• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.125-137
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the influences of hospital employees' daily life posture habits and work-related factors upon musculoskeletal subjective symptoms. Methods: This study was a descriptive survey study. Data were collected using structured a self-report questionnaire between April 1 and May 31, 2015. One hundred and ninety two employees were recruited in three hospitals. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ${\chi}^2$ test, t-test, and binomial logistic regression. Results: The habit of leaning on one side and the habit of bending the back in an improper posture are key postures based on lifestyle affecting musculoskeletal subjective symptoms in neck, shoulders, arms, waist, and legs. Labours accompanying repeated arm movements for a long time are key work-related risk factors affecting musculoskeletal subjective symptoms in arms. Conclusion: The results of this study confirmed that, to prevent musculoskeletal diseases, it is necessary to identify and mediate personal factors like daily life posture habits as well as work-related risk factors. They may be utilized as basic materials for education of musculoskeletal health promotion and development of life guidance programs.

• 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 Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.42-54
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• 2017

Objectives: The present study was conducted to investigate farm work environments among farmers and examine the level of management of safety and health, and to subsequently produce study result to serve as foundational data for the development of guidelines on safety and health as part of the improvement of farming work environments among farmers raising Korean native cattle. Methods: The present study conducted a survey on farm work environments and the management of safety and health with 407 farmers engaged in Korean native cattle farming in selected regions in eight provinces. It also visited 10 farmers to verify the current status of farm work. Results: The survey results showed that 16.4% of the respondents experienced safety-related accidents due to farm work. The locations of the accidents were inside the cattle shed (71.4%) and facilities outside the cattle shed (19.6%). The types of accident showed collision with animals (35.7%), collision or contact with obstacles (27.1%), and musculoskeletal accidents due to heavy object handling (12.9%). The causes of the accidents were cattle (38.3%), cultivators and tractors (25.4%), facility tools in cattle sheds (9.0%), and slippery floors (6.0%). The damaged areas were hand (21.0%), spine (19.8%), lower limb (18.5%), and foot (17.3%). A self-diagnostic survey on respiratory diseases showed that 11.5% of the respondents experienced respiratory-related symptoms. The survey on safety and health during farm work showed that wearing personal protective equipment and response to emergency situations, which were needed to prevent safety-related accidents, were relatively low compared to the level of recognition of the need and awareness of safety issues. Furthermore, the field survey identified the current status of safety and health issues such as prevention management of collision accidents with cattle, how to handle heavy objects, and wearing of personal protective equipment. Conclusions: The present study identified safety-related accidents and problems in the management of safety and health among Korean native cattle farmers. In order to address the problem, it is necessary to not only provide guidelines on safety and health management which are appropriate to the characteristics of Korean native cattle farming work, but also to study the development of personal protective equipment.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.123-129
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• 2016

In this research, we performed to investigate the relationship between interpersonal relation, communication skills and work-related stress in physical therapists. The subjects of this study were consist of 388 physical therapists from general hospitals and medical rehabilitation centers in Gyeonggi region. Data were analyzed using the PASW 18.0. Work-related stress showed statistically significant differences according to the demographic characteristics of clinical experience. Interpersonal relation found significant negative correlation for work-related stress except job-demand stress. Also, this study found negative correlation between communication skills and work-related stress, and significantly correlated interpersonal relation with communication skill. The results of this study suggest that in developing programs to manage work-related stress for improving interpersonal relations and communication skills in physical therapists.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.65-74
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• 1990

This study was carried out to measure the degree of work-related stress and to identify factors influencing the excessive stress among clinical physical therapists. One thousand and five physical therapists surveyed nationwide met the established criteria for inclusion in the study. The respondents were an average age of 27.1 years, $34.5\%$ were married, and $61.2\%$ were female. Most of the respondent $(48.1\%)$ worked in local clinics. The average stress score was 50.9. Analysis-of-variance test demonstrated significant difference in the degree of stress among treatment facilities. There was a significant relationship between treatment facilities (general hospital, local hospital, clinic), number of patients treated per day, job satisfaction, low back pain and work-related stress, respectively. Work-related stress was unrelated to matters of sex, marital status, education. Hospital administrators, physical therapydirectors, directors, and individual therapists should work within their organizations to reduce work stress and its detrimental effects. Further research is necessary to investigate preventive measures to decrease the work-related stress.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.117-121
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• 2013

This paper describes progress on formulating a national asbestos profile for the country of Vietnam. The Center of Asbestos Resource, Vietnam, formulated a National Profile on Asbestos-related Occupational Health, with due reference to the International Labor Organization/World Health Organization National Asbestos Profile. The Center of Asbestos Resource was established by the Vietnamese Health Environment Management Agency and the National Institute of Labor Protection, with the support of the Australian Agency for International Development, as a coordinating point for asbestos-related issues in Vietnam. Under the National Profile on Asbestos-related Occupational Health framework, the Center of Asbestos Resource succeeded in compiling relevant information for 15 of the 18 designated items outlined in the International Labor Organization/World Health Organization National Asbestos Profile, some overlaps of the information items notwithstanding. Today, Vietnam continues to import and use an average of more than 60,000 metric tons of raw asbestos per year. Information on asbestos-related diseases is limited, but the country has begun to diagnose mesothelioma cases, with the technical cooperation of Japan. As it stands, the National Profile on Asbestos-related Occupational Health needs further work and updating. However, we envisage that the National Profile on Asbestos-related Occupational Health will ultimately facilitate the smooth transition to an asbestos-free Vietnam.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.227-237
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of nursing work environment and job stress on health problems of hospital nurses. Methods: The subjects were 200 nurses working in S general hospital in Gyeongnam, and the data were collected using organized questionnaire from Jan 10 to 25, 2015. The Korean version of the practice environment scale of nursing work index, the instrument for job stress, and the Korean version of Todie Health Index for health problem were used for measurement. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression. Results: The nursing work environment was found to be slightly negative, and the job stress was found to be high. There were significant correlation among nursing work environment, job stress, and health problems. In addition, it showed that the nursing work environment and job stress of nurses were factors affecting their health problems. Conclusion: The nursing work environment and job stress are influencing factors on the health problems of hospital nurses. Multi-faceted efforts to create a positive nursing work environment are required. Further researches related to association between the nursing work environment and health problem of nurses are needed.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.218-224
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• 2016

Background: Butchering is often associated with high rates of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs). However, published work on the prevalence of WRMSDs among butchers in Nigeria is scarce. This is important because meat processing practices differ across geographical and cultural locations. This study was therefore aimed at analyzing WRMSDs among butchers in Kano metropolis. Methods: Sociodemographic and work-settings information was obtained from 102 male cattle butchers (age, $37.49{\pm}11.68years$) through survey. Information on the prevalence and pattern of musculoskeletal disorders was obtained from the respondents using the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire. Additional information on health seeking practices was also obtained using a pro forma. Associations between the prevalence of WRMSDs and each of the sociodemographic data and work settings were explored using Chi-square analysis. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The 12-month and point prevalence rates of WRMSDs among butchers in this study were 88.2% and 74.5%, respectively. Whereas lower back complaints (66.7%) were the overall and lower body quadrant's most commonly reported WRMSDs among the butchers surveyed, wrist/hand complaints were the leading upper quadrant's (45.1%) most commonly reported WRMSDs among the respondents. There were significant associations between age and majority of WRMSDs in the body regions. Only 23.3% of the 90 individuals who had WRMSD visited the hospital to seek redress for their WRMSD. Conclusion: The prevalence of WRMSDs is high among butchers in Kano Metropolis. Few individuals with WRMSD utilize healthcare facilities. Age is a major risk factor in this setting.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.390-397
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• 2023

Introduction: Biological risks are a major global problem in the workplace. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the biological risks at work. This study presents data on both communicable infectious biological agents and noncommunicable factors leading to death and disability for the year 2021. Methods: We followed the methodology established by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in their past global estimates on occupational accidents and work-related diseases. We used relevant ILO estimates for hazardous substances and related population attributable fractions derived from literature, which were then applied to World Health Organization mortality data. The communicable diseases included in the estimates were tuberculosis, pneumococcal diseases, malaria, diarrheal diseases, other infectious diseases, neglected tropical diseases, influenza associated respiratory diseases and COVID-19. Noncommunicable diseases and injuries considered were Chronic Obstructive Diseases (COPD) due to organic dusts, asthma, allergic reactions and risks related to animal contact. We estimated death attributable to biological risk at work and disability in terms of disability adjusted life years (DALYs). Results: We estimated that in 2022, 550,819 deaths were caused by biological risk factors, with 476,000 deaths attributed to communicable infectious diseases and 74,000 deaths caused by noncommunicable factors. Among these, there were 223,650 deaths attributed to COVID-19 at work. We calculated the rate of 584 DALYs per 100,000 workers, representing an 11% increase from the previous estimate of the global burden of work-related disabilities measured by DALYs. Conclusion: This is a first update since previous 2007 ILO estimates, which has now increased by 74% and covers most biological risks factors. However, it is important to note that there may be other diseases and deaths are missing from the data, which need to be included when new information becomes available. It is also worth mentioning that while deaths caused by major communicable diseases including COVID-19 are relatively rare within the working population, absences from work due to these diseases are likely to be very common within the active workforce.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.192-202
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• 2018

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are accumulative disorders that are most frequently found in agricultural farmers. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that affect symptoms resulting from work-related musculoskeletal disorders among Cambodian farm workers working in fruit plantations in the eastern region of Thailand. Methods: The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, Rapid Upper Limb Assessment, and Hazard Zone Jobs Checklist techniques were used to interview 861 farmers who participated in the study. Results: The data showed that men who had been working for >10 years were more at risk of neck pain than those working for <1 year with adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.90, 14.5). Among women those who had been working for >10 years experienced lower back pain with aOR 8.13, 95% CI (1.04, 63.74), compared with those who had been working for <1 year. Men whose tasks required raising the arms above shoulder height had a risk factor contributing to neck pain of aOR 1.68, 95% CI (1.08, 2.61) when compared with those who did not work with this posture, and women had aOR 1.82, 95% CI (1.07, 3.12) when compared with those who did not work with this posture. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that work-related health conditions are monitored in migrant plantation workers to reduce the risks of musculoskeletal disorders.