• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.242-257
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• 1994

In Korea, female workforce has reached more than 40% of total working population, but the effects of work on spontaneous abortion are yet to be examined. This study as conducted to investigate the occupational effects on spontaneous abortion. Medical insurance claim data were used to examine the effects of the employment status and industry of employment on spontaneous abortion. The study population was composed of females, aged $15{\sim}44$, who were the beneficiary of medical insurance in the month of June, 1993. The working females covered by medical insurance for industrial workers, had the highest age-adjusted Spontaneous Abortion rate (SAB rate=claim frequency of spontaneous abortion/claim frequency of complication of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium), 6.65% whereas female dependants of medical insurance for industrial workers had the lowest age-adjusted SAB rate, 4.54%. Among industrial workers, the workers in manufacturing industry had the highest age-adjusted Spontaneous Abortion ratio(SAB ratio=claim frequency of spontaneous abortion/claim frequency of completly normal delivery), 43.2/100 whereas those in financing and service industry had age-adjusted SAB ratio, 16.2/100 and 20.5/100, respectively. The results of the study suggest the adverse effect of manufacturing Industry on reproduction. Work environments such as chemical exposures, overwork, awkard posture, and job stress should be further studied for their effects on reproductive functions of female.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.161-171
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• 2006

The objectives of this study were to ergonomically evaluate varying tasks performed in a general hospital and to propose their improving measures based on the evaluation results. The tasks found in the hospital were largely classified into two groups of manual materials handling and awkward posture related tasks. Ergonomic tools of NLE, 3-D SSPP and RULA were used for evaluating workload of the tasks. The major findings are: 1) L5/S1 compressive force of patient transferring by one person exceeded the maximum permissible limit(6,400N) by NIOSH. The L5/S1 compressive forces for most of the patient transferring tasks by 2-4 persons were larger than the action limit (3,400N), and the tasks by five persons were analyzed to be safe in the view of L5/S1 compressive force; 2) patient repositioning tasks by 2-3 persons were hazardous on the basis of L5/S1 compressive force, while most of the tasks by 4-5 persons were safe; 3) many tasks performed in wards were found to be stressful, most of which resulted from improper heights of their working tables or working points. Of varying tasks in general hospitals, patient transferring was the most stressful. Based on the results of this study and high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders from other studies, it is recommended that the ergonomics program be introduced and enforced for doing improving activities systematically

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.440-447
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• 2022

Background: Agricultural handle equipment is present on all production areas' farms. They are handy and portable; however, excessive use can lead to acute traumas or accidental injuries. Repetitive movements, awkward postures, and hand-arm vibrations predispose them to pain and work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to observe the interaction of handle equipment in terms of electromyographic activity and analyze the postural work-related alterations. Materials and methods: Twenty male agricultural operators, mean age 24±1.54 years, underwent the electromyographic analysis testing their muscular activities with a brushcutter, electric saw, and hedge trimmer in four different test conditions. Results: The brushcutter proved to be the agricultural handle equipment with the higher mean frequency (3.37±0.38 Hz) and root mean square (5.25±1.24 ms^-2). Furthermore, the digital postural analysis showed a general asymmetry of the main arm and the respective side of the trunk. The head resulted right inclined in the anterior frontal plane by 5.7°±1.2°; the right scapula lower than the left in the posterior frontal plane (8.5°±1.8°), and a working trunk inclination of 34.15°±5.7°. Conclusions: Vibrations of handle equipment and awkward working postures represent a risk for agricultural operators. Preventive measures are required to avoid young operators from experiencing musculoskeletal disorders all lifelong.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.22-37
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• 2005

This study was performed to investigate LBP(low-back pain) prevalence rate and its related factors inphysical therapists. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted to 522 physical therapists in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk. The LBP prevalence rate for recent 6 months was $61.7\%$. According to age, the prevalence rate was highest in the group aged 24 or less for both male and female physical therapistis. For male physical therapists , it was higher in smokers and drivers, but for female ones, it was not in a significant relationship with smoking and driving. According to work experience, the prevalence rates of those who had been working for less than one year were the highest, and those who had been working at hospitals and clinics were $69.1\%$, significantly high. According to therapy techinque, the prevalence rate related ti PNF was $71.6\%$, the highest and to occupational therapy was $34.3\%$, the lowest. According to working environment for six months, in both male and female physical therapists. LBP prevalence rate was in a statistically significant relationship with work hours during the day, night and weekend duties, repetitive works, motions that bend or twist the waist, the number of patients per day, the number of time to help patients per day, the number of time to carry medical equipment per day and the length of time to work standing. The rate was also higher when physical therapists fekt nire stress from their work. According to the result of multiple logistic regression analysis, male was in a significant relationship with work experience and motions that bend or twist the waist and female was in a significant relationship with work hours during the night and weekend duties, the number of time to help patients per day, motions that bena or twist the waist, actions taken to protect the waist. As for the developmental pattem of LBP in the group of physical therapists with LBP for six moths, $15.7\%$ of them had LBP for first time, $42.3\%$ had recurred LBP, and $42.0\%$ had chronic LBP. As for the causes of LBP, $51.7\%$ said that it was because they worked in the same posture for a long time, and as for how to treat LBP, 48.8% said that they treated themselvs or got help from their co-wokers. The results presented above suggest that physical therapists are exposed to high risk of LBP caused form occupational activities. Therefire, it is necessary to improve working environment to reduce the occurrence of LBP and to develop education programs for preventing the occurrence and recurrence of LBP.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.111-119
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• 2007

Firemen are directly exposed to various harmful chemicals, physical factors and mental stress during rescue and fire-fighting. In fire extinguishing, unstable posture, poisonous gas, dust, high temperature and heavy equipments are possible hazardous factors. The alertness for emergency, shift work, job strain and stress are also possibly hazardous. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of musculo-skeletal symptoms and job stress and to determine risk factors in firemen. This study was carried out in a group of 226 firemen in Busan City, Korea. Standardized Nordic Questionnaire was used to investigate the prevalence of musculo-skeletal symptoms and Psycho-social Well-being Index (abbreviated PWI) was used to investigate the prevalence of job stress. General and occupational characteristics were included education, marital status, alcohol and smoking history, working duration, and work shift system. Body mass index (BMI) scores were calculated by physical examination including height and weight. Concerning musculo-skeletal complaints, the commonest site was neck, and shoulder, lower back, upper back were the next. Complaint site above one area of body was about 80%. From multiple logistic regression analysis, working duration was significant variable in musculo-skeletal symptoms. Odds ratio were 15.4 in working duration. About 16.8% was high risk stress group. From multiple logistic regression analysis, shift work and alcohol drinking were significant variables in PWI scores. Odds ratios were 2.25 in shift work. Accordingly, interventions are needed for health promotion of long term and shift worker.

• 대한가정학회지
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.155-168
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• 1982

What is attempted here is to find out an optimum method for the design of physical environments that could save human energy expenditures and safely perform household duties. There are, if any, very little amount of research done in this area. This is particulary so when the work relates to the designing of household storage facilities in the light of the energy metabolism of human body. The first step to this study, therefore, is to find out the ways by which we can determine the energy metabolism of human body accurately. To measure the volume and the concentration of human respiration continuously and automatically, a new apparatus is selected here. This includes the recording system with the Wright Respirometer and the Expired Gas Analyzer as well as the computer system to multiply volume by concentration of human respiration and to integrate them for a given time. Then, the author experimented on the reliability of this apparatus and came to the conclusion that this apparatus satisfied our need to research the energy metabolism of human body. Next, the general plan and procedures to experiment with this apparatus have been determined as follows: 1) subjects are three young and sound females. Their physical characteristics are shown in Table 1 and most approximates the standard characteristics of Japanese females, 2) height of open shelves is selected in such away as to correspond to the respective height of each subject(see Table 2), 3) utensils to be stored are box shaped object, which weight is 0.5kg, 1.0kg, 2.0kg or 3.0kg, 4) working motions are given while one or two hands as to place utensil on each shelf from the standard working board, 85 cm in height and then to place back it on the board from the shelf and repeated in constant velocity as 10 times per a minute, 5) each posture of motion is chosen by each subject in free, 6) procedures of measurement of human energy metabolism ard shown at(6), 1, Section 3 as specific methods for using this apparatus. Findings of this study are as follows: 1. Human energy expenditures for storing utensils on shelves by each subject are shown in quantity more accurately than in any other studies, under varying conditions about height of shelves, load of utensils and working motion with one hand and two hands (see Fig. 8~13 and Table 3). 2. Experimental formulae of human energy expenditure for that work are shown as formula (8), (9) and (10), to generalize results of 1. and to apply those for working motion under given conditions. 3. As results of analysis on gained data, we are able to show the standard model of human energy expenditures for storing untensils on shelves by the standard Japanese female (see Table 7 and Fig. 14).

• 대한인간공학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.297-302
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• 2011

Many WMSDs(work-related-musculoskeletal disorders) have been reported in diverse industries and have also attracted much attention in recent years. Neck-related MSD is generally known as one of common WMSDs, especially it happens to workers who are working at the automobile assembly plants and/or shipyards. The awkward posture is considered as a main cause of neck-related MSDs. A neck supporter was developed to prevent neck-related MSDs, and 10 males were recruited to evaluate the newly developed neck supporter by measuring subjective discomfort ratings of whole body, shoulder, neck and neck-muscle activities. Muscle activities from four neck muscle groups(left/right sternocleidomastoid and upper/middle trapezius) were measured while simulating an automobile assembly task. Results showed that the neck supporter help to significantly improve subjective discomfort for whole-body, shoulder as well as neck body parts. The analyses of muscular activities also showed that the activities of left/right sternocleidomastoid muscles were statistically decreased with the neck supporter in this study. The muscle activities of upper/middle trapezius in case of wearing the neck supporter were not significantly different with the muscle activities in case of no-wearing the neck supporter. Overall findings verified that the neck supporter might help to prevent neck-related MSDs based on the current study.

• 산업공학
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.120-132
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• 2000

As science advances in many fields, the task of accommodating all human beings with comfort and safety becomes increasingly complex. The anthropometric data are basis of product design, but most of the anthropometric data for Korean emphasize the anthropological, physiological and engineering points of views. Also due to the scarce of body dimensions needed in designing products, the industrial designers are cautious in applying these data to design products. The purpose of this study was to select and measure the body parts that are necessary for the industrial designers but are scarce in existing data, and to illustrate the human body with measures instead of tables for easy understanding and application to industrial product design. Three hundreds and eighteen males and 260 females of age from 18 to 60 participated for this study. Eighty-two dimensions in standing and seating posture were selected to measure. The front views, side views and some working postures for man and woman are illustrated with measures. This study could provide the most vital data to assist designers in creating products and environments that better accommodate human needs.

• 한국의류학회지
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• 제36권5호
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• pp.512-522
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• 2012

This study examined the work environment and wearing conditions of industrial protective clothing in shipbuilding workshops. It also investigated the relationship between the wearing sensation of industrial protective clothing and overall comfort, according to work process. In addition, the work posture according to work process was evaluated based on ergonomic factors. The wearing rate of industrial protective clothing was 73.3%, 66.7%, and 60.1% for workers engaged in welding, grinding, and painting, respectively. The harmful work environment factors, listed from most harmful to least harmful, were found to be high temperature pyrogens, noxious fumes, organic solvents, UV rays, and heavy dust. The aspect of wearing performance of industrial protective clothing that was most related to user dissatisfaction was poor sweat absorbency. In terms of the correlation between the overall comfort and the wearing sensation of industrial protective clothing, the satisfaction was low shown in orders of physiological comfort, sensual comfort, and movement comfort.

• 대한인간공학회지
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.509-515
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• 2011

Objective: The study was performed to suggest factors to consider when making or selecting protective clothing to enhance farmers' health. The purpose of this study was to review and summarize the agricultural safety technology on clothing including hat, gloves, and shoes. Background: The farmers' work clothing has to meet a multitude of requirement. Risk factors in farm-work were identified by previous researches. Agricultural safety clothing needs to be introduced. Method: We reviewed previous papers regarding the agricultural workers' health, safety clothing to protect body from excessive heat and humid environment, ultraviolet(UV) protection, and hazardous body working postures. Also the UV cut effect, pesticideproof clothing, and preventable farm work related musculoskeletal disorders were discussed. Results: The agricultural safety clothing needs to be developed to provide comfort and to be resistant against heat. The UV protection function on skin and eyes has not been fully researched in safety clothing studies yet. Conclusions and Application: The farmers' work-related body posture needs to be studied in order to make and design agricultural safety clothing. The safety issues on agricultural work shoes are also needed to be included in future studies.