• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.229-236
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• 2023

Background: In workers with moderate to severe work-related traumatic brain injury (wrTBI), this study aimed to investigate the effect of the timing of rehabilitation therapy initiation on the length of hospital stay and the factors that can influence this timing. Methods: We used data obtained from the Republic of Korea's nationwide Workers' Compensation Insurance. In the Republic of Korea, between the years 2010 and 2019, a total of 26,324 workers filed a claim for compensation for moderate to severe wrTBI. Multiple regression modeling was performed to compare the length of hospital stay according to the timing of rehabilitation therapy initiation following wrTBI. According to the timing of the initiation of rehabilitation therapy following TBI, the proportions of healthcare institutions that provided medical care during each admission step were compared. Results: The length of hospital stay for workers who started rehabilitation therapy within 90 days was significantly shorter than that for workers who started rehabilitationment were first admitted to tertiary hospitals. Approximately 39% of patients who received delayed rehabilitation treatment were first admitted to general hospitals, and 28.5% were first admitted to primary hospitals. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate the importance of early rehabilitation initiation and that the type of healthcare institution that the patient is first admitted to after wrTBI may influence the timing of rehabilitation initiation. The results of this study also emphasize the need to establish a Worker's Compensation Insuranceespecialized rehabilitation healthcare delivery system.

• 한국직업건강간호학회지
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.194-204
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was done to learn the status of occupational injuries and illnesses among Korean nurses. Methods: Thirty four articles published between 1990 and 2007 were selected using keywords as nurse and back pain, musculoskeletal symptom, violence, needle stick injuries and latex allergy from the database. The 609 RN cases among the workers' compensation data from 2005 to 2007 were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results: Based on the analysis of the articles, the most frequent work-related illness and injuries were the musculoskeletal symptoms including back pain. The prevalence of back pain was ranged from 36.5% to 98.5%. Tuberculosis cases were the most frequent and the musculoskeletal cases were the second rank in the workers' compensation data. In the case of violence, there has been an increasing tendency since 2000 in the articles and workers' compensation data. The relatively high percentage of compensation cases occurred among the ones working in small institutions and with less than one year experience. Conclusion: The further research on the nurses' work-related illness and injuries needs to consider the measurement tool selection and longitudinal design. The various types of contribution to the occupational health in nursing is suggested to improve the nurses' health and safety.

• 지역사회간호학회지
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.64-72
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze occupational accident compensation insurance coverage and occupational accidents incidence for special-type delivery workers. Methods: The data for occupational accident compensation insurance coverage and occupational accidents from 2012 to 2017 were analyzed through descriptive statistics. Results: Rates of occupational accident compensation insurance coverage of special-type delivery workers decreased gradually from 43.4% in 2012 to 28.5% in 2016, and 29.0% in 2017. Rates of occupational illnesses death per ten thousand workers increased gradually from 2.1‱ in 2013 to 3.1‱ in 2016, and 8.6‱ in 2017. All occupational illness deaths were due to cerebro-cardiovascular diseases. Road traffic accidents and slips accounted for the largest proportion of occupational accidents. Conclusion: Special-type delivery workers have a high risk of industrial accidents, so it is necessary to raise industrial accident insurance coverage and provide professional and systematic occupational safety and health services.

• 한국직업건강간호학회지
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.319-327
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure patient satisfaction among injured workers and determine the factors that affect satisfaction of the hospital services. Methods: The subjects of this study were 231 injured workers hospitalized in I WC Hospital and D WC Hospital located in one of the major cities in Korea, all of whom agreed to participate in this research. The questionnaires were selected as literature suggested for explaining satisfaction of the hospital services, general characteristics of injured workers, characteristics of the hospital services. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, multiple regression analysis by SPSS/WIN 18.0. Results: The patient satisfaction level is at 3.2 point, which is lower than general patient satisfaction in previous study. There were significant differences in satisfaction scores, depending on the gender, degree of medical treatments, the specialty of medical team, staff's kindness, medical treatment process, the cleanliness of hospital and the convenience of facilities. It was found that the patient satisfaction among injured workers is affected by the characteristics of the hospital services. Conclusion: It is necessary to promote medical facilities, specialization of doctors and nurses, staff's kindness, medical treatment process and hospital cleanliness for developing Workers' Compensation hospital services.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.26-31
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• 2012

Objectives: To review the occurrence of cancer cluster in S Electronics semiconductor factories, process of epidemiological researches and lawsuit for industrial accident compensation. Methods: Occupational Safety and Heatlh Research Institute (OSHRI) epidemiological research report, Seoul National University (SNU) field survey report and Seoul Administrative Court ruling were investigated. Result:: OSHRI denied the association between working environment and outbreak of cancers, but SNU survey team reported that carcinogens do exist in workplace and the workers are exposed to them. Seoul Administrative Court ruled that 2 victims got cancer due to hazardous chemicals in working environment and be compensated but 3 victims were not acknowledged. Conclusions: Procedure of current OSHRI epidemiological research should be reassessed by the purpose of Occupational Accident Compensation Insurance Law.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.404-413
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• 2019

Objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) is an important cause of mortality in workers exposed to hazardous dust, such as crystalline silica or coal, and COPD is related to inflammation and oxidative stress in the lung. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of oxidative stress and inflammation to COPD in retired workers exposed to mineral dust. Methods: The levels of malondialdehyde(MDA) in EBC as biomarkers for oxidative stress and C-reactive protein(CRP) and lactate dehydrogenase(LD) as biomarkers for inflammation were measured in 107 male subjects(63 pneumoconiosis and 42 COPD subjects). Results: Mean levels of EBC MDA(2.03 nmol/L vs. 4.65 nmol/L, p=0.010) and serum LD(170.3 U/L vs. 185.9 U/L, p=0.022) were significantly higher in subjects with COPD, but mean levels of serum CRP(p=0.469) did not show a statistical difference between the study groups. Level of EBC MDA was negatively correlated with ${%}FEV_1$ predicted(r=-0.279, p=0.004) and ${%}FEV_1/FVC$ ratio(r=-0.397, p<0.001). Conclusions: These results suggest that EBC is a useful biological matrix for investigation of respiratory oxidative stress. High levels of EBC MDA and serum LD are related to COPD in retired workers exposed to mineral dust.

• 노동경제논집
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.33-55
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• 2016

본 연구는 근로환경이 근로자의 객관적 주관적 보상과 어떠한 관계를 가지는지를 분석함으로써 한국노동시장에 나쁜 근로환경에 대한 보상이 존재하는지를 확인하고 시사점을 제공한다. 근로자가 당면하고 있는 다양한 근로환경과 보상지표를 제공하는 한국근로환경조사(KWCS) 자료를 사용하여 분석한 결과 나쁜 근로환경을 대표하는 위험성은 임금과 유의미한 관계를 보이지 않는 반면 보상만족도와는 부(-)의 관계로 나타난다. 이는 근로자들은 나쁜 근로환경에 대한 보상이 이루어져야 한다고 인식하고 있으나 실제 노동시장에서는 금전적 보상이 이루어지지 않는다는 것을 시사한다. 또한, 노동시장에서 물리적인 위험요인보다 정신적인 위험요인에 대한 기대 보상수준이 높게 나타나며, 이러한 경향은 남성에 비해 여성이 더 크게 나타난다.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.347-354
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• 2019

Background: The aim of this study was to describe the types of diseases that developed in semiconductor workers who have registered with the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (KWCWS) and to identify potential common occupational characteristics by the type of claimed disease. Methods: A total of 55 semiconductor workers with cancer or rare diseases who claimed to the KWCWS were compared based on their work characteristics and types of claimed diseases. Leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and aplastic anemia were grouped into lymphohematopoietic (LHP) disorder. Results: Leukemia (n = 14) and breast cancer (n = 10) were the most common complaints, followed by brain cancer (n = 6), aplastic anemia (n = 6), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 4). LHP disorders (n = 24) accounted for 43%. Sixty percent (n = 33) of registered workers (n = 55) were found to have been employed before 2000. Seventy-six percent (n = 42) of registered workers and 79% (n = 19) among the registered workers with LHP (n = 24) were found to be diagnosed at a relatively young age, ${\leq}40years$. A total of 18 workers among the registered semiconductor workers were finally determined to deserve compensation for occupational disease by either the KWCWS (n = 10) or the administrative court (n = 8). Eleven fabrication workers who were compensated responded as having handled wafers smaller than eight inches in size. Eight among the 18 workers compensated (44 %) were found to have ever worked at etching operations. Conclusion: The distribution of cancer and rare diseases among registered semiconductor workers was closely related to the manufacturing era before 2005, ${\leq}8$ inches of wafer size handled, exposure to clean rooms of fabrication and chip assembly operations, and etching operations.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.286-293
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• 2021

Objectives: Inorganic dust is known to be a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) regardless of smoking and pneumoconiosis. Adaptive and innate immunity, including lymphocyte infiltrate, are involved in the pathogenesis of COPD. The purpose of this study was to analyze the lymphocyte subsets in the blood of workers exposed to inorganic dust and confirm the influencing factors. Methods: The general characteristics of the subjects (n=107) were analyzed through a personal questionnaire. Diagnosis of COPD was established according to pulmonary function tests with FEV₁/FVC post bronchodilator lower than 70%, according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines. For lymphocyte analysis, blood was stained with a fluorescent CD marker and analyzed by flow cytometry. Results: The increase in CD4⁺ T lymphocytes was associated with a decrease in age (𝛽=-0.273, p=0.008) and an increase in the cumulative smoking amount (𝛽=0.205, p=0.034). The increase in NK cells was associated with an increase in age (𝛽=0.325, p=0.001) and a decrease in cumulative smoking (𝛽=-0.220, p=0.019). The period of exposure to dust, %FVC predicted and %FEV₁/FVC, and the relative population of peripheral blood lymphocytes did not show a statistically significant relationship. Conclusions: CD4⁺ T lymphocytes and CD56⁺CD16⁺ NK cells in peripheral blood were more related to age and cumulative smoking than the duration of dust exposure. Age and smoking are major risk factors for the development of COPD, so it can be predicted that peripheral blood CD4⁺ T lymphocytes and CD56⁺CD16⁺ NK cells are related to the development of COPD in workers exposed to inorganic dust.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제71권5호
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• pp.341-348
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• 2011

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate annual changes in pulmonary function in workers who were exposed to inorganic dust. Methods: The subjects were 2,922 male patients who had been diagnosed with pneumoconiosis more than twice during 6 years from 2005 to 2010. Results: Of the 2,922 cases, forced vital capacity (FVC) decreased by 54 mL in 1 year. In contrast, the annual change of forced expiratory volume in one second ($FEV_1$) decreased by 56 mL. Conclusion: This is the first study that has investigated the annual change in pulmonary function in workers exposed to inorganic dust. The results will help estimate the pulmonary condition of patients who are unable to perform a pulmonary function test due to age or a disorder.