• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.70-82
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• 2011

Objectives: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a major cause of death in Korea and known to result from several occupational factors. This study attempted to estimate the current magnitude of IHD mortality due to occupational factors in Korea. Methods: After selecting occupational risk factors by literature investigation, we calculated attributable fractions (AFs) from relative risks and exposure data for each factor. Relative risks were estimated using meta-analysis based on published research. Exposure data were collected from the 2006 Survey of Korean Working Conditions. Finally, we estimated 2006 occupation-related IHD mortality. Results: For the factors considered, we estimated the following relative risks: noise 1.06, environmental tobacco smoke 1.19 (men) and 1.22 (women), shift work 1.12, and low job control 1.15 (men) and 1.08 (women). Combined AFs of those factors in the IHD were estimated at 9.29% (0.3-18.51%) in men and 5.78% (-7.05-19.15%) in women. Based on these fractions, Korea's 2006 death toll from occupational IHD between the age of 15 and 69 was calculated at 353 in men (total 3,804) and 72 in women (total 1,246). Conclusion: We estimated occupational IHD mortality of Korea with updated data and more relevant evidence. Despite the efforts to obtain reliable estimates, there were many assumptions and limitations that must be overcome. Future research based on more precise design and reliable evidence is required for more accurate estimates.

• 해양환경안전학회지
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.193-199
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• 2006

선박에서 선내 소음이 문제로 인식되기 시작한 시기는 1970년대 초반 유럽에서 선박소음규제를 명문화하기 시작하였다. 이후 1982년 국제해사기구(IMO)에서 "International Code on Noise Levels on Board Ships"가 채택되어 오늘날에는 거의 모든 신조 선박에 대하여 해당하는 조항의 적용이 명문화되었다. 특히, 대형의 디젤기관과 다수의 보조기계가 동시에 운전되어지는 기관실 내부는 크고 복잡한 소음이 발생하는 환경으로 되어지고, 이러한 환경에서 작업하는 작업자는 소음성난청으로 되기 쉽다. 최근에는 각 나라별로 직업상의 난청으로부터 작업자를 보호할 목적으로 허용소음 폭로 시간을 법적으로 규제하고 있다. 우리나라에서는 근로기준법에서 정의하고 있지만 선박의 기관실과같이 특수한 조건에 대해서 국제해사기구의 규정에 따르고 있다. 본 논문에서는 국내 서남 연안을 정기적으로 운항하고 있는 화객선에 대한 소음의 정도를 조사하였다

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.205-213
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• 2002

장기간의 소음노출에 의한 혈압상승 또는 고혈압의 발생에 대해서는 많은 연구에도 불구하고 결과가 다양하고 논란이 많은 실정이다. 이에 연구자는 혈압에 대한 소음의 영향을 보다 정확히 평가하기 위해서 일개 사업장을 대상으로 유사 노출군의 코호트를 구성하고 9년간의 추적조사를 실시하였다. 여기서 얻은 자료를 이용하여 소음노출수준별로 혈압의 연도별 변화경향을 파악하고, 혼란변수를 통제한 상태에서도 혈압의 변화에 대해 소음노출이 영향을 미치는가를 파악하고자 하였다. 부산지역의 일개 금속제품 제조업에서 근무하고 있는 530명의 남자 근로자를 1991년부터 1999년까지 혈압을 9년간 매년 계속 추적조사 하였으며, 조사 대상자들을 근무여건과 노출되는 소음수준(noise level category, 이하 NLC로 약함)에 따라 NLC-I (사무실 근로자, 60dB(A) 미만으로 노출, 155명), NLC-II(현장 기술지원자 및 검사원, 소음에 비정기적으로 노출, 75명), NLC-III (현장근로자, 85 dB(A)이하로 노출, 귀마개 또는 귀덮개를 착용, 167명), NLC-IV (현장근로자, 85 dB(A) 초과 노출, 귀마개와 귀덮개를 동시에 착용, 133명) 의 4군으로 구분하였다. 추적기간동안 소음수준별 혈압은 분산 분석을 이용하여 비교하였고, 혼합선형모형을 이용하여 추적기간동안(1992-1999년)의 보정된 통합평균혈압을 구하고 소음노출수준별로 비교하였다. 고려된 혼란변수는 기준연도(1991년)의 연령, 흡연여부, 음주량, 운동, 고혈압 가족력, 수축기 및 확장기 혈압과 체질량지수의 변화였다. 기준연도의 혈압과 혼란변수를 보정한 상태에서 각 연도별 혈압을 비교한 결과 수축기혈압은 9년째에서, 확장기 혈압은 2년째에서 대조군과 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 있었으며, 대조군의 평균 혈압이 전반적으로 증가되었다. 추적기간동안 혼란변수를 보정한 통합수축기 혈압은 대조군인 NLC-I과의 차이가 NLC-II는 1.7 mmHg, NLC-III는 2.0 mmHg, NLC-IV는 3.8 mmHg이었고, NLC-IV의 경우 그 차이가 통계학적으로 유의하였다. 확장기혈압의 경우에는 소음노출수준별로 유의한 차이가 없었다. 본 연구는 남성근로자에서 장기간의 소음노출은 혈압의 상승에 독립적인 영향이 있음을 시사하였다.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.162-167
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• 2011

To identify the relationship between types of job classification (typical and atypical) and the levels of recognition of noise and the hearing threshold shift, a total of 457 workers in a cosmetic company were studied utilizing a questionnaire and the audiometric hearing test. The results were analyzed by factor analysis, t-test, and general linear model, as appropriate. The results showed that atypical workers had higher level of noise recognition but had lower levels of hearing ability, noise exposure, and the knowledge on hearing loss prevention, compared with those of typical workers. The high noise level group of typical workers showed higher threshold shift levels than that of atypical workers. Significant differences were found at 4 kHz for both ears and in right ear only for hearing threshold shift after adjusting age.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.301-311
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• 2015

Objectives: Operators of overhead traveling crane in a ship assembly factory perform work to transmit large vessel blocks to an appropriate working process. Hazardous matters such as metal dusts, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, loud noise and fine particles are generated by variable working activities in the factory. The operators could be exposed to the hazardous matters during the work. In particular, welding fumes comprised of ultra fine particles and heavy metals is extremely hazardous for humans when exposing a pulmonary through respiratory pathway. Occupational lung diseases related to welding fumes are increasingly on an upward tendency. Therefore, the objective of this study is to assess properly unknown occupational exposure to the welding fumes among the operators. Methods: This study intended to clearly determine an equivalence check whether or not chemical constituents and composition of the dusts, which existed in the driver's cab, matched up with generally known welding fumes. Furthermore, computational fluid dynamics program(CFD) was used to identify a ventilation assessment in respect of a contamination distribution of welding fumes in the air. The operators were investigated to assess personal exposure levels of welding fumes and respirable particulate. Results: The dust in an operation room were the same constituents and composition as welding fumes. Welding fumes, which caused by the welding in a floor of the factory, arose with an ascending air current up to a roof and then stayed for a long time. They were considered to be exposed to the welding fumes in the operation room. The personal exposure levels of welding fumes and respirable particulate were 0.159(n=8, range=0.073-0.410) $mg/m^3$ and 0.138(n=8, range=0.087-0.178) $mg/m^3$, respectively. They were lower than a threshold limit value level($5mg/m^3$) of welding fumes. Conclusions: These findings indicate that an occupational exposure to welding fumes can exist among the operators. Consequently, we need to be keeping the operators under a constant assessment in the operator process of overhead traveling crane.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.20-25
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• 2019

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the awareness of occupational hazards and personal protective equipment use among dental hygienists (DHs). Methods: A total of 271 self-administered questionnaires were obtained from 280 DHs working at dental hospitals or clinics in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea. Results: The occupational hazards included work involving dust (94.1%), volatile substances (86.0%), noise (97.0%), and light-curing units (96.7%). The proportion of dental hygiene tasks that participants perceived as harmful were 42.4%, 51.7%, 9.2%, and 31.4% in the same order as above. The proportion of participants who used dust-proof masks during work involving dust was 1.1%. Those who wore gas-proof masks and gloves for work using volatile substances were 0.7% and 31.2%, respectively. Participants who used goggles for work involving light-curing units were 31.0%. None of the participants used ear plugs for work involving noise. A total of 22.9% of the participants recognized the Material Safety Data Sheet, while 79.7% had never been educated about harmful work environments. Conclusion: When compared to exposure status and perception of occupational hazards, the level of protective equipment use was very low. Extra measures to increase DHs' use of personal protective equipment are necessary.

• 대한인간공학회지
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.47-55
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• 1999

Recently, noise from personal cassette players (PCP) poses growing concerns together with occupational noise-induced hearing loss. Eighteen male and female volunteer subjects participated to determine preferred noise levels for PCP usage before, during, and after 2-hour subway riding according to sources (types) of PCP listening (language/news, soft music, and hard music). Audiometric tests were conducted before and after the 2-hour exposure of PCP noise under subway riding. Statistical analyses showed some significant hearing losses with the greatest loss of more than 6 dB at 4000 Hz for both ears, indicating that serious noise-induced hearing loss would potentially occurred due to prolonged use of PCPs. Practical safety countermeasures against PCP noise are further discussed.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.405-417
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• 2015

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between physical factors, working conditions and occupational injuries among Korean workers. Methods: We used data from the 2nd Korean Working Conditions Survey, conducted in 2010. A total of 7,114 workers over 15 years of age were selected from among 10,019 Korean workers. The participants were interviewed using questionnaires. A multiple logistic regression model was used to analyze the associations among physical factors, working conditions and occupational injuries. Results: After the adjustment of socio-demographic factors, the odds ratio of injuries through physical factors such as vibration (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 4.037, 95% CI 2.30-7.09), noise (aOR 4.562, 95% CI 2.64-7.89), high temperature (aOR 3.262, 95% CI 1.86-5.73), and low temperature (aOR 3.358, 95% CI 1.76-6.41) were greater in the exposed group than in the non-exposed group. The odds ratios of occupational injury(aOR 5.272, 95% CI 3.19-8.7 for very high speed work, aOR 3.303, 95% CI 1.95-5.60 for tight deadlines, and aOR 3.641, 95% CI 1.72-7.70 for not enough time to work) increased with increased work demands. Conclusions: In this study, physical factors such as vibration, noise, and high and low temperatures were significantly correlated with occupational injuries according to the increase in exposure intensity(p for trend <0.001). Also, working conditions such as high-speed work, tight deadlines and insufficient time to work showed significant associations with occupational injuries(p for trend<0.001).

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.103-106
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• 2013

During a military service, noise has unusual characteristics, and constitutes a serious hazard to hearing of military servicemen. The purpose of this study is to understand the use of hearing protection and to assess the safety effects of hearing protection by using a ear plug in military. A total of 208(the army : 101, an air force : 107) serviceman were studied utilizing a questionnaire to know how many serviceman use the hearing protection and a total of 202(the army : 110, an air force : 92) serviceman were also studied using a ear fit validation device to assess the safety effects of hearing protection by using a ear plug. The results showed that the army have low used of hearing protection than an air force because of the low frequency of the noise exposure in the army. Personal attenuation rate was increased with 8 dB after fitting education. Therefore, it is recommended that use of proper hearing protection and fitting education was more suitable for military servicemen who were being exposed of the noise in domestic military.

• 한국공작기계학회논문집
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.128-132
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• 2008

The noise levels and individual employee noise exposure levels within a factory will determine the need for hearing conservation program. The difficulty in not having an effective hearing conservation program is the risk of hearing loss that employees may sustain. In the last few years the claims for hearing loss compensation have grown due to class action litigation brought against the employer and companies that have equipment in the factory alleged to have caused hearing loss. The Blower in the factory generates the noise of 98.3dB(A) in the frequency range of 2,000Hz, which may cause occupational hearing loss. By designing close type enclosures which are made of absorption material, about 24.4dB(A) reduction has been in the factory. It is demonstrated that this kind of enclosures can be effectively used to reduce the noise in the factory.