• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.289-294
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• 2015

Background: The type of payment is one of the important factors that has an effect on the health of employees, as a basic working condition. In the conventional research field of occupational safety and health, only the physical, chemical, biological, and ergonomic factors are treated as the main hazardous factors. Managerial factors and basic working conditions such as working hours and the type of payment are neglected. This paper aimed to investigate the association of the type of payment and the exposure to the various hazardous factors as an heuristic study. Methods: The third Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS) by the Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute in 2011 was used for this study. Among the total sample of 50,032 economically active persons, 34,788 employees were considered for analysis. This study examined the relation between the three types of payment such as basic fixed salary and wage, piece rate, and extra payment for bad and dangerous working conditions and exposure to hazardous factors like vibration, noise, temperature, chemical contact, and working at very high speeds. Multivariate regression analysis was used to measure the effect of the type of payment on working hours exposed to hazards. Results: The result showed that the proportion of employees with a basic fixed salary was 94.5%, the proportion with piece rates was 38.6%, and the proportion who received extra payment for hazardous working conditions was 11.7%. Conclusion: The piece rate was associated with exposure to working with tight deadlines and stressful jobs. This study had some limitations because KWCS was a cross-sectional survey.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제41권5호
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• pp.307-314
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• 2008

Objectives : We conducted an epidemiologic survey to evaluate the effect of the aircraft noise exposure on the health of the residents near the military airbases in Pyeongtaek City. Methods : The evaluation of environmental noise level, questionnaire survey, and health examination were performed for 917 residents. The study population consisted of four groups: subjects who lived in the village close to the fighter airbase (high exposure), subjects who lived along the course of fighters (intermediate exposure), and subjects near a helicopter airbase, and the control group. Results : The prevalence of the aircraft noise related accident and irritable bowel syndrome in the exposure groups were higher than that of the control group. The risks of noise induced hearing loss, hypertension and diabetes mellitus were higher in the exposed groups than in the control group. The prevalence of anxiety disorder and primary insomnia were higher in the exposed groups than in the control group. Prevalence odd ratios of the risk for primary insomnia after adjusting age, sex, agricultural noise, and occupation were 4.03 [95% confidence interval (95% Cl) 1.56-10.47] for the subject near the helicopter airbase, 1.23 (95% Cl 0.40-3.76) for those intermediately exposed to fighter noise, and 4.99 (95% Cl 2.14-11.64) for those highly exposed to fighter noise. Conclusions : The results of the present study suggest that the aircraft noise may have adverse effects on hearing function, cardiovascular health and mental health. Therefore, it seems to be needed to take proper measures including the control of the aircraft noise and the management of the exposed people's health.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.94-101
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the noise exposures of firefighters according to their time-dependent activity patterns. Methods: Personal exposure levels were measured for six days and nights using noise dosimeters; three days and nights for on-duty tasks, the other days and nights for off-duty activities. Results: The total amount of time spent in the workplace was 13,677 min (67%), outside areas 4,833 min (23%), in transit 1,002 min (5%), and other indoor area 807 min (4%) during a working period. However, during off-days they spent 10,858 min (76%) at home, 1,382 min (10%) outdoors, 1,225 min (9%) other indoors, and 493 min (3%) in transit. As a result of individual exposure levels, TWA did not exceed 90 dBA of the occupational exposure limit for the majority of the firefighters, whereas the levels of Lmax were 119 dBA, which were higher than the noise levels of firefighters in USA. Sometimes during dispatching the levels of Lpeak exceeded the ACGIH exposure standard (140 dBC). The Leq levels in transit were higher than the levels in home and other indoors even though the activity time is short. Conclusions: This paper characterized the noise exposure patterns of firefighters in Korea. We suggest that special noise sources, including sirens and speaker phones, should be readjusted to reduce noise exposure.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.17-30
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• 2023

The human reproductive system can be affected by occupational exposure to many physical and chemical risk factors. This study was carried out to review the studies conducted on the issue of the pathophysiological effects of occupational physical and chemical risk factors on the reproductive system of females and males. In this systematic review, the databases such as "Google Scholar," "Pub-Med," "Scopus," and "Web of Science" were used. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020), the studies included in our study were published between 2000 and 2021. In order to extract the required data, all sections of the articles were reviewed. Out of 57 articles we reviewed, 34 articles were related to field studies and 23 articles to clinical studies. Among them, 43 studies dealt with the pathophysiological effects of chemical agents, six studies dealt with the pathophysiological effects of physical factors, and 8 studies dealt with the pathophysiological effects of physicochemical factors on the human reproductive system. Physical (noise, heat, and radiofrequency radiation) and chemical (such as carbamate and organophosphate pesticides, benzene, toluene, xylene, formaldehyde, NO2, CS2, manganese, lead, nickel, and n-hexane) risk factors had pathophysiological effects on the human reproductive system. The presence of these risk factors in the workplace caused damage to the human reproductive system. The rate of these negative pathophysiological effects can be reduced by performing appropriate managerial, technical, and engineering measures in work environments.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.145-153
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• 2007

Objectives: This study was focused on the influence of chronic aircraft noise exposure on children's continuous performance, intelligence and reading skill. Methods: We enrolled 586 children in 4-6th grade of 7 primary schools near air base in Korea. Continuous performance was measured using the computerized ADS program. We analyzed 477-512 children on the visual continuous performance test, auditory continuous performance test, intelligence test, and reading and the vocabulary test. Intelligence was measured using vocabulary, digit span, block design, and digit symbol tests of K-WISC-III. Results: The commission error and variability deviation of auditory continuous performance test and reading test were significantly higher among children in schools with the helicopter noise and the fighting plane noise compared to children in the low noised schools. Conclusion: There was a possibility that chronic aircraft noise exposure was associated with impairment of the school performance. The result of our study also shows chronic aircraft noise was associated with reading ability.

• 한국대기환경학회지
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.235-247
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• 1999

This study was performed to investigate what was the most serious occupational factors in small scale industries. Twenty-three occupatonally hazardous substances were measured at the five workplaces in the Eastern Seoul during 1995∼1996. Total of 2,020 samples were analyzed by either GC/FID for organic vapors or AAS for heavy metals. From the results of this study noise was the most serious factor at the selected workplaces. Noise level in the metal processing, the printing, and the auto repairing industries exceeded the 8 hr PEL by 19.7%, 13.6%, and 11.6%, respectively. Mean concentrations of toluene in the shoe making and the printing industries exceeded the assessment crieterion by 6.0% and 3.8%, respectively. Further study of risk assessment of occupational exposure may be required to protect workers from hazardous working conditons.

• 한국지역지리학회지
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.541-550
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• 2013

인간이 원치 않는 소리로 정의되는 소음은 크게 직장소음과 환경소음으로 구분될 수 있다. 직장소음은 산업활동이 이루어지는 작업장 내에서 주로 발생하나, 환경소음은 교통, 건설현장, 심지어 이웃에 의해 발생한다. 도로교통소음은 환경소음을 배출하는 주요한 요인으로 인식되고 있고 도시지역에 부정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 알려져 있다. 이를 고려하여, 본 연구는 미국 조지아주의 풀턴 카운티를 대상으로 토지이용별 도로교통소음의 영향을 분석하였다. 이를 위해 미국 연방 도로관리국의 소음전파모델인 교통소음모델(Traffic Noise Model)에 기반한 주 야간 소음지도를 제작하였다. 연구지역의 도로교통소음의 정도를 파악하기 위해 3단계로 구성된 토지피복 유형 자료에 각 소음지도를 중첩하여 각 토지피복 유형별 소음도를 분석하였다. 본 연구를 통해 연구지역 내 많은 필지와 건물이 허용치를 초과하는 소음에 노출된 것을 확인하였다. 특히 도로교통소음의 영향을 많이 받는 주거지역의 소음도를 줄이기 위한 방안이 마련되어야 할 것이다.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.295-298
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• 1984

The subjective symptom and other responded relations for 69 male workers handling organic solvent in xxx a pharmacy as exposure group and 87 male workers in noise workshop were studied and analyzied. It was concluded as follows. 1. The age of both exposure group and control group with the subjective symptom indicated a negative correlation. 2. Drinking and smoking of the exposure group complained of the subjective symptom shown the negative correlation and the control group also shown the positive correlation. 3. The occupational experience of the exposure group complained of the subjective symptom indicated the negative correlation and the control group also indicated the positive correlation.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.153-160
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• 2008

Personal noise exposure was assessed in railroad operators working in 40 operation units including the Gyeongbu line, Honam line, and Janghang line between 2004 and 2006. 8-hour TWA were assessed based on the MOL (Ministry of Labor) guideline on noise evaluation, and 17% of these measurements exceeded 85 dBA while 70% were over 80 dBA. When the ACGIH TLV is adopted, 40% of measurements were over TLV (85 dBA). The noise exposure risk of railroad operators was higher for diesel locomotive operation and longer operational distances; in addition, the risk was higher for passenger car operation compared to freight car driving. Given that in Korea, over the past 30 years diesel locomotives have provided most of the railway's motive power and that hearing protective equipment is not likely to be used by workers during operation, railroad operators are at a high risk of noise-induced hearing loss. The result of audiometric test among 568 railroad operators showed that 32.6% of those tested had a hearing threshold shift of more than 40 dB. In conclusion, this study calls for more fundamental measures including noise control countermeasures within the operation areas, development of equipment that generates less noise and adopting limitation on the operation distance for a work shift.

• 한국소음진동공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국소음진동공학회 2000년도 춘계학술대회논문집
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• pp.125-131
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• 2000

This study was performed to evaluate the whole-body vibration and occupational noise for excavator drivers. Measurement, evaluation and assessment were based on the ISO 2631 and OSHA. Average vibration level was 0.65m/$s^2$(z axis) for breaking work and 0.36 m/$s^2$(z axis) for excavating work. Vibration levels during breaking work exceed the health guidance caution zone and this means that the drivers are exposed to potential health risks. Average daily noise exposure level was 86.4 dB(A) for breaking work and 84.6 dB(A) for excavating work.