• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.172-179
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• 2018

Background: Insufficient training in infection control and occupational health among healthcare workers (HCWs) in countries with high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) burdens requires attention. We examined the effectiveness of a 1-year Certificate Program in Occupational Health and Infection Control conducted in Free State Province, South Africa in an international partnership to empower HCWs to become change agents to promote workplace-based HIV and TB prevention. Methods: Questionnaires assessing reactions to the program and Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, and Practices were collected pre-, mid-, and postprogram. Individual interviews, group project evaluations, and participant observation were also conducted. Quantitative data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Qualitative data were thematically coded and analyzed using the Kirkpatrick framework. Results: Participants recruited (n = 32) were mostly female (81%) and nurses (56%). Pre-to-post-program mean scores improved in knowledge (+12%, p = 0.002) and skills/practices (+14%, p = 0.002). Preprogram attitude scores were high but did not change. Participants felt empowered and demonstrated attitudinal improvements regarding HIV, TB, infection control, and occupational health. Successful projects were indeed implemented. However, participants encountered considerable difficulties in trying to sustain improvement, due largely to lack of pre-existing knowledge and experience, combined with inadequate staffing and insufficient management support. Conclusion: Training is essential to strengthen HCWs' occupational health and infection control knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices, and workplace-based training programs such as this can yield impressive results. However, the considerable mentorship resources required for such programs and the substantial infrastructural supports needed for implementation and sustainability of improvements in settings without pre-existing experience in such endeavors should not be underestimated.

• 한국ITS학회 논문지
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.57-67
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• 2014

최근 10여년 사이 컴퓨터의 성능 향상과 기술의 발전으로 현실에서 일어날 법한 여러 가지 상황들을 가상환경을 통해 선험 할 수 있게 되었다. 교통 분야에서도 가상환경을 활용하여 다양한 시나리오 하에서 운전자의 행태를 파악하는 연구들이 많이 수행되고 있다. 본 연구는 운전 시뮬레이터를 이용하여 철도 건널목 안전수행 평가를 위한 실험을 실시하였다. 세 종류의 ITS 안전장치들이 운전자에게 어떠한 영향을 주는지를 파악하였고, 실험에 참가한 운전자들에게 각 안전장치에 대한여러 가지 설문조사를 진행하였으며, 이에 대한 평가가 이 논문의 목적이다. 각 실험 참가자들은 각 20여 분간 3 번의 운행을 하게 되는데, 무작위 순서로 2번은 기존 철도 건널목을 건너고, 1번은 ITS 안전창치를 사용하면서 운행하였다. 실험 전, 참가자들은 기존 철도건널목이 안전하지 않아 보인다고 답하였고, 자신, 혹은 타인들이 출동사고를 일으킬 확률이 높을 것 같다고 응답하였다. 실험 후, ITS 안전장치를 이용하는데 어려움이 있는지에 대한 질문에는 ITS 3 (도로 발광 표지병)을 이용하였을 때, 가장 수월한 적응도를 보였다. 또한, ITS 안전장치는 3종 철도건널목에서 큰 효과를 나타낸다고 응답하였다.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.32-37
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• 2016

Background: Previous research has shown that paramedics are exposed to risks in the form of injuries to the musculoskeletal system. In addition, there are studies showing that they are also at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and psychiatric diseases, which can partly be explained by their constant exposure to stress. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the use of shoulder straps decreases physical effort in the form of decreased heart rate and cortisol concentration. Methods: A stretcher with a dummy was carried by 20 participants for 400 m on two occasions, one with and one without the shoulder straps. Heart rate was monitored continuously and cortisol samples were taken at intervals of 0 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and 60 minutes. Each participant was her or his own control. Results: A significant decrease in heart rate and cortisol concentration was seen when shoulder straps were used. The median values for men (with shoulder straps) at 0 minutes was 78 bpm/21.1 nmol/L (heart rate/cortisol concentration), at 15 minutes was 85 bpm/16.9 nmol/L, and at 60 minutes was 76 bpm/15.7 nmol/L; for men without shoulder straps, these values were 78 bpm/21.9 nmol/L, 93 bpm/21.9 nmol/L, and 73 bpm/20.5 nmol/L. For women, the values were 85 bpm/23.3 nmol/L, 92 bpm/20.8 nmol/L, and 70 bpm/18.4 nmol/L and 84 bpm/32.4 nmol/L, 100 bpm/32.5 nmol/L, and 75 bpm/25.2 nmol/L, respectively. Conclusion: The use of shoulder straps decreases measurable physical stress and should therefore be implemented when heavy equipment or a stretcher needs to be carried. An easy way to ensure that staff use these or similar lifting aids is to provide them with personalized, well-adapted shoulder straps. Another better option would be to routinely sewn these straps into the staff's personal alarm jackets so they are always in place and ready to be used.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.59-62
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• 2018

Background: Several grip strength tests are commonly used for detecting sincerity of effort. However, there is still no widely accepted standardized sincerity of effort test. Therefore, this study aimed to examine whether grip strength test in three wrist positions could distinguish between maximal and submaximal efforts. Methods: Twenty healthy individuals (10 men and 10 women) with a mean age of $26.7{\pm}3.92years$ participated in this study. All participants completed two test conditions (maximal and submaximal efforts) in three wrist positions (neutral, flexion, and extension) using both hands. Each participant exerted 100% effort in the maximal effort condition and 50% effort in the submaximal effort condition. The participants performed three repetitions of the grip strength test for each session. Results: The results showed that there is a significant main effect of the type of effort (p < 0.001), wrist position (p < 0.001), and hand (p = 0.028). There were also significant types of effort and wrist position interactions (p < 0.001) and effort and hand interactions (p < 0.028). The results also showed that grip strength was highest at the wrist in neutral position in both the maximal and the submaximal effort condition. Grip strength values of the three wrist positions in the maximal effort condition were noticeably greater than those in the submaximal effort condition. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that grip strength test in three wrist positions can differentiate a maximal effort from a submaximal effort. Thus, this test could potentially be used to detect sincerity of effort in clinical setting.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.476-482
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• 2023

Introduction: There is a growing global interest in the issue of precarious employment. We aimed to analyze the characteristics and socio-demographic distribution of precarious employment using a summative score approach. Methods: To operationalize precarious employment, we utilized data from the Korean Working Conditions Survey and focused on three distinct dimensions: employment insecurity, income inadequacy, and a lack of rights and protections. By constructing a summative scale ranging from -16 to 2, with lower scores indicating higher precariousness, we measured employment precariousness among Korean wage workers. To compare employment precariousness according to survey participant characteristics, we employed the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test. Results: We analyzed a weighted number of 38,432 workers. The overall sample showed a median (Q1, Q3) summative scale score of -3 (-6, -1). The median summative score was lower for women compared to men (men: -2; women: -5; p < 0.001), as well as for young or older workers compared to middle-aged workers (young: -4; middle-aged: -2; older: -5; p < 0.001). Similarly, workers with lower educational levels (middle school or below: -8; high school: -5; college or above: -2; p < 0.001) and non-white collar workers (blue collar: -5; service/sales worker: -6; white collar: -2; p < 0.001) experienced higher levels of employment precariousness. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that certain vulnerable groups, such as women, young or older adults, workers with low educational attainment, and caregiving or low-skilled elementary workers, are disproportionately exposed to high employment precariousness. Active policy interventions are needed to improve the employment quality of vulnerable groups.

• 대한인간공학회지
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• 제35권5호
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• pp.449-464
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• 2016

Objective: The objective of this study is to identify essential requirements of the instrument cluster's features and layout for elderly drivers through interview and paper prototyping. Background: Recent updates implemented in passenger vehicles require more complex information to be processed by drivers. Concurrently, a large portion of the US population, the baby boomer generation has aged, causing their physical and cognitive abilities to deter. Thus it is crucial that new methods be implemented into vehicle design in order to accommodate for the deterioration of mental and physical abilities. Method: Forty elderly drivers and twenty young drivers participated in this study. The test included three sessions including: 1) location value assessment to identify the priority of areas within the instrument cluster; 2) component value assessment to capture rankings of the degree of importance and frequency of use for possible instrument cluster components; and 3) paper prototyping to collect self-designed cluster with selection of designs for each component and location of features from each participant. Results: Results revealed differences in the area priority of the instrument cluster as well as the shape and location of component features for age and gender groups. Conclusion: The study provided insights on instrument cluster layout guidelines by proving elderly driver's mental model and preferred cluster design configurations to improve driving safety. Application: LCD-based vehicle instrument cluster design, with an adaptable feature configuration for cluster components and layouts.

• 성인간호학회지
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.680-690
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was designed to identify knowledge, attitude, environment, and self-efficacy among perioperative nurses in terms of radiation protection and to describe those factors affecting radiation protection behaviors. Methods: The sample was comprised of 128 perioperative nurses who agreed to participate in this descriptive study. Data were collected from a self-administered questionnaire and were analyzed using the t-test, analysis of variance, Mann-whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression analyses. Results: Radiation protection behaviors were significantly different by participant's gender, length of career as a perioperative nurse, educational level and prior experience with radiation protection education. Radiation protection behaviors were significantly correlated with radiation protection environment and self-efficacy in terms of radiation protection behaviors. In the multiple linear regression models, radiation protection environment and self-efficacy on radiation protection behaviors were statistically significant predictors of radiation protection behaviors, which accounted for 50.3% of variance in dependent variable. Conclusion: This study concluded that radiation protective environment in operating room is important to promote radiation protective behaviors and radiation safety management program to enhance self-efficacy is highly recommended.

• 한국보육지원학회지
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• 제15권5호
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• pp.1-22
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• 2019

Objective: This study aimed to explore whether and how infants showed their empathy in everyday lives at a childcare center. Methods: The participants of this research were 10 infants (23~31 months) attending a one-year-old classroom in a childcare center located in Seoul, and the data were collected primarily thorough participant observations. Results: The infants showed four categories of empathy in their everyday lives. The first one was related to the safety of their peers; it was presented when the infants found out that their peers were sick, in trouble, and having a hard time separating from their parents, or when they found possible risks to their peers. The second one was related to the achievement of their peers; it was presented when the infants noticed their peers trying hard to continue their play. The third one was related to the infants' pleasure; it was presented when they felt shared interests and joy with their peers. The fourth one was related to the infants' self-reflection; it was presented when the infants found out that what they had been doing made their peers upset. Conclusion/Implications: These results demonstrate infants' ability to empathize with others and also imply the need to support their development of empathy continuously.

• 복식문화연구
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

Firefighters wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for protection from environmental hazards. However, due to the layers of protective functions, the PPE inevitably adds excessive weight, bulkiness, and thermal stress to firefighters. This study investigated the adverse impact of wearing PPE as an occupational stressor on the firefighter's cognitive functioning. Twenty-three firefighters who had been involved in firefighting at least for 1 year were recruited. The overall changing trend in the firefighter's cognitive functioning (short-term memory, long-term memory, and inductive reasoning) was measured by the scores of three standardized cognitive tests at the baseline and the follow-up, after participating in a moderate-intensity physical activity, wearing a full ensemble of the PPE. The study findings evinced the negative impact of the PPE on the firefighter's cognitive functioning, especially in short-term memory and inductive reasoning. No significant influence was found on the firefighter's long-term memory. The results were consistent when the participant's age and BMI were controlled. The outcomes of the present study will not only fill the gap in the literature, but also provide critical justification to stakeholders, including governments, policymakers, academic communities, and industry, for such efforts to improve human factors of the firefighter's PPE by realizing the negative consequences of the added layers and protective functions on their occupational safety. Study limitations and future directions were also discussed.

• 한국운동역학회지
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.37-43
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• 2021

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of mobile phone text messaging on the collision avoidance strategy for an approaching and stationary pedestrian. Method: Eighteen healthy young adults participated in this study. Each participant was asked to perform a task to walking with/without mobile phone text messaging and a task to avoid collisions with another pedestrian who was approaching or stationary during walking. Results: When text messaging with avoidance collision, it showed an early onset time, a larger mediolateral COM trajectory, trunk rotation angle and trunk rotation velocity (p<.05). Also, compared to an approaching pedestrian, when avoiding collision with a stationary pedestrian, it showed a later onset time, a lager avoidance displacement, mediolateral COM trajectory, trunk rotation angle (p<.05). Conclusion: Results suggest that mobile phone text messaging while collision avoidance leads to delay the perception stage and alters the adaptation stage. Consequently, pedestrian executed in an exaggerated avoidance action to create a greater safety margin when attending to mobile phone test messages while avoiding another pedestrian.