• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.83-85
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• 2016

Effective interventions to reduce work-related exposures are available for many types of work-related diseases or injuries. However, knowledge of the impact of these interventions on injury or disease outcomes is scarce due to practical and methodological reasons. Study designs are considered for the evaluation of occupational health interventions on occupational disease or injury. Latency and frequency of occurrence of the health outcomes are two important features when designing an evaluation study with occupational disease or occupational injury as an outcome measure. Controlled evaluation studies-giving strong indications for an intervention effect-seem more suitable for more frequently occurring injuries or diseases. Uncontrolled evaluation time or case series studies are an option for evaluating less frequently occurring injuries or diseases. Interrupted time series offer alternatives to experimental randomized controlled trials to give an insight into the effectiveness of preventive actions in the work setting to decision and policy makers.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제26권5호
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• pp.110-117
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• 2011

The paper tries to understand the other side of characteristics on occupational injuries and diseases in forestry. Occupational injuries and diseases in forestry seems to be greatly influenced by the environmental characteristics of the mountain district and individual's ability of workers. A traditional method on the analysis of occupational injuries and diseases data may show that the main cause of occupational injuries and diseases is the material factors significantly. To identify the other side of occupational injuries and diseases in forestry, the occupational injuries and diseases data of 3,091 workers in forestry was analyzed. The data in forestry, 2009 shows certain characteristics among the recent occupational injuries and diseases data. The first step is to classify the data according to standard of classification of original cause materials. Material factors are 72.3% and human factors (included managerial factors) and environmental factors are 27.0%. The next step is to reclassify the first step data by using the concept of influence factors which caused and influenced occupational injuries and diseases. The result is that material factors are 2.4%, human factors(included managerial factors) and environmental factors are 97.0%. Also, an aging degree of workers in forestry is higher than other categories of business. It is true that an aging degree of injured or diseased workers in forestry is higher than that of other categories of business. However, relevance with increase of occupational injuries and diseases could not be explained. An injury and disease rate in forestry is remarkably increased recently than other categories of business. One of the reason why an injury and disease rate increased remarkably in 2009 could be considered as the increase of the number of workers and related budget. Therefore, this study proposes important measures or means to prevent occupational injuries and diseases in forestry.

• 한국직업건강간호학회지
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.275-284
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• 2013

Purpose: This study analyzed the characteristics of occupational injuries and illnesses of the nursing staff to reveal the prevalence of the major diseases and the predominant causes of the injuries in the nursing environment. Methods: Total 3,455 work-related compensation cases of nursing staff from January 1 2000 to December 31 2012, were selected. The specific types of the diseases, injuries, causes and the time of the incidence were analyzed. Results: Majority of the compensated cases were young women under 30 years old. The composition of the occupational injuries and illness was 74.5% and 25.5%, respectively. Occupational infection was the major part of the occupational illnesses (47.3%), and 74% of them were tuberculosis. Musculoskeletal disorder (12.6%) was followed the infectious disease, and 36.4% of them occurred while moving the patients. Slipping was the most frequent injury; most of them resulted in the lower extremities injury. Most of the injuries increased during shift change, except workplace violence, which increased later than 19:00. Conclusion: Occupational injuries and illnesses of nursing staff need the specific prevention strategy, and the prevention strategy should be suitable for the nursing workplace.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.77-83
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• 2013

There is still a considerable burden of occupational diseases and injuries in the world. It is not well known which interventions can effectively reduce the exposures at work that cause this burden. The objective of this article is to summarize evidence from systematic reviews of interventions to prevent occupational diseases and injuries. We included systematic reviews of interventions to reduce the incidence of work-related cancer, dust-related diseases, occupational asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, noise induced hearing loss, back pain, and occupational injuries. We searched Medline and Embase with predefined search strategies to locate systematic reviews of these interventions. We found 23 systematic reviews of which the results are also applicable to low- and middle income countries. Effective measures to reduce exposure leading to work-related cancer, dust-related diseases, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, noise, and injuries are available. However, better implementation of these measures is needed. Regulation, enforcement of regulation, and incentives for employers are effective interventions to achieve this goal. There is evidence that feedback and rewards for workers help in reducing occupational injuries. There is no evidence in many studies that back pain can be prevented. Personal protective equipment technically has the potential to reduce exposure but this is difficult to put into effect. There is no evidence in the studies regarding the effectiveness of education and training, preventive drugs, or health examinations. There is evidence that the implementation of technical measures enforced by regulation can prevent occupational diseases and injuries. For other interventions such as education or health examinations, there is no evidence that supports their effectiveness. More systematic reviews are needed in the area of injury prevention.

• 한국직업건강간호학회지
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.75-82
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the influence of injury and/or injured area classification on depression in patients with industrial injuries. Methods: The participants comprised438 patients who consented to participate and completed self-reported questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN version 22.0 for descriptive statistics, $x^2$ test, fisher's exact test, ANOVA, and post-hoc $Scheff{\acute{e}}$ test. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing depression. Results: The results indicated that the effect of disease classification and injured areas on depression were significantly different in patients with industrial injuries. The results further showed that severe depression was significantly higher in cardiovascular patients and patients with an injured area of the head and waist. The most powerful predictor was age (50~59 years), return to work (reemployment), disease classification (cardiovascular), and injured area (head, including vascular disease). Conclusion: This study showed that the most influential variable of depression in patients with industrial injuries were cardiovascular issues, injury areas of the head and waist, being aged 50~59 years, and reemployment. To reduce depression in these patients, it is important to develop and implement a psychiatric rehabilitation program that helps patients to formulate a concrete plan and goal for recovery, enabling patients to actively engage in their rehabilitation.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.347-351
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• 2018

Background: The success of an injury intervention program can be measured by the proportion of successful return to work (RTW). This study examined factors of successful return to employment among workers suffering from work-related injuries. Methods: Data were obtained from the Social Security Organization, Malaysia database consisting of 10,049 RTW program participants in 2010-2014. The dependent variable was the RTW outcome which consisted of RTW with same employer, RTW with new employer or unsuccessful return. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to test the likelihood of successful return with same employer and new employer against unsuccessful return. Results: Overall, 65.3% of injured workers were successfully returned to employment, 52.8% to the same employer and 12.5% to new employer. Employer interest; motivation; age 30-49 years; intervention less than 9 months; occupational disease; injuries in the lower limbs, upper limbs, and general injuries; and working in the manufacturing, services, and electrical/electronics were associated with returning to work with the same employer against unsuccessful return. Male, employer interest, motivation, age 49 years or younger, intervention less than 6 months, occupational disease, injuries in the upper limbs and services sector of employment were associated with returning to new employer against unsuccessful return. Conclusion: There is a need to strengthen employer commitment for early and intensified intervention that will lead to improvement in the RTW outcome.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제11권3호
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• pp.314-321
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• 2020

Background: Occupational accidents occur for a variety of reasons, such as unsafe behaviors of workers and insufficient safety equipment at the workplace, but there are also various economic and social factors that can impact working conditions and working environment. This study analyzed the relationship between changes in economic factors and the occurrence of occupational accidents in Korea. Methods: Multilinear regression analysis was used as the analysis model. The general to specific method was also used, which consecutively removes statistically insignificant variables from a general model that includes dependent variables and lagged variables of dependent variables. Results: The frequency of occupational accidents was found to have a statistically significant relationship to economic indicators. The monthly number of cases of occupational injury and disease and fatal occupational injuries were found to be closely related to manufacturing capacity utilization, differences in the production index in the services sector, and commencements of building construction. The increase in equipment investment indicators was found to reduce fatal occupational injuries. Conclusion: The results of this study may be used to develop occupational accident trends or leading indicators, which in turn can be used by organizations that manage and monitor occupational accidents toward taking administrative action designed to reduce occupational accidents. The results also imply that short-term and mid- to long-term economic and social changes that can impact workers, workplaces and working conditions, and workplace organizations must be taken into account if more effective government policies are to be established and implemented toward further prevention of occupational accidents.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.840-851
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• 1997

To perform voluntary occupational health program in worksites, regulational supports are necessary. The regulational supports include assessment of current occupational health program and appropriate incentives. The purpose of this study is to find out the requirements of voluntary occupational health program and conditions to be improved. Study population was industrial health managers of both industries with less than 300 workers and over 300 workers, and the member of labor union who is responsible for safety and health in worksite. Two different questionnaire were used to find out the requirements and conditions to be improved respectively, The results were; 1. The category which prevalence rate of occupational injuries and occupational disease should be lower than national average was most important in health managers employed in industries over 300 workers and followed by reporting system, education, worksite policy, work environment assessment, protective equipment, consequently. But those employed in industries less than 300 workers showed high importance in prevalence rate of occupational injuries and disease, reporting system, worksite policy, work environment assessment, protective equipment, education, consequently 2. The members of labor union thought that worksite policy was most important and the next is education, reporting system, work environment assessment, protective equipment, prevalence rate of occupational injuries and disease. 3. There were difference in importance of education and worksite policy according to the size of industries. Reporting system, prevalence rate of occupational injuries and disease, and worksite policy had different importance between members of labor union and health managers. 4. In the results of quiestionnaire for conditions to be improved, the most important condition was top manager's willingness except personal protective equipments, and followed by financial support, legal support. The limitations of this study were the problems of representativeness of study population. but voluntary health program should be performed in worksites which have relatively good occupational health system. So, this selection bias could not disrupt our results.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.406-414
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• 2023

Background: This study examined age-group differences in the rate, severity, and cost of injuries among construction workers to support evidence-based worker safety and health interventions in the construction industry. Methods: Ohio workers' compensation claims for construction workers were used to estimate claim rates and costs by age group. We analyzed claims data auto-coded into five event/exposure categories: transportation incidents; slips, trips, and falls (STFs); exposure to harmful substances and environments; contact with objects and equipment (COB); overexertion and bodily reaction. American Community Survey data were used to determine the percentage of workers in each age group. Results: From 2007-2017, among 72,416 accepted injury claims for ~166,000 construction full-time equivalent (FTE) per year, nearly half were caused by COB, followed by STFs (20%) and overexertion (20%). Claim rates related to COB and exposure to harmful substances and environments were highest among those 18-24 years old, with claim rates of 313.5 and 25.9 per 10,000 FTE, respectively. STFs increased with age, with the highest claim rates for those 55-64 years old (94.2 claims per 10,000 FTE). Overexertion claim rates increased and then declined with age, with the highest claim rate for those 35-44 years old (87.3 per 10,000 FTE). While younger workers had higher injury rates, older workers had higher proportions of lost-time claims and higher costs per claim. The total cost per FTE was highest for those 45-54 years old ($1,122 per FTE). Conclusion: The variation in rates of injury types by age suggests that age-specific prevention strategies may be useful.

• 한국해양환경ㆍ에너지학회지
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.78-82
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• 2005

어업 종사자들은 기계화의 진전으로 인한 빈번한 기계사용과 자연이나 동식물의 직접적인 접촉으로 인하여 작업 중 재해나 질병의 위험이 다른 직종에 비해서 결코 작지 않으며, 인력이 고령화되는 것은 산업안전 및 의건 분야에 있어서 질병이나 재해가 증가할 수 있다는 가능성을 강력하게 시사한다고 할 수 있다. 따라서 어업에 대한 안전 및 보건 실태 파악과 이에 대한 대책을 마련할 필요성이 있다. 본 연구는 영동지역 동해안의 대표적인 어항인 주문진, 거진항을 중심으로 배가 들어오는 새벽 6시에서 마지막 배가 들어오는 오전 11시까지 어획한 물고기를 하역한 후 뒷정리를 하는 근로자들을 대상으로 산재현황에 대해 설문조사를 실시하였다. 전체 응답자는 96명이었다. 설문 결과 어업 작업 중 사고가 있었다고 응답한 경우가 7명이었고 그 중에서도 4일 이상 입원하였다고 한 경우도 5명으로 5.2%였다. 부상 종류는 골절상이 1명, 손가락 절단이 2명, 타박상이 4명이었다. 부상 원인은 안전의식 부족과 작업 조건 불안정으로 풀이된다. 따라서 작업 과정에서 나타나는 유해인자, 특히 인간공학적 측면에서의 대책과 평가가 중요하며 이를 위해서는 좀 더 규모가 큰 추후연구가 필요하다. 아직까지 1차 산업에 대한 안전 및 보건 분야에 대한 연구가 부족한 현실이며 근로자의 건강을 보호하기 위한 제도적 장치가 미비하다. 이 연구결과를 토대로 어업에 종사하는 근로자에 대해 지속적인 관심을 갖고 현실적인 대책을 구체화시킬 필요가 있다.