• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.3
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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.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.180-188
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• 2013

Purpose: This study aims to explore the effect of physical, emotional and environmental status on safety consciousness of the elderly who live alone. Methods: A total of 228 participants were the elderly living alone aged 65 years and older. Three questionnaires were developed to measure safety consciousness, physical status, and environmental status by researchers. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used to evaluate emotional status of the elderly. Data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: Average scores of participants were $3.71{\pm}1.49$ (range 0~6) for physical status, $8.28{\pm}3.38$ (range 0~15) for environmental status, $7.21{\pm}3.40$ (range 0~15) for GDS and $17.00{\pm}6.54$ (range 0~37) for safety consciousness. Safety consciousness was significantly associated with education, marital status, drinking, and depression as emotional status. These variables explained 13.6% of the variance in safety consciousness. Conclusion: The levels of safety consciousness among the elderly living alone were low. Education, marital status, drinking, and depression were the factors affecting safety consciousness. Risk assessment and management of these factors are needed to increase safety consciousness of the elderly.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.75-80
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• 2006

Biomarkers identify various stages and interactions on the pathway from exposure to disease. The three categories of biomarkers are those measuring susceptibility, exposure and effect. Susceptibility biomarkers are identifiable genetic variations affecting absorption, metabolism or response to environmental agents. Biomarkers of exposure indicate the amount of a foreign compound that is absorbed into the body. Biological measurements performed on human tissues are vastly expanding the capabilities of classical epidemiology, which has relied primarily on estimates of human exposure derived form chemical levels in the air, water, and other exposure routes. Biomarkers of exposure indicate the amount of a foreign compound that is absorbed into the body. Biological measurements performed on human tissues are vastly expanding the capabilities of classical epidemiology, which has relied primarily on estimates of human exposure derived form chemical levels in the air, water, and other exposure routes. The biomarker response is typical of chemical pollution by specific classes of compound, such as (i) heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, lead, zinc), responsible for the induction of metallothionein synthesis, and (ii) organochlorinated pollutants (PCBs, dioxins, DDT congeners) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which induce the mixed function oxygenase (MFO) involved in their bio transformations and elimination. Currently genomic researches are developed in human cDNA clone subarrays oriented toward the expression of genes involved in responses to xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, cell cycle components, oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, DNA repair genes, estrogen-responsive genes, oxidative stress genes, and genes known to be involved in apoptotic cell death. Several research laboratories in Korea for kicking off these Environmental Genomics were summarized.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.102-109
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• 2024

Background: In today's modern world, longer working hours, shift work, and working at night have become major causes of the disruption of our natural circadian rhythms. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the type of shift work (rotating vs. fixed day), duty period (on-duty vs. off-duty), and working period within each shift (nighttime vs. daytime) on the circadian rhythm characteristics of nurses who provide direct patient care. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a purposive sampling method. Cosinor analysis was applied to analyze the actigraphy data of nurses providing direct patient care for seven consecutive days. The linear mixed effects model was then used to determine any variances between shift type, duty period, and working period within each shift for the nurses. Results: The mesor value did not differ according to nurses' shift type, duty period, and working period within each shift. The amplitude was statistically higher in on-duty nurses and in daytime working hours. The acrophase was significantly delayed in nighttime working hours. As well as nurses in rotating shift had experience. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that the peak activity of nurses occurs significantly later at night while working and nurses working during nighttime hours may have a weaker or less distinct circadian rhythm. Thus, this study suggests that limits be placed on the number of rotating nighttime shifts for nurses.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2003

A survey including an inspection was conducted to assess the sanitary condition of kitchens in the school food-service programs and to prepare background data for improving the safety of school meals. The survey was carried out over a two-month period (September-October, 2001). A self-administered questionnaire recommended by the Korea Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development (MOEHRD) was offered to a random sample of dieticians of twenty-five elementary schools in one region of Korea about food, sanitation, and safety inspection of their kitchens. Air temperature, relative humidity, and airborne microbes in the kitchens were monitored during preparation, cooking, and service. The inspection results showed their sanitary rendition met the level B of the recommendation of the Korea MOEHRD. The range of air temperature of the kitchens was 21.4~22.4$^{\circ}C$. and the range of relative humidity was 62.4~69.6%. The microbiological evaluation of kitchen samples indicated aerobic plate count levels from 22..5 to 26.5 CFU/15 minutes. Although the results of inspection show that the levels of sanitary condition of kitchens in the schools were good, they are not satisfactory for safe food-servile because the temperature and humidity levels are high. This study indicates that the school kitchens should be monitored and strict inspection is necessary. The legal standards for school food-service should include standards for kitchen air temperature, relative humidity, and airborne microbes.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.384-389
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• 2023

Background: Exposure to welding fume is associated with adverse effects on worker health. The use of various control measures can reduce levels of exposure and the resulting health effects. However, little is known about the factors that may influence workers' use of control measures in the workplace and their perceived intervention needs. This study aimed to investigate workers' and other stakeholders' views on ways to improve the use of welding fume control measures in Australian workplaces. Methods: We conducted a series of online focus group discussions and individual interviews with participants who have some occupational involvement in welding, whether as workers, employers or industry representatives, union representatives, or regulators. A semi-structured question guide was used, and all discussions and interviews were recorded and transcribed for analysis. Results: Five focus group discussions and five individual interviews were conducted with a total of 21 participants. Three major themes emerged. The first addressed the current awareness of welding fume harms and concern about exposure; the second focussed on the current use of control measures, and barriers and facilitators to their use; and the last centred around intervention needs and the contents of a potential effective intervention. Conclusion: Improving the use of control measures to prevent exposure to welding fume requires knowledge around the barriers and facilitators of control, use, and the intervention needs of stakeholders. This study has provided such knowledge, which will facilitate the design and implementation of an intervention to reduce welding fume exposure and ultimately protect the health of workers.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.78-88
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• 2023

Background: Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can have acute and chronic health effects on human beings in general and in working environments. In particular, VOCs are often emitted in large quantities in industrial settings. In such circumstances, there is a need to improve the indoor air quality at workplaces. Objectives: The purposes of this study were to verify the effectiveness of air cleaning devices in workplaces and provide alternative solutions for improving working environments. Methods: Personal exposure and area level of VOCs for workers were evaluated in a car-part adhesive process before and after installing an air cleaning device with a TiO₂-coated filter. Passive samplers and direct reading instruments were used to collect and analyze the VOCs, and the removal efficiency and improvement of air quality were evaluated. We also calculated the exposure index (EI) to assess the risk level in the workplace. Results: The removal efficiency for VOCs through the installation of the air cleaning device was approximately 26.9~69.0% as determined by the concentration levels before and after installation. The measured substances did not exceed the exposure limits for the work environment and the EI was less than 1. However, carcinogenic substances such as benzene, formaldehyde, carbon tetrachloride, and trichloroethylene were detected. Conclusions: The application of an air cleaning device can be a solution for controlling the indoor air quality in a workplace, particularly in cases where ventilation systems cannot be installed due to process limitations.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.133-145
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• 2015

Objectives: Food safety has become one of the major public-concerning issues in Korea. In order to set guidelines to create manuals for the response to a food safety crisis by food industry, this paper classified food safety crises and suggested techniques to determine crisis level. Methods: This study clarified common terminologies and definitions including in food safety crises. It reviewed various food safety crises and described characteristics, types, and states of crises. Results: The results of this study suggested that a food safety crisis implied a situation in which hazards/risk spreading in the food supply chain was widely described, causing strong public concern followed by a socioeconomic impact, and therefore, requiring the implementation of a prompt and full response regarding the situation. In terms of seeking response plans, food safety crises might be classified according to the penalties resulting from violations of laws and regulations, causative substances, stages of the food supply chain, and first contact point for incidents. The crisis level for a food safety crisis could be classified according to its severity parameters. The guideline matrix was divided into four major stages: Blue/guarded, Yellow/elevated, Orange/high, and Red/severe. This study also suggested several methods for determining the crisis level, such as the simple judgement method, scoring methods using a check-list and a weighted check-list. Conclusion: The severity of related parameters might be of great importance in understanding a crisis and determining response options/challenges for crisis levels.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.259-265
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• 2018

Since Korean housewives are responsible for the dietary practices of family at home, it is important to know what information will make them to buy safe food. This study was designed to determine the role of perceived threats, behavioral assessments, and self-efficacy factors known to promote healthy behavior in health belief models (HBM) based on food safety awareness and behavior of housewives. This study involved 191 housewives, based on key variables such as perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and purchase behavior. The results showed that higher levels of education and urbanization increased the threat perception and the likelihood of buying safe food. The correlation analysis showed that increased awareness and knowledge of safe foods and interest in health contributed to higher relative benefit or self-efficiency of food, and thus, ensured food safety. The conceptual model of food safety behavior based on the HBM was verified via structural equation analysis. The findings suggest that a suitable model showcasing knowledge levels and relative benefits resulted in a greater impact on purchasing behavior than perceived threats. This study suggests that it is more effective for housewives to provide more preventive information than risk information to purchase safe food.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.296-305
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• 2017

Background: Surfactant-containing water sprays are commonly used in coal mines to collect dust. This study investigates the dust collection performance of different surfactant types for a range of coal dust particle sizes and charges. Methods: Bituminous coal dust aerosol was generated in a wind tunnel. The charge of the aerosol was either left unaltered, charge-neutralized with a neutralizer, or positively- or negatively-charged using a diffusion charger after the particles were neutralized. An anionic, cationic, or nonionic surfactant spray or a plain water spray was used to remove the particles from the air flow. Some particles were captured while passing through spray section, whereas remaining particles were charge-separated using an electrostatic classifier. Particle size and concentration of the charge-separated particles were measured using an aerodynamic particle sizer. Measurements were made with the spray on and off to calculate overall collection efficiencies (integrated across all charge levels) and efficiencies of particles with specific charge levels. Results: The diameter of the tested coal dust aerosol was $0.89{\mu}m{\pm}1.45$ [geometric $mean{\pm}geometric$ standard deviations (SD)]. Respirable particle mass was collected with $75.5{\pm}5.9%$ ($mean{\pm}SD$) efficiency overall. Collection efficiency was correlated with particle size. Surfactant type significantly impacted collection efficiency: charged particle collection by nonionic surfactant sprays was greater than or equal to collection by other sprays, especially for weakly-charged aerosols. Particle charge strength was significantly correlated with collection efficiency. Conclusion: Surfactant type affects charged particle spray collection efficiency. Nonionic surfactant sprays performed well in coal dust capture in many of the tested conditions.