI 1.402-2.099), difficulty falling asleep (OR=1.391), and other problems (OR=7.392) were reported. In addition, back pain, muscular pains in shoulders, neck and/or upper limbs, muscular pains in lower limbs (hips, legs, knees, feet, etc.), headaches, eyestrain, depression, anxiety, overall fatigue resulted in significant results for both male and female shift workers. Depression and anxiety were higher in female shift/circulation compared to males. Conclusions: The social nets for the health and safety of shift workers should be explored in a variety of ways, including management and supervision of shift sites, attempts to reorganize and improve the shift system, development of workers' health recovery programs, promotion, systematic treatment, and compensation systems.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.109-123
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• 2020

Objectives: The aims of this study were to review the standards and key components of the standards for disposable masks in Korea, the US, EU, Japan, and China and to evaluate the appropriateness of disposable masks during a virus pandemic. Methods: We reviewed the standards in the above countries and compared their key elements for each standard. For the second purpose, systemic paper gathering using key words like 'mask', 'respirator' 'virus', and 'coronavirus' in the PubMed search engine was performed. Fifty-three papers were selected and reviewed in regard to the appropriateness of test protocols with sodium chloride(NaCl) particles for virus filtration and the effectiveness against viruses. Results: The standards for masks are largely divided into two categories: US standards and EU standards. In Korea, the Ministry of Employment and Labor adapted the EU standards for workers and the Health Masks adopted the Ministry of Employment and Labor standards by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Regarding airborne viral infections, WHO emphasizes only droplet infection, while many studies have shown that small particles enter the air through coughing or sneezing, which increases the possibility of airborne infection. Compared to other particles, various factors such as airborne viability and the ability to replicate the virus in the body are further involved in the virus's airborne infection rate. Airborne infection is classified into absolute air infection, preferential air infection, and opportunistic air infection. The NaCl-certified N95 mask showed good filtration efficiency against viruses and NaCl particles were proved to be a surrogate material for viruses. From this, KF94 is also expected to be effective in blocking viruses. Conclusion: The N95 test method could be used as a surrogate test method for virus filtration. N95-class masks have been found to effectively block viral infections in the air. However, surgical or medical masks are only partially effective against airborne virus infection though they could effectively block large droplet infection. However, most studies considered in this study targeted N95 in foreign countries and studies on masks actually used in Korea are very limited, so studies on microorganisms and reuse on domestic masks should be conducted in the future.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.353-363
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigated the ELF-MF emission level of various environments such as 258 facilities near located to high voltage transmission lines and 120 high voltage transmission lines, 17 underground cable lines. In addition, ELF-MF reduction rate according to separation distance was calculated by using simulations. An appropriate separation distance showing below 4mG was at least 70m. In the case of the appropriate separation distance for 120 high voltage transmission lines, 154kV required 20m of separation distance and 345kV required 60m of separation distance. The simulation results showed that the appropriate separation distance showing below 4mG was 40m and 60m for overhead 154kV and 345kV respectively. To adjust the worst conditions considering the aspects of environmental impact assessment study and the electric power currents that will increase in the future, the appropriate minimum separation distance for HVTL is judged to be above 70m in this study. Thus, there is a need to establish the greenbelt or buffer zone within 70m so as to create an environment in which the receptors are not exposed and thereby eliminate the risk factors of ELF-MF against humans.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.44-51
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• 2013

ICRP recommended that cosmic ray exposure to the pilot and cabin crew would be considered as an occupational exposure due to their relatively high exposure. Since 2012 with the Act No. 10908 (Natural radiation management), the guideline of cosmic ray exposure to the pilot was established in Korea. The applicability of the solid-state nuclear track detector for personal dose assessment of pilot and cabin crew was evaluated. Dose linearity and angle dependence of dosimeters to the neutron were evaluated by $^{252}Cf$ neutron emitting source. The track density has a good agreement with the dose ($r^2$=0.99) and highly dependent on the degree of an angular of the dosimeter to the neutron source. In addition, the dosimeters (SSNTD) were exposed to cosmic ray in an aircraft during its cruising for more than two months in collaboration with Airline Pilots Association of Korea. Although the correlation between the track density from aircraft cruising altitude and expected neutron dose is low, however RSNS dosimeter could be used for personal neutron dosimeter. For application of RSNS as a personal dosimeter for pilot and cabin crew, additional studies are required.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.16-27
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• 2019

A burning test was conducted on the smoke and combustion gases generated from cypress wood treated with sodium silicate, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane sol, 3-(2-aminoethylamino)propylmethyldimethoxysilane sol, and 3-(2-aminoethylamino) propyltrimethoxysilane sol. The silicone compound sol was applied to each of the cypress wood specimens three times with a brush. The smoke and combustion generation gas were analyzed using a cone calorimeter (ISO 5660-1) and the smoke was also evaluated by applying new smoke risk assessment method. The smoke performance index (SPI) of the cypress treated with silicone compound increased 1.66 to 8.42 times and the smoke growth index (SGI) was 11.8 to 88.2%, respectively. The smoke intensity (SI) is expected to be 1.0~50.5% lower than that of the base specimens, resulting in lower smoke and fire hazards. The third maximum carbon monoxide (CO_peak) concentration of the specimens treated with silicone compounds was 22.5~33.3% lower than that of the base specimens. On the other hand, it produced potentially fatal toxicity that was 1.48~1.72 times higher than the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) acceptance standard (PEL). Cypress wood itself produced a high carbon monoxide concentration, but the silicon compound played a role in reducing this level.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.513-518
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was to investigate color distortion by colors and luminous transmittance of lenses with word-color test included in computerized neurocognitive function test (CNT). Methods: 32 subjects aged $21.97{\pm}1.58$ years with no ocular disease and color vision deficiency were selected. Four colors of tinted lenses, which were red, green and blue included in the primary colors of light and pink, and word-color test in CNT to evaluate changes in cognitive function by color distortion were used. Results: Response time was not significantly increased in green, blue, and pink among four colors, but significantly increased in only red color. And response time was significantly increased below 46% of luminous transmittance in red color. Conclusions: It should be cautious and careful of the red-tinted lens choice because red color with below 46% of luminous transmittance can distort colors of objects, and it could be related to safety problem. It is suggested that word-color test could be extensively used for further studies on color recognition.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.637-644
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• 2011

Objective & Background: When applying various evaluation tools that analyze work posture risk through observation, accurate measurement of body flexion angle is very important. Method: This study investigated differences and appropriateness of 5 different existing reference points commonly used in the analysis of the work posture. Twenty five ergonomist and trained professionals were participated in this study. A Same flexion angle was utilized for the evaluation of risk assessment of musculoskeletal disorders using five different reference points to investigate the degree of difference between them. To investigate how different the observers' preferred flexion angle measuring methods were compared to the ISO 11226 Reference Posture, a virtual body model was constructed using the Poser 6.0 program. Six types of body flexion postures were constructed, and since neck flexion differs according to body angle, five types of neck flexion postures were constructed with the trunk bending $20^{\circ}$ forward, making up a total of 30 virtual flexion postures. Results: Results showed that the observers used personally preferred reference points instead of reference points recommend in the evaluation tools. Also the results revealed the their seems to be 6 types of flexion angle for the trunk and 11 types of measurement methods for the neck flexion angle in the form of personally preferred reference points. The results showed that a mean difference of $14^{\circ}$($4{\sim}23^{\circ}$) occurred in the trunk, and a mean difference of $20^{\circ}$($-8{\sim}51^{\circ}$) occurred in the neck. To increase accuracy when using the 5 evaluation tools in combination, the ISO 11226 standards, observers' preferred flexion posture standards, and common flexion posture standards of the evaluation tools were compared with the reference points of the 5 evaluation tools. Results showed considerable variance in angle difference for each evaluation tool. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, considering the angle difference between the flexion angle reference points of the evaluation tool and the reference points selected by the observers, it is concluded that instead of personally preferred reference points, the standardized reference points to enhance the accuracy and the objectivity. Application: The result of this study can be used as reference guide to develop the standardized reference point in the future.