• Title/Summary/Keyword: Safety and Health

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A Review on Mutagenicity Testing for Hazard Classification of Chemicals at Work: Focusing on in vivo Micronucleus Test for Allyl Chloride

  • Rim, Kyung-Taek;Kim, Soo-Jin
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.6 no.3
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    • pp.184-191
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    • 2015
  • Chemical mutagenicity is a major hazard that is important to workers' health. Despite the use of large amounts of allyl chloride, the available mutagenicity data for this chemical remains controversial. To clarify the mutagenicity of allyl chloride and because a micronucleus (MN) test had not yet been conducted, we screened for MN induction by using male ICR mice bone marrow cells. The test results indicated that this chemical is not mutagenic under the test conditions. In this paper, the regulatory test battery and several assay combinations used to determine the genotoxic potential of chemicals in the workplace have been described. Further application of these assays may prove useful in future development strategies of hazard evaluations of industrial chemicals. This study also should help to improve the testing of this chemical by commonly used mutagenicity testing methods and investigations on the underlying mechanisms and could be applicable for workers' health.

Lost in Translation? Challenges and Opportunities for Raising Health and Safety Awareness among a Multinational Workforce in the United Arab Emirates

  • Loney, Tom;Cooling, Robert Fletcher;Aw, Tar-Ching
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.3 no.4
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    • pp.298-304
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    • 2012
  • The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has experienced tremendous economic and industrial growth in the petroleum, airline, maritime and construction sectors, especially since the discovery of oil reserves. Mass recruitment of low skilled or unskilled laborers from less-developed countries has been utilized to satisfy the manpower demands of these fast paced industrial developments. Such workforce recruitment has created an unusual populace demographic, with the total UAE population estimated at 8.3 million, composed of 950,000 Emiratis, with the remainder being multinational expatriate workers, with varying educational qualifications, work experience, religious beliefs, cultural practices, and native languages. These unique characteristics pose a challenge for health and safety professionals tasked with ensuring the UAE workforce adheres to specific occupational health and safety procedures. The paper discusses two case studies that employ a novel multimedia approach to raising health and safety awareness among a multinational workforce.

Job Stress and Musculoskeletal Disorder in Seoul City's School Foodservice Employees (서울시 학교급식시설 조리종사자의 직무 스트레스와 근골격계질환)

  • Lee, Saerom;Kim, KyooSang;Kim, Eun-A;Kim, Jihye;Kim, Dohyung
    • Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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    • v.23 no.4
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    • pp.245-253
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    • 2014
  • Purpose: School foodservice employees (SFEs) could be exposed to the risk of musculoskeletal disease and of job stress due to their job characteristics. This study was to evaluate the level of job stress and the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms (WRMS) in Seoul city's SFEs, and to determine associations between job stress and WRMS. Methods: The study design was cross-sectional, and 975 SFEs were recruited. Self-administered questionnaire included the 'Korean occupational stress scale-short form' and the 'KOSHA GUIDE H-9-2012' instrument to evaluate the job stress and WRMS, respectively. SFEs' medians of job stress were compared to the reference values of published study in Korean workers. Results: The participants reported greater levels of job demand and physical environment than the general Korean population. WRMS were reported in 89.0% of participants at any body part, and 41.1% were presumed to need for medical intervention. High levels of job demand and of physical environment were significantly associated with WRMS. Conclusion: Subscales of job demand and physical environment were relatively high in SFEs and those were related to the occurrence of WRMS. To reduce the WRMS prevalence, a job stress management program focused on job demand and physical environment may be required.

Domestic Rock Wool Toxicity Study on Respiratory System and Biopersistence Evaluation in Sprague-Dawely Rats (랫드에 주입된 국내산 암면의 호흡기 독성 및 생체내구성 평가)

  • Chung, Yong Hyun;Han, Jeong Hee;Kang, Min Gu;Lee, Sung Bae;Kim, Hyeon Yeong
    • Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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    • v.19 no.2
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    • pp.127-138
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    • 2009
  • Rock wool, a kind of asbestos substitutes, was analyzed for its physicochemical properties. After fivers of rock wool were instilled into rat lungs, These pathological changes were evaluated. In addition, the fibers in the lungs were counted and characterized after the lungs were treated for electron microscopical analysis. The lungs of rats showed pathological lesions such as granulomatous changes, but these lesions disappeared at 28 days groups after instilled rats. The rock wool fibers in the lungs decreased more 50 % after 28 days instilled into rat lungs. And rock wool showed early change in fiber compositions after 3 days compare with chrysotile showed after 7 days instilled into rat lungs. This study showed that the durability of rock wool in the lungs is more milder than chrysotile.

Review and Evaluation of Hand-Arm Coordinate Systems for Measuring Vibration Exposure, Biodynamic Responses, and Hand Forces

  • Dong, Ren G.;Sinsel, Erik W.;Welcome, Daniel E.;Warren, Christopher;Xu, Xueyan S.;McDowell, Thomas W.;Wu, John Z.
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.6 no.3
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    • pp.159-173
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    • 2015
  • The hand coordinate systems for measuring vibration exposures and biodynamic responses have been standardized, but they are not actually used in many studies. This contradicts the purpose of the standardization. The objectives of this study were to identify the major sources of this problem, and to help define or identify better coordinate systems for the standardization. This study systematically reviewed the principles and definition methods, and evaluated typical hand coordinate systems. This study confirms that, as accelerometers remain the major technology for vibration measurement, it is reasonable to standardize two types of coordinate systems: a tool-based basicentric (BC) system and an anatomically based biodynamic (BD) system. However, these coordinate systems are not well defined in the current standard. Definition of the standard BC system is confusing, and it can be interpreted differently; as a result, it has been inconsistently applied in various standards and studies. The standard hand BD system is defined using the orientation of the third metacarpal bone. It is neither convenient nor defined based on important biological or biodynamic features. This explains why it is rarely used in practice. To resolve these inconsistencies and deficiencies, we proposed a revised method for defining the realistic handle BC system and an alternative method for defining the hand BD system. A fingertip-based BD system for measuring the principal grip force is also proposed based on an important feature of the grip force confirmed in this study.

A Comparative Study on the Safety and Health Education System between Korea and other Countries (한국과 주요 외국의 안전보건교육제도에 관한 비교 연구)

  • Jung, Seung Rae;Park, Hyun Jin;Chang, Seong Rok
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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    • v.31 no.5
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    • pp.117-123
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    • 2016
  • After the Se-wol ferry disaster in Korea, the safety issue was highly spotlighted in a number of media, and consequently the ministry of public safety and security was newly established under the public attention. In addition to this, a recent earthquake in Gyeonju suggested the training issues for public such as evacuation and public safety. Regarding the industry, one of significant reasons causing the accidents were inadequate training, in execution of safety manual or inexperienced first response. Although the engineering or scientific study provided a basis of the industry safety and health in Korea a study focusing on the safety and health education system should be highlighted in that the law is the only way to execute the policy. In this manner, the goal of current study was to compare the safety and health education system in Korea to other countries including America, England and Germany. Especially, the law for training method, contents, supervision and punishment was analyzed. Result showed (1) lack of a structured training course for educating safety and health education trainer, (2) no training system of safety and health education to public or workers, and (3) less specific law for supervision and punishment as compared to the America, England and Germany.

A Study on the Safety and Health Management Policy for the Prevention of MSDS (근골격질환예방을 위한 안전보건 정책에 관한 연구)

  • 정병용;오순영
    • Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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    • v.5 no.4
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    • pp.63-73
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    • 2003
  • Occupational illness analyses are used to identify common factors contributing to occupational illness and to give recommendations for illness prevention. We discuss safety and health management policies based on the present status of MSDS(Musculoskeletal Disorders) characteristics and the actual safety and health problems. These results can be used to develop more effective occupational safety and health management policies for the prevention of MSDS.

A Study on the Institutional Limitations of Chemical Exposure Control for Cleaning Workers - Focusing on the Exclusion of Preparation and Submission of Material Safety Data Sheets (청소노동자 화학물질 노출 관리의 제도적 한계 고찰 - 물질안전보건자료 작성·제출 제외 조항을 중심으로)

  • Shin, Saemi;Ki, Nosung;Lee, Hea Min;Kim, Dong Hyeon;Wee, Seohyeon;Byeon, Sang-Hoon
    • Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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    • v.32 no.1
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    • pp.41-52
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    • 2022
  • Objectives: This study intends to review the impact on cleaning workers and suggest directions for improvement by reviewing the legal and institutional ways in which Article 86 Nos. 7 and 16 of the Enforcement Decree of the Occupational Safety and Health Act work on the maintenance and promotion of cleaning workers' health. Methods: The following laws and systems were reviewed and considered: First, the occupational safety and health legislation obligated or required to be applied to protect the health of cleaning workers; Second, the status of control of chemicals or mixtures used at cleaning sites through the Consumer Chemicals Product and Biocide Safety Control Act; Third, Control of consumer products according to foreign material safety data sheet related laws. Results: Legal and institutional measures necessary to protect the health of cleaning workers include the legal control of harmful substances to be controlled, work environment monitoring, and special health examinations. The application of the Consumer Chemicals Product and Biocide Safety Control Act does not satisfy the legal and practical level of health maintenance and promotion required by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the communication of chemical information is insufficient. Overseas, there are restrictions on the use of consumer products in the workplace without material safety data sheets. Conclusions: It is necessary to improve the system to ensure the health of workers handling consumer chemical products. The remaining laws and regulations exempted from the obligation to prepare material safety data sheets should be additionally reviewed.