• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.35-41
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• 2005

The KOSHA codes H-31 and H-30 provide general guidelines to establish a prevention program for work-related musculoskeletal disorders(WMSD). Understanding of the components and practitioner needs for a WMSD prevention program is necessary for effective revision and implementation of the KOSHA codes. The present study established a comprehensive structure for a WMSD prevention program and surveyed practitioner needs for the KOSHA codes. The comprehensive prevention program structure, consisting of 7 parts(organization, education, risk management, medical management, program evaluation, and record keeping) and 90 items, was constructed by analyzing WMSD prevention guidelines published by various government agencies such as KOSHA, OSHA and NIOSH. Next, 20 practitioners, from four industry sectors(auto manufacturing, auto part manufacturing, shipbuilding, and machinery), working in a safety and health department or labor union, were interviewed to collect opinions for the KOSHA codes in terms of relevance, government support, and additional information needed. Guidelines of the KOSHA codes requiring modifications and government supports were identified, which can be used to revise the KOSHA codes and to establish a government policy to promote the implementation of the KOSHA codes. Lastly, the survey revealed that integrated, customized, quantitative, and case information for WMSD prevention is additionally needed, which can be used as design guidelines for a WMSD prevention program manual for practitioners.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.259-267
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• 2016

Work-related musculoskeletal injuries and disorders (WMSD) are a significant issue in the health care sector. Allied Health professionals (AHP) in this sector are exposed to physical and psychosocial factors associated with increased risk of developing a WMSD. Clarification of relevant hazard and risk factors for AHP is needed to improve understanding and inform WMSD risk management. A systematic analysis of the literature was undertaken to determine prevalence and risk factors for WMSD in AHP. Databases of Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL (EBSCO), EMBASE and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were reviewed. This quality of articles was low. Outcome measures were varied, with prevalence rates of WMSD reported from 28% to 96% over a one-year time period. The lower back was the most commonly affected body part. Relevant factors identified with the development of WMSD included inexperience in the role and area of employment. Future research needs to focus on undertaking high quality prospective studies to determine the factors associated with WMSD development in AHP.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.21 no.6 s.78
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• pp.106-115
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data for continuing study in order to accomplish preventive countermeasures for work-related musculoskeletal disorders(WMSD) and to examine related factors in connection with each other as: the working environment, the equipment used, working method, pain symptoms of dentists. The investigation period for this study was from November 1, 2004 to February 28, 2005, and we analyzed questionnaire survey of 190 dentists who were giving medical treatment in and around the metropolitan area and Daegu City. Also, we visited 20 dental hospitals personally and examined the work posture through check lists, interviews, and field investigations on work posture using photos and videotaping. This study showed the increasing physical burdens which were related to dentists work accomplishment and attitude, recognizing pain which were affecting work related WMSD. With the access of ergonomics and improving the education and training of awkward medical treatment methods and posture, and continuous public information about WMSD, the occurrence rate of WMSD could be decreased.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.435-444
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• 2010

To identify and evaluate the risk factors in WMSD work, a number of ergonomic workload evaluation methods have been developed. In the legal examination of WMSD risk factors, simple observational workload evaluation methods are widely used instead of using costly measurement equipments such as EMG and motion analyzer. The simple workload evaluation methods can be categorized into three groups; risk factor checklist methods, posture observation methods, and manual material handling task evaluation methods. In terms of the categories, this survey summarized several representative workload evaluation methods and compared them each other. Then some industrial application cases referring each the workload evaluation methods were surveyed. Due to the characteristics of each method, the selection and application procedure of workload evaluation method should be appropriate for the corresponding work. Therefore, some guidelines for the selection and application procedure of workload evaluation method were suggested.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.522-535
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was constructed in order to examine factors that influence work-related musculoskeletal disease (WMSD) approvals and current status according to the company size. Method: This is a descriptive study that utilized Industrial Accident Compensation Claim Data. Workplaces with over 35,811 workers derived from the 2012 claim data, which comprised approximately 91.5%, were selected for this study. Then workplaces were divided into three groups according to the number of workers: less than 5, 5~299, and 300 and over. Results: Since 2008, the number of small sized workplaces has increased. The 2012 data showed that 32.5% of workers at small sized workplace had WMSD. However, workplaces with 5~299 workers showed WMSD approval rate of 60%. Of note most WMSD approved workers were employed by manufacturing and construction companies, regardless of the workplace size. Most of them were engaged in elementary tasks. The days of medical treatment at OPD and IPD were most prevalent among workers at the largest workplaces. Conclusions: It is certain from this study that WMSD has been polarized by the company size. More policy attention should be paid to the WMSD status of workers at small sized workplaces which usually do not have their own health office.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.20-28
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• 2004

The studys purpose were the effects of work posture, treatment method and prevention for Video Display Terminal(VDT) workers in Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders(WMSD) The results were as follows: 1. The prevalence rate of VDT workers in WMSD was $20{\sim}40%$. The complaint was mostly shoulder, neck, and hack area pain 2. VDT worker used to forward flexed posture and then affect of increase of muscle fatigue and pain 3. When exercise therapy PT and ADL training, were used workers decrease in pain, muscle strength, balance training, endurance strength and relief of psychiatricIn conclusion, VDT worker need good health and posture to rest and exercise with time space and treatment. It is best to prevent WMSD. VDT workers need health management by itself and systemic rehabilitation program by speciality therapist.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.479-486
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• 2010

Automobile-related industries have been a few of leading ones among domestic industries reporting high rates of musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD's). In this paper, major ergonomic aspects of automobile-related works were reviewed with reference to WMSD's. According to the result, high repeatability of works with as short as 1 minute or less, awkward postures required, excessive forces, and vibrations due to power tools were drawn out as major physical factors. To eliminate or mitigate those factors - at least in automobile-related industries - ergonomic approach has tried for more than a decade. With all, however, ergonomists still seem to confront with several problems to be solved such as development of appropriate assessment tools, enhancement of work improvement activities, system establishment for continuous prevention and management of WMSD's. As lots of previous researches declared, it was concluded that ergonomic approach would collaborate with other approaches such as ndustrial medicine considering physical factors as well as psychosocial factors, and that the necessity of an integrated Occupational Safety and Health Management System(OHSMS) was mentioned.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.49-54
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• 2010

WMSD occurs by accumulating the visible position and movements. Therefore, it is easier to prevent WMSD from occurring than other diseases when each employee is aware of the factors which cause WMSD. Hence, We need to develop exercise remedy, which can be done without using any exercise equipments and regardless places. The exercise prescription for those for LBP was to do the upper body exercise remedy twice in the morning and another twice in the afternoon and the spinal exercise remedy and the lower body exercise remedy once in the morning and once in the afternoon. We measured their maximum muscular strength every second week using a fitness machine so that we could compare the differences of the muscular strength of the test group and the comparison group. Therefore this research presented the fact that the exercise remedy is effective to prevent and cure LBP through a scientific test. And it confirmed that the exercise remedy by the Ergonomic exercise prescriptions is effective on LBP.

• International Journal of Clinical Preventive Dentistry
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.235-240
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine about dental hygienists' myofascial pain syndrome, lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), medial and lateral epicondylitis, hand-arm vibration syndrom and work-related musculoskeletal syndrome (WMSD) experience and hygienists' posture, motion. Methods: The self-administered questionnaire was surveyed from June 1 to September 30 of 2018 targeting 280 dental hygienists in Gyeongnam province and 266 dental hygienists' answers were analyzed. Results: The average daily working hours of a dental hygienist was more than eight hours 59.0%, with an average of 33 patients per day. The average number of patients who receive treatment for more than 30 minutes is 15. The angle of motion of the subjective evaluation was above 60%. Medical position and form of movement were more than 50% above the standard level. Symptoms of posture and motion that cause WMSD were hand-arm vibration syndrome 68.1%, myofascial pain syndrome 58.6%, lower back pain 51.1%, CTS 50.4% in order. Experience WMSD related symptoms which dental hygienists experience were myofascial pain syndrome 92.9%, CTS 57.9%, lower back pain 56.4%, medial and lateral epicondylitis 37.2%, hand-arm vibration syndrome 24.4%. Conclusion: The above results showed the posture and motion of dental hygienists and were found that the experience rate which dental hygienists experience WMSD of myofascial pain syndrome, Lower back pain, and CTS was significantly more than 56%.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.423-433
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• 2010

The presence of musculoskeletal burden tasks and work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) at Industrial workers was not well-known until 2000 in Korea. Since The Occupational Safety & Health Law was registered a business of proprietor duty in preventing work-related MSDs of workers In July of 2003 WMSDs became a big issue in Korea. A social previous interest was focused on the manufacturing industry just like auto and shipping industry in manufacturing sectors but nowadays it is spreading out to non-manufacturing fields gradually. Nevertheless, we have WMSD prevention Law and System in Korea to reduce WMSDs effectively and systematically we recognized some mistakes and problems of WMSD Law and System. In this paper we study these recent problems in Korea from about 10 years experience and proposed some proposals as discussion.