• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.323-331
• /
• 2011

Objective: This study aimed to examine the level of risk perception related to pesticide contamination of food products and associated sociodemographic factors, as well as investigate the association with environmental pollution preventive behaviors. Methods: Based on data from Social Survey conducted in 2008 among a nationally representative sample of the population 15 years or older, we estimated proportions and 95% confidence intervals of the risk perception of pesticide contamination of food products. Logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the effects of sociodemographic status on risk perception. Results: Among respondents, those who feel anxious about the risks of pesticide contamination of domestic food products accounted for 40.4%, whereas the proportion rose to 87.0% with imported food products. These numbers showed that levels of anxiety about the pesticide contamination of imported food products were ranked at the top, and those for domestic products were at the bottom of the list of all environmental pollutants examined in the survey. Significantly related factors to anxiety about pesticide contamination of food products included women, the 40-50 age group, university graduates, married, non-manual employment, having school-aged children, and owning one's own home. The population attempting to prevent environmental pollution showed higher levels of anxiety about pesticide contamination of food products than did those who were not taking such steps. Conclusion: Compared to other forms of environmental pollution, Koreans show the highest levels of anxiety about pesticide contamination of imported food products. Therefore, it is necessary to establish appropriate regulations and transparent risk communication with the public about the safety of imported food.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.84-94
• /
• 2013

Objectives: The objective of this study is to identify the composition of dominant microorganisms in waste handling industries. Methods: We collected airborne bacteria and fungi by agar plate impaction method in recyclable waste sorting industry, food recycling industry, landfill and incineration. Isolated dominant microorganisms were identified by VITEK system or morphological analysis. Results: We isolated totally 330 microorganisms in the process and outdoor. Bacillus was the most dominant genus in the all industries, and Sphingomonas, Acinetobacter, Staphylococcus, and Proteus was dominant bacterial genus. The dominant genus of fungi was Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Cladosporium in each industries. Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, and Proteus was identified as the dominant gram negative bacteria. The ratio of bacteria being biosafety levels(class 1 or 2) was 58.3~77.8%. Conclusions: This study has investigated the dominant microorganisms in the waste handling industries. The genus of dominant microorganisms was similar among the industries but the composition was different. We used biosafety levels as qualitative method, but further studies are needed about specific process of qualitative evaluation methods.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.21-28
• /
• 2014

Purpose - This study aims to understand the brand marketing of agricultural products and redefine their status in South Korea by analyzing impacts on consumer buying behaviors. Research design, data, and methodology - Products, with independent variables, were divided into agricultural brand products and generic products. Dependent variables were limited to expanding sales of a specialty brand through consumer awareness, consumer buying behavior, and confidence in agricultural products' quality. Control variables were based on characteristics of products such as freshness, safety, quality, and their category. Moderating effects were examined on consumer characteristics, including income levels and age. Results - Consumers increasingly purchased agricultural brand products rather than generic agricultural products because of the general reliability of quality assurance. Conclusions - Large agricultural specialty stores have enhanced the perceptions of quality assurance, freshness, safety, and diversity. Through a critical analysis of the domestic consumer income levels and age, gender, and demographic factors, such as agricultural consumer buying behavior not affecting consumers' health and life, this study proposes positive changes in quality perception.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.42 no.6
• /
• pp.430-437
• /
• 2016

Objectives: The new Chemical Control Act from the Korean Ministry of Environment (2014-259) simply states only in basic phrases that every worker handling the listed chemicals should wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and does not consider the different hazard characteristics of particular chemicals or work types. The purpose of this study was to produce an exposure risk matrix and assign PPE to the categories of this matrix, which would be useful for revising the act to suggest PPE to suit work types or situations. Methods: An exposure risk matrix was made using hazard ranks of chemicals and workplace exposure risks in the previous study. For the 20 categories of exposure risk matrix PPE, levels A, B, C, D as classified by OSHA/EPA were assigned. After 69 hazardous chemicals were divided into 11 groups according to their physiochemical characteristics, respirators, chemical protective clothing (CPC), gloves and footwear were suggested on the basis of the assigned PPE levels. Results: PPE table sheets for the 11 groups were made on the basis of work types or situations. Full facepiece or half-mask for level C was recommended in accordance with the exposure risk matrix. Level A was, in particular, recommended for loading or unloading work. Level A PPE should be worn in an emergency involving hydrogen fluoride because of the number of recent related accidents in Korea. Conclusion: PPE assignment according to the exposure risk matrix made by chemical hazards and work type or situation was suggested for the first time. Each type of PPE was recommended for the grouped chemicals. The research will be usefully used for the revision of the Chemical Control Act in Korea.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.150-156
• /
• 2005

Analysis of chromosome aberration (CA) and cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay in peripheral lymphocytes of nurses exposed to low levels of anticancer drug and Ethylene Oxide(EO) gas in a hospital were performed. The frequency of CA was increased in the exposed compared to the controls whereas no increase of the frequency of MN was found. The frequencies of chromatid type CA were 1.2, 3.91 and 9.67 per 500 cells in the controls, workers exposed to anticancer drug and workers exposed to EO, respectively. Lower frequency of CA in nurses handling anticancer drugs with safety covers compared to those without safety covers was observed, but it was not statistically significant. The frequency of CA in nurses handling anticancer drugs increased by the frequency of mixing anticancer drugs. Poisson regression analysis showed a significant association of the frequency of chromatid type CA with age, duration of wort exposure to anticancer drug and EO gas exposure, but no association of the frequency of chromosome type CA with any variables. The results suggested that there were associations between CA and the occupational exposure to low levels of anticancer drug and EO gas.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.111-115
• /
• 2009

As shown in the accident analysis from 2007, it has been found that causes of accidents on large-scale projects are different from those found in general construction projects. A 300-question survey regarding systematic and practical aspects of safety problems at construction sites was distributed to ten (10) different companies. Participants were to respond subjectively, so that the results could be used to assemble the first formal questionnaire survey. They were collected and compiled by an advisory committee for this study. The resulting surveys were then sent to the division chiefs of the top 100 construction companies in Korea, in order to improve the response rate. The Department of Safety & Health Direction, and the :Ministry of Labor, ROK sent the same sheets to medium and small construction companies that placed within 101-200th of all Korea construction companies. The above safety engineers were classified into four (4) levels, from 1st to 4th, followed by the project dollar amount and risk level. Formulae were developed to assign safety engineers to construction sites by engineer level, the project dollar amount, and the project risk level. Conclusions are summarized as follows: 1) Reviewing the assignment system of experienced safety engineers to large scaled projects - The more experienced the engineers assigned to a project, the higher the level of accident prevention. 2) Enforcing the assignment of advanced level safety engineers to large-scaled sites - At least one advanced-level safety engineer should be assigned to construction sites with projects valued at $15million USD (15,000,000,000). 3) For assigning safety engineers by risk level - Twenty models have been developed to calculate the number of safety engineers to be assigned by risk level. In the future, risk level for each job should be established by the government (as is now the practice in Germany).

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.562-570
• /
• 2019

The heavy metal concentrations in dried seafoods commonly consumed in Gyeonggi-do were analyzed. Concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) were measured in 95 samples with an inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and an Hg analyzer. The average concentration [mean±SD(minimum-maximum) mg/kg] of heavy metals were as follows: Pb 0.062±0.071(0.002-0.428), Cd 0.083±0.100(0.004-0.540), Hg 0.012±0.012(N.D-0.054) and Se 0.839±0.371(0.362-2.124). All the levels were below the recommended standards of the MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety). In the comparison of heavy metal content by anchovy size, it was shown that mercury was significantly higher in large anchovy (P<0.05). Selenium levels were found to differ significantly in small anchovy and large anchovy (P<0.05). Pb, Cd and Hg were significantly higher in Tiger prawn among shrimp (P<0.05). The heavy metal and selenium levels of anchovy and shad were highest in the intestine. However, the heavy metal and selenium levels of shrimp were highest in the head. In addition, weekly (monthly) intake of mercury and cadmium from dried seafoods was found to be 0.712% and 2.978% of PTW(M)I (Provisional Tolerable Weekly(Monthly) Intake) respectively. Therefore, it was found that dried seafoods were safe for consumption.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.363-371
• /
• 2016

Background: Seafaring is an inherently stressful environment. Because working time and leisure time is spent in the same confined environment for a prolonged period of time, many stressors present in seafaring can also be conceived of as chronic. We explored the effects of duration at sea, seafaring experience, environmental stressors, and psychological capital (PsyCap) on the sleep quality and fatigue of seafarers. PsyCap is a construct that draws upon ideas from positive psychology and positive organizational behavior, and is intended to capture an individual's psychological capacities that can be developed and utilized for performance improvements. Methods: We collected survey data from a sample of seafarers working in the offshore re-supply industry (n = 402) and a sample of seafarers working on board combined passenger and cargo ships (n = 340). Results: PsyCap emerged as a robust predictor with statistically significant relations to fatigue and sleep quality in both samples. PsyCap also interacted with duration at sea in explaining fatigue in seafarers working on board the passenger and cargo ships. Seafarers on passenger and cargo ships also reported significantly higher levels of fatigue than those working in the offshore re-supply industry. Conclusion: Coupled with emerging research showing that PsyCap is trainable, our results suggest that maritime organizations could have much to gain by being cognizant of and developing routines for continually developing the PsyCap of their employees.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.250-257
• /
• 2017

Background: Tasks involved in traditional charcoal production expose workers to various levels of charcoal dust and wood smoke. This study aimed to identify specific tasks influencing lung function and respiratory symptoms. Methods: Interviews, direct observation, and task/symptom checklists were used to collect data from 50 charcoal-production workers on 3 nonwork days followed by 11 workdays. The peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was measured four times per day. Results: The PEFR was reduced and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms increased over the first 6-7 workdays. The PEFR increased until evening on nonwork days but not on workdays. Loading the kiln and collecting charcoal from within the kiln markedly reduced the PEFR and increased the odds of respiratory symptoms. Conclusion: Tasks involving entry into the kiln were strongly associated with a short-term drop in the PEFR and the occurrence of respiratory symptoms, suggesting a need for the use of protective equipment and/or the operation of an effective kiln ventilation system.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.265-276
• /
• 2018

Background: Resilience engineering is a paradigm for safety management that focuses on coping with complexity to achieve success, even considering several conflicting goals. Modern sociotechnical systems have to be resilient to comply with the variability of everyday activities, the tight-coupled and under-specified nature of work, and the nonlinear interactions among agents. At organizational level, resilience can be described as a combination of four cornerstones: monitoring, responding, learning, and anticipating. Methods: Starting from these four categories, this article aims at defining a semiquantitative analytic framework to measure organizational resilience in complex sociotechnical systems, combining the resilience analysis grid and the analytic hierarchy process. Results: This article presents an approach for defining resilience abilities of an organization, creating a structured domain-dependent framework to define a resilience profile at different levels of abstraction, and identifying weaknesses and strengths of the system and potential actions to increase system's adaptive capacity. An illustrative example in an anesthesia department clarifies the outcomes of the approach. Conclusion: The outcome of the resilience analysis grid, i.e., a weighed set of probing questions, can be used in different domains, as a support tool in a wider Safety-II oriented managerial action to bring safety management into the core business of the organization.