• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.368-374
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• 2023

Background: Recognizing that access to safe and healthy working conditions is a human right, the World Health Organization (WHO) calls for specific occupational safety and health (OSH) programs for health workers (HWs). The WHO health systems' building blocks, and the International Labour Organization (ILO), highlight the importance of information as part of effective systems. This study examined how OSH stakeholders access, use, and value an occupational health information system (OHIS). Methods: A cross-sectional survey of OSH stakeholders was conducted as part of a larger quasi experimental study in four teaching hospitals. The study hospitals and participants were purposefully selected and data collected using a modified questionnaire with both closed and open-ended questions. Quantitative analysis was conducted and themes identified for qualitative analysis. Ethics approval was provided by the University of Pretoria and University of British Columbia. Results: There were 71 participants comprised of hospital managers, health and safety representatives, trade unions representatives and OSH professionals. At least 42% reported poor accessibility and poor timeliness of OHIS for decision-making. Only 50% had access to computers and 27% reported poor computer skills. When existing, OHIS was poorly organized and needed upgrades, with 85% reporting the need for significant reforms. Only 45% reported use of OHIS for decision-making in their OSH role. Conclusion: Given the gap in access and utilization of information needed to protect worker's rights to a safe and healthy workplace, more attention is warranted to OHIS development and use as well as education and training in South Africa and beyond.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.184-190
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• 2001

Industrial structure is more developed, the economical value of human resources and the cases which risks worker's Health & Safety is expended. The Safety & Health issues are focused on elements of control for management activity simultaneously with work environment as well as the risk elements which risks worker's life and body. The activity for combination of basic management System and Safety & Health management is progressing with active discussion in ILO, BS 8800 is specified the guidance of Occupational Safety & Health Management System in UK. 1996. This research refers to BS 8800:1996, specification as a basic model, and introduce of the result of certification development result in Occupational Safety & Health management System with in ISO 14001 Environmental System Standards & ISO 9001 Quality Management System Standards and Systemic Factors. Through this applicability and efficiency evaluation, we make an effort to support and to improve the specification. Also applicability evaluation of Occupational Safety & Health management System and the specification developed for the purpose of the third party certification is applied with expending in industry, and the method is presented through the case which is required to support for method review and activities.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.295-303
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• 2021

Objective: Paint manufacturing industry workers are exposed to various lung cancer carcinogenic substances including hexavalent chromium and crystalline silica. Studies have been conducted on lung cancer in Paint manufacturing industry workers and the concentration of hexavalent chromium in paint industry; however, the concentration of crystalline silica and hexavalent chromium and cases of lung cancer in a single Paint factory has never been reported in Korea. Methods: To determine whether the cancer was related to his work environment, we assessed the level of exposure to carcinogens during pouring and mixing talc and pigment. In addition, a mask fit test was performed for the worker. Results: Analysis of talc and silica bulk powder materials showed that crystalline silica (quartz) was 5% in talc and 100% in silica. The green and yellow pigments contained 87% and 92% of lead chromate, respectively. Our quantitative analysis of pigment powder samples showed that the hexavalent chromium contents quantified in the green and yellow pigment samples were 87% and 92%, respectively. In order to estimate his exposure level of hexavalent chromium, we measured a personal exposure level of hexavalent chromium for a worker in accordance with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health #7605 method. The results showed that the worker was exposed to the high level of hexavalent chromium (0.033 mg m-3). In addition, the talc powder also contained 5% quartz, and the worker's exposure level to respirable quartz exceeded OEL. As a result of the respiratory protection fit test for workers, the overall Fit Factor was '15' when wearing a second-grade mask and '25' when wearing a first-grade mask, significantly lower than the US Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) pass value of "100". Conclusion: Workers who pouring and mixing powder materials such as talc or colored pigments in paint manufacturing company may be exposed to high concentrations of carcinogenic substances. These findings indicate that it is necessary to local ventilation system inspection, safety and health education for employers and workers, and periodically monitoring and manage the working environment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.149-162
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• 2017

Objectives: Six cases of non-oral occupational methanol poisoning were found in mobile phone parts manufacturers in South Korea during the period from 22 January 2016 to 5 October 2016. We conducted this study to determine the cause of the accident including social environment factor. Methods: We interviewed the cases. Based on that, we described this poisoning accident narratively and arranged the evolution of the accident in chronological order. We used the Haddon matrix method to investigate the cause of the accident. Results: It was found that six cases were all dispatched workers who were under poor working condition including working time exceeded 12 hours a day, not given basic occupational health and safety information etc. Occupational disease associated with dispatched work was difficult to be reported. 2 cases were not able to identify the cause of the disease within one year. Conclusions: In short, the direct cause of the poisoning accident was that workers were exposed to high concentration of methanol(over 1,000 ppm). One of the main fundamental cause is that dispatched worker is rampant in the supply chain of mobile phone production. To protect dispatched workers, appropriate occupational safety health measures are needed urgently.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.78-88
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• 2007

Purpose: The Purpose of this study is to build up model of the emotional labor worker's health. Methods: Data was collected from 230 emotional labor workers from 2 department stores, 2 insurance companies, and 3 hotels located in Seoul and Kyung-gi areas, by the health managers and team leaders. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, pearson correlation, factor analysis and covariance structure analysis were used by SPSS window 10 version and AMOS 4.01. Results: The hypothetical model showed a goodness-of-fit to the empirical data(GFI=0.90, RMR=0.04, NFI= 0.79, PNFI=0.64). Eight out of fifteen paths of the model were accepted, while the other seven paths rejected. : From 'surface acting' to 'health', from 'social support' to 'surface acting', from 'social support' to 'health', from 'factors of organizational culture' to 'surface acting', from 'factors of organizational culture' to 'deep acting', from 'personal factor' to 'social support', from 'factors of organizational culture' to 'social support', from 'routine stress' to 'social support'. In conclusion, it has been confirmed that surface acting and social support were dominating factors to the health of emotional labor workers. Conclusion: In order to manage the health of emotional labor workers, it is imperative to develop a strategy to reduce their surface acting.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.253-259
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• 2020

In this paper, we propose to confirm the perceptions of vocational rehabilitation of the mentally disabled by mental health service providers. The survey was conducted using a questionnaire consisting of vocational ability for the mentally disabled, family support, worker competence, and worker needs, targeting 132 workers at the mental health welfare center and mental rehabilitation facility, which are mental health service institutions in A Metropolitan City. The collected data were analyzed using the technical knowledge, t-test, ANOVA, Scheff? test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression using the SPSS 21.0 program. In the end, the workers' desire for vocational rehabilitation for the mentally disabled of workers in mental health service institutions was higher in mental rehabilitation facilities than in mental health welfare centers, and the competence of workers had a significant effect on the vocational skills and family support of the mentally disabled people. Therefore, it will be possible to ultimately promote vocational rehabilitation for the mentally disabled by strengthening the capacity for vocational rehabilitation for the mentally handicapped of mental health service providers in the future.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.129-149
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• 2010

We find that there is the height premium in the Korean labor market. The wage increases by 1.5% with a centimeter increase of height among male workers of ages 30-49. This estimate is barely affected by family backgrounds such as a worker's father's education or occupation. It is rejected that a worker's height is a proxy variable for his health, which increases his wage. The height premium is unrelated with obesity. It is not also supported that a worker's height affects his wage through his occupational choice. We partly confirm that a worker's height affects his wage through his educational choice. The estimated height premium of 30's in Korea is comparable to that of age 33 in Great Britain.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.34
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• pp.2.1-2.14
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• 2022

Background: Because income and working hours are closely related, the health impact of working hours can vary according to economic status. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between working hours and the risk of poor self-rated health according to household income level. Methods: We used the data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI and VII. The information on working hours and self-rated health was obtained from the questionnaire. After stratifying by household income level, the risk of poor self-rated health for long working hour group (≥ 52 hours a week), compared to the 35-51 working hour group as a reference, were calculated using multiple logistic regression. Results: Long working hours increased the risk of poor self-rated health in the group with the highest income, but not in the group with the lowest income. On the other hand, the overall weighted prevalence of poor self-rated health was higher in the low-income group. Conclusions: The relationship between long working hours and the risk of poor self-rated health varied by household income level. This phenomenon, in which the health effects of long working hours appear to diminish in low-income households can be referred to as the 'poor worker's long working hours paradox'. Our findings suggest that the recent working hour restriction policy implemented by the Korean government should be promoted, together with a basic wage preservation to improve workers' general health and well-being.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.203-213
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• 2014

Sickness absence is one of the most important indicators for worker's health and occupational safety and health performance. Sickness absence is primarily depended upon sickness but psycho-social factors in workplace may moderate sickness absence. Even though worker is falling into illness, sickness absence can be prevented by job satisfaction. In Korea it is very difficult to find research output about the association of sickness absence with job satisfaction. This study is planned to investigate the effect of job satisfaction on sickness absence. The third Korean Working Conditions Survey done by Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute in 2011 was used to analyze by logistic regression analysis. The result has shown that job satisfaction has statistically significant effect on sickness absence and simultaneously diminish the effect of symptoms experience on sickness absence. The effect of job satisfaction is greater in short term sickness absence than in long term sickness absence. This study has some limitation because of the cross sectional data of Korean Working Conditions Survey. In future, sophisticated statistical analysis may be done with modelling.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.102-111
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to analyze the characteristics of work-related musculoskeletal diseases (MSD) and the factors for approving MSD by the parts of the body. Methods: The analysis was done using the data which were drawn from the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance that is operated by the Korea Worker's Compensation & Welfare Service. The data were composed of total cases related to the work-related diseases from 2006 to 2009. In addition, MSD data input by an investigator were collected. The factors associated with MSD were analyzed using ${\times}2$ and multiple logistic regression. Results: MSD approved cases have increased since 2006 and the proportion of the approved work-related MSD cases in the workers with work-related diseases in 2009 were 33.4%. Spinal approved cases were the highest percentage and upper and lower extremities cases gradually increased. The factors for approving upper extremity were found to be age, company size, type of industry, working duration, and in the case of spine to be company size and heavy lifting. Conclusion: Work-related MSD have increased and the factors that affected MSD by the parts of the body varied. Management strategy must be established to prevent MSD by the parts of the body.