• Title/Summary/Keyword: Occupational health and safety

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Evaluation of the Quality of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Based on Key Performance Indicators in Certified Organizations

  • Mohammadfam, Iraj;Kamalinia, Mojtaba;Momeni, Mansour;Golmohammadi, Rostam;Hamidi, Yadollah;Soltanian, Alireza
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.8 no.2
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    • pp.156-161
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    • 2017
  • Background: Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems are becoming more widespread in organizations. Consequently, their effectiveness has become a core topic for researchers. This paper evaluates the performance of the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 18001 specification in certified companies in Iran. Methods: The evaluation is based on a comparison of specific criteria and indictors related to occupational health and safety management practices in three certified and three noncertified companies. Results: Findings indicate that the performance of certified companies with respect to occupational health and safety management practices is significantly better than that of noncertified companies. Conclusion: Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 18001-certified companies have a better level of occupational health and safety; this supports the argument that Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems play an important strategic role in health and safety in the workplace.

Safety Climate and Occupational Stress According to Occupational Accidents Experience and Employment Type in Shipbuilding Industry of Korea

  • Kim, Kyung Woo;Park, Sung Jin;Lim, Hae Sun;Cho, Hm Hak
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.8 no.3
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    • pp.290-295
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    • 2017
  • Background: Safety climate and occupational stress are related with occupational accident. The present study tried to identify the differences in safety climate and occupational stress according to occupational accidents experience and employment type (e.g., direct workers and subcontract workers). Methods: In this study, we conducted a survey using safety climate scale and Korean Occupational Stress Scale and classified the participants into four groups: direct workers working for accident-free departments, direct workers working for accident departments, subcontract workers working for accident-free departments, and subcontract workers working for accident departments for 2 years within the same workplace in the shipbuilding industry. Results: The direct workers and subcontract workers showed diverse results in subscales of safety climate and occupational stress. This result is supported by existing studies; however, further study is necessary for more supporting evidence and elaborative methodological approach. Conclusion: The necessity of management for safety climate and psychosocial factor such as occupational stress for both direct workers and subcontract workers as a whole is suggested by this study.

Subchronic Inhalation Toxicity Study of n-pentane in Rats

  • Kim, Jong-Kyu;Cho, Hae-Won;Han, Jeong-Hee;Lee, Sung-Bae;Chung, Yong-Hyun;Rim, Kyung-Taek;Yang, Jeong-Sun
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.3 no.3
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    • pp.224-234
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    • 2012
  • Objectives: This study was conducted in order to obtain information concerning the health hazards that may result from a 13 week inhalation exposure of n-pentane in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods: This study was conducted in accordance with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines for the testing of chemicals No. 413 'Subchronic inhalation toxicity: 90-day study (as revised in 2009)'. The rats were divided into 4 groups (10 male and 10 female rats in each group), and were exposed to 0, 340, 1,530, and 6,885 ppm n-pentane in each exposure chamber for 6 hour/day, 5 days/week, for 13 weeks. All of the rats were sacrificed at the end of the treatment period. During the test period, clinical signs, mortality, body weights, food consumption, ophthalmoscopy, locomotion activity, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, gross findings, organ weights, and histopathology were assessed. Results: During the period of testing, there were no treatment related effects on the clinical findings, body weight, food consumption, ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, gross findings, relative organ weight, and histopathological findings. Conclusion: The no-observable-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of n-pentane is evaluated as being more than 6,885 ppm (20.3 mg/L) in both male and female rats. n-pentane was not a classified specific target organ toxicity in the globally harmonized classification system (GHS).

A Study for Health Hazard Evaluation of Methylene Chloride Evaporated from the Tear Gas Mixture

  • Park, Seung-Hyun;Chung, Eun-Kyo;Yi, Gwang-Yong;Chung, Kwang-Jae;Shin, Jung-Ah;Lee, In-Seop
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.1 no.1
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    • pp.98-101
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    • 2010
  • This study explored the health hazard of those exposed to methylene chloride by assessing its atmospheric concentration when a tear gas mixture was aerially dispersed. The concentration of methylene chloride ranged from 311.1-980.3 ppm (geometric mean, 555.8 ppm), 30 seconds after the dispersion started. However, the concentration fell rapidly to below 10 ppm after dispersion was completed. The concentration during the dispersion did not surpass the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 'immediately dangerous to life or health' value of 2,300 ppm, but did exceed the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists excursion limit of 250 ppm. Since methylene chloride is highly volatile (vapor pressure, 349 mmHg at $20^{\circ}C$), the post-dispersion atmospheric concentration can rise instantaneously. Moreover, the o-chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile formulation of tear gas (CS gas) is an acute upper respiratory tract irritant. Therefore, tear gas mixtures should be handled with delicate care.

Development and Prospect of Occupational Safety and Health Education (산업안전보건교육의 발전과 전망)

  • Heo, Kyung Hwa;Shin, In Jae
    • Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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    • v.29 no.4
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    • pp.228-234
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    • 2020
  • Purpose: This study aimed to identify the past and present status of occupational safety and health education in Korea and to explore future plans for these fields. Methods: We summarized past empirical or theoretical literature. Results: Occupational safety and health education strive to protect workers' health and create healthy workplaces by solving various problems such as workers' occupational diseases and mental health in the rapidly changing occupational environment. For occupational safety and health education to be effectively utilized in occupational sites, a live education that can be applied to the field should be provided. The need for education to explore and develop the ability to prepare for new hazards, including infectious diseases such as COVID-19, has increased. Conclusion: It is believed that the occupational health education element of the new era will be occupational health education. This focus will develop the ability to closely assess and predict the collective, organizational, and personal responses of affected workplaces and the impact of occupational health sciences.

Oxidative DNA Damage from Nanoparticle Exposure and Its Application to Workers' Health: A Literature Review

  • Rim, Kyung-Taek;Song, Se-Wook;Kim, Hyeon-Yeong
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.4 no.4
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    • pp.177-186
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    • 2013
  • The use of nanoparticles (NPs) in industry is increasing, bringing with it a number of adverse health effects on workers. Like other chemical carcinogens, NPs can cause cancer via oxidative DNA damage. Of all the molecules vulnerable to oxidative modification by NPs, DNA has received the greatest attention, and biomarkers of exposure and effect are nearing validation. This review concentrates on studies published between 2000 and 2012 that attempted to detect oxidative DNA damage in humans, laboratory animals, and cell lines. It is important to review these studies to improve the current understanding of the oxidative DNA damage caused by NP exposure in the workplace. In addition to examining studies on oxidative damage, this review briefly describes NPs, giving some examples of their adverse effects, and reviews occupational exposure assessments and approaches to minimizing exposure (e.g., personal protective equipment and engineering controls such as fume hoods). Current recommendations to minimize exposure are largely based on common sense, analogy to ultrafine material toxicity, and general health and safety recommendations.