• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.53-58
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• 2024

Background: As social distancing persists and interest in work-life balance grows, more companies are adopting flexible work policies. While there have been studies on sleep disorders associated with different types of work, such as shift work, research exploring the relationship between flexible work schedules and sleep disorders is still limited, particularly among Korean workers. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey, focusing on 31,243 paid workers out of a total of 50,538 participants. We defined flexible workers as those who set their own working hours. Sleep disorders were divided into three categories: 'difficulty falling asleep,' 'frequent waking during sleep,' and 'waking up feeling exhausted and fatigued.' Using scores derived from three specific symptoms, the Minimal Insomnia Symptoms Scale (MISS) was calculated to assess the prevalence of insomnia. We used chi-square tests to analyze demographic and job-related differences. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify any relationship between flexible work schedules and sleep disorders. Results: Significant differences were found between flexible and non-flexible workers regarding age, income level, education level, and job type. Flexible workers reported sleep-related symptoms significantly more often. The odds ratio for insomnia was 1.40 (95% CI 1.21-1.61). For males, the odds ratio was 1.68 (1.36-2.08). Conclusion: This study establishes a correlation between flexible work schedules and sleep disorders among Korean salaried workers. Potential causes could include changes in circadian rhythm, increased work demands, and extended working hours. To precisely determine causality and associated diseases, further research is required.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제4권3호
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• pp.160-165
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• 2013

Background: Occupational accidents are unplanned events that cause damage. The socio-economic impacts and human costs of accidents are tremendous around the world. Many fatalities happen every year in workplaces such as electricity distribution companies. Some electrical injuries are electrocution, electric shock, and burns. This study was conducted in an electricity distribution company (with rotational 12-hour shift work) in Iran during an 8-year period to survey descriptive factors of injuries. Methods: Variables collected included accident time, age of injured worker, employment type, work experience, injury cause, educational background, and other information about accidents. Results: Results indicated that most of the accidents occurred in summer, and 51.3% were during shift work. Worker negligence (malpractice) was the cause of 75% of deaths. Type of employment had a significant relationship with type of injuries (p < 0.05). Most injuries were electrical burns. Conclusion: High rate of accidents in summer may be due to the warm weather or insufficient professional skills in seasonal workers. Shift workers are at risk of sleep complaints leading to a high rate of work injuries. Acquiring knowledge about safety was related to job experiences. Temporary workers have no chance to work all year like permanent workers, therefore impressive experiences may be less in them. Because the lack of protective equipment and negligence are main causes of accidents, periodical inspections in workshops are necessary.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제14권3호
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• pp.106-115
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• 2002

This study examined on the causes of chronic pain in the knee joint that was related to the aspects of teacher's job and daily lives. The subjects of investigation in this study include 237 of teachers who work at the elementary, middle and high schools. The chronic pain of knee joint of the subjects' is mainly related to their stress, and also to the vehicle that they normally use(p<0.05). This study aims at grasping the frequency of the pain which is caused by a knee joint's stress when teachers teach in a standing-up posture for many hours, looking at the aspects in the pain of knee joint that are related to job, being conducive to the development of the pain-cure, and, in addition, presenting an effective countermeasure to related agencies in order to prevent such diseases as arthritis.

• 대한안전경영과학회지
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.91-98
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• 2022

Since cranes are a kind of complex human-machine systems, it is almost impossible to completely secure safety with current technologies. Therefore, managerial interventions to prevent human errors are needed for safely operating a crane. The Occupational Safety and Health law states that cabin-type crane operators should have crane drivers' licence and crane-related operators (e.g., pendent-type crane operators, slinging workers) should take a special safety training. However, statistics on industrial accidents showed that fatalities due to crane accidents (185 accidents occurred during 2013~2017) were the highest among hazardous machinery and equipment. To effectively control the crane-related accidents, voices of crane workers need to be analyzed to investigate the current status. This study surveyed perceived causes of crane accidents and status of special safety training for crane workers of 387. The survey revealed that 24.3% of the respondents experienced crane accidents and 31.4% eye-witnessed crane accidents. 79% of the respondents pointed human errors such as improper crane operation and improper slinging as the first cause. Lastly, only 16.7% of the respondents took a professional special safety training; but the rest took lecture-based or incomplete education. The findings of the present study can be applied to improve crane-related policies and special safety training systems.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.128-134
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• 2015

The number of schools which have passed 30 years after the construction takes up 30% (5% falling to class D and E) in Korea. So, the offices of education across the nation conduct large works for the expansion, improvement and renovation of the school. But as the work takes a lot of time, the work is also conducted while the students are studying at the schools. The work at the school causes the noise, dust, vibration as the school often has the reinforced concrete structure. So, as the windows are closed to prevent the nuisance from hampering the education, the problems related to the illumination, ventilation, and control of humidity and temperature are give damages to students studying the school buildings. Actually, as the current renovation or expansion is conducted across the nation due to the implementation of the new education system and the resulting integration and construction of hub school, specialized school, meister school and it causes a lot of nuisance to the learning students and others, there are a lot of complaints from concerned people. Accordingly this study suggests the method of evaluating the factors which affect the learning environment such as the noise, dust or fine dust and reducing the nuisances to the level proper for the learning environment when the existing school is expanded, improved or renovated.

• 대한안전경영과학회지
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.53-64
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• 2004

Repetition Strain Injury (RSI) is usually caused or aggravated by poor work processes and unsuitable working conditions - that involve repetitive or forceful movements or the maintenance of constrained or awkward postures. The condition is characterized by discomfort and persistent pain. There are three essential steps to eliminate or control hazards In workplace. Case and Demographic Characteristics for Work-related Injuries and illnesses Involving Days Away From Work, 2002. U.S' was examined. Causes of press operators' RSI were carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS), tendonitis, low back pain, and occupational stress. Recommendations for improvement of productivity are redesign of working conditions, exercise, prevent of RSI and avoiding stress.

• 산업융합연구
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.3-15
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• 2006

Musculoskeletal Disorders are usually caused or aggravated by poor work processes and unsuitable working conditions - that involve or repetitive or forceful movements or the maintenance of constrained or awkward postures. The condition is characterized by discomfort and persistent pain. Case and Demographic Characteristics for Work-related Injuries and Illnesses Involving Days Away From Work, 2004. U.S" was examined. Causes of musculoskeletal disorders for assembly line workers were carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS), tendonitis, low back pain, and occupational stress. Recommendations of improvement for productivity are redesign of working conditions, exercise, prevent of musculoskeletal disorders and avoiding stress.

• 대한안전경영과학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.47-53
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• 2022

In order to conduct a study on the importance of the wrist joint, which causes a lot of pain among middle-aged people, in relation to work related to musculoskeletal disorders, the effect of stretching on grasping power was studied. In order to compare the grasping power of the wrist for middle-aged people in their 50s, the experiment was conducted by comparing before and after the wrist joint motion stretching. According to the experimental results of wrist gripping power for the control group and the experiment group on wrist gripping power, it was investigated that stretching did not change much in increasing wrist gripping power, but stretching application had an effect on wrist gripping power. In terms of preventing musculoskeletal accidents, reducing pain due to degenerative diseases, and preventing accidents, stretching seems to have an effect when approaching, so it is considered that continuous stretching before and after work is necessary. Therefore, it is suggested that stretching time secured quantitatively through safety and health education before work is necessary.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.97-105
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• 2005

As construction project is becoming larger, construction progress and works are more various and complex according to recent Korean construction tendency. The growth of construction induces much pollution on the progress of construction and the problems due to the construction pollution are raised into social problem strongly, because it is increasing the need on the quality of lift and the desire of clean environment. This study aimed to seek far the effective solving plan of the construction popular complaints by surveying the real condition of construction popular complaints and analyzing the cause and tansaction period of popular complaints. For this study, the laws related and popular complaints were analysed focusing on the documents in low district offices of Gwangju from 2000 to 2004. As a result, the types of construction popular complaints were divided into 17 and the causes were as follows in order: crack and subsidence of ground(14.90%), infringement of private life(11.55%), noise(10.80%), infringement of a right to sunshine(10.07%) and breakdown(6.7%). Consequently, it is considered that these complaints are occurred by physical and environmental causes.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제28권5호
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• pp.27-34
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• 2013

Almost accidents in construction sites are occurred by unsafe work conditions and failure making safe environment. As recent construction projects become more complex, various and diversified, So the potential of construction-related accidents is increased as well. Comparing the frequency of construction-related accidents in large-sized construction sites, small-sized construction sites are more vulnerable because of lack of workforce and less effective technology system. Furthermore, the absence of safety committee, poor financial condition leads to lack of safety education, installation of safety facilities, and provision of individual protective equipment, which indicates difficulties handling even basic safety management. Therefore, in order to lower the hazard rate at small-Sized construction sites, it is necessary to proceed with more structural and thorough actions for preventing accidents. In other words, it is necessary to analyze the causes of the accidents at small-sized construction sites, set criteria for safety management, and suggest safety management items according to work classification by evaluating the relative importance of the items.