• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.178-185
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• 1998

In order to evaluate and improve the performance of local exhaust ventilation systems for two TCE degreasing (A, B) and two electroplating (C, E) and one acid dipping & plating (D) operations located in Kimhae, the performance test was conducted with trace gases and a thermal anemometer (Kanomax 24-6111, Japan). For the inadequately designed systems, the improvement and redesigns in compliance with recommendation by ACGIH was suggested. The results of performance test for each system are as follows; 1. System of Workplace A was generally well-designed. Actual exhaust air flow rate was in excess of 68% above the recommended standard exhaust air flow rate. 2. System of Workplace B was very well-designed and completely enclosed. 3. All systems of Workplace C including hoods were poorly-designed and actual exhaust air flow rates were insufficient for open tanks. All systems should be upgraded according to ACGIH recommendations. 4. Supply and exhaust air flow rate of push-pull exhaust systems in Workplace D should be greatly increased. The width of flange of dipping tank hood should be increased with the value suggested. 5. System of Workplace E was well-designed. Actual exhaust air flow rate was in excess of 54% above the required.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.59-70
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• 2016

Objectives : This study was done to identify the influences of workplace spirituality and emotional intelligence on the organizational citizenship behavior of clinical nurses. Methods : The subjects were 230 clinical nurses, working over 6 months in four general hospitals in three cities. Data were obtained from March 20 to March 30, 2016, with a self-report questionnaire, and analyzed using the IBM SPSS 21.0 program. Results : The factors related to the organizational citizenship behavior of nurses were workplace spirituality(${\beta}$=.36), emotional intelligence(${\beta}$=.29), 40 years of age or higher(${\beta}$=.26), working in a special ward(${\beta}$=.11), and turnover intention(${\beta}$=.10). These variables explained 61.6% of the variance in organizational citizenship behavior of nurses. Conclusions : In order to improve the quality of nursing services and business performance in hospital organizations, it is necessary to enhance workplace spirituality and emotional intelligence. This would lead to promoting organizational citizenship behavior through the development and application of intervention programs from a nursing organization perspective.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.43-56
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore male nurses' experiences of gender discrimination at the workplace using qualitative research methods. Methods: Participants responded to a survey using an online link, and were asked to describe their overall experiences by responding to the question "Please freely describe your experiences of workplace gender discrimination". The qualitative data collected from 118 participants were analyzed using Krippendorff's technique. Data collection was caried out from June 11, 2019, to August 3, 2020. Results: Eleven themes and 24 subthemes were extracted from a total of 277 meaningful statements. Male nurses' experiences of workplace gender discrimination, reasons of gender discrimination, and improvement strategies were presented through the key themes. Conclusion: Male nurses experienced workplace gender discrimination from patients, colleagues, and institutions. Furthermore, strategies to improve gender stereotypes and to emphasize the strengths of male nurses are necessary in order to increase the number of male nurses in the female-dominant nursing field and to reduce job turnover. These strategies will help expand the social role of nurses as professionals and improve the work environment and benefits for all nurses.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.305-311
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• 2015

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship nursing personal and workplace system factors (work disability) and work ability index scores in Ontario, Canada. Methods: A total of 111 registered nurses were randomly selected from the total number of registered nurses on staff in the labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum areas of four northeastern Ontario hospitals. Using a stratified random design approach, 51 participants were randomly selected in four northeastern Ontario cities. Results: A total of 51 (45.9% response rate) online questionnaires were returned and another 60 (54.1% response rate) were completed using the paper format. The obstetric workforce in northeastern Ontario was predominately female (94.6%) with a mean age of 41.9 (standard deviation = 10.2). In the personal systems model, three variables: marital status (p = 0.025), respondent ethnicity (p = 0.026), and mean number of patients per shift (p = 0.049) were significantly contributed to the variance in work ability scores. In the workplace system model, job and career satisfaction (p = 0.026) had a positive influence on work ability scores, while work absenteeism (p = 0.023) demonstrated an inverse relationship with work ability scores. In the combined model, all the predictors were significantly related to work ability scores. Conclusion: Work ability is closely related to job and career satisfaction, and perceived control at work among obstetric nursing. In order to improve work ability, nurses need to work in environments that support them and allow them to be engaged in the decision-making processes.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.141-150
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• 2019

Background: Evidence on associations between occupational diesel exhaust and gasoline exposure and colorectal cancer is limited. We aimed to assess the effect of workplace exposure to diesel exhaust and gasoline on the risk of colorectal cancer. Methods: This case-control study included 181,709 colon cancer and 109,227 rectal cancer cases diagnosed between 1961 and 2005 in Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Cases and controls were identified from the Nordic Occupational Cancer Study cohort and matched for country, birth year, and sex. Diesel exhaust and gasoline exposure values were assigned by country-specific job-exposure matrices. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated by using conditional logistic regression models. The results were adjusted for physical strain at work and occupational exposure to benzene, formaldehyde, ionizing radiation, chlorinated hydrocarbons, chromium, and wood dust. Results: Diesel exhaust exposure was associated with a small increase in the risk of rectal cancer (odds ratio - 1.05, 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.08). Gasoline exposure was not associated with colorectal cancer risk. Conclusion: This study showed a small risk increase for rectal cancer after workplace diesel exhaust exposure. However, this finding could be due to chance, given the limitations of the study.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.408-415
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• 2018

Background: Nursing home resident care is an ongoing topic of public discussion, and there is great interest in improving the quality of resident care. This study investigated the association between nursing home employees' job satisfaction and residents' satisfaction with care and medical outcomes. Methods: Employee and resident satisfaction were measured by questionnaire in 175 skilled nursing facilities in the eastern United States from 2005 to 2009. Facility-level data on residents' pressure ulcers, medically unexplained weight loss, and falls were obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Long-Term Care Minimum Data Set. The association between employee satisfaction and resident satisfaction was examined with multiple and multilevel linear regression. Associations between employee satisfaction and the rates of pressure ulcers, weight loss, and falls were examined with simple and multilevel Poisson regression. Results: A 1-point increase in overall employee satisfaction was associated with an increase of 17.4 points (scale 0-100) in the satisfaction of residents and family members (p < 0.0001) and a 19% decrease in the incidence of resident falls, weight loss, and pressure ulcers combined (p < 0.0001), after adjusting for staffing ratio and percentage of resident-days paid by Medicaid. Conclusion: Job satisfaction of nursing home employees is associated with lower rates of resident injuries and higher resident satisfaction with care. A supportive work environment may help increase quality of care in the nation's nursing homes.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.96-109
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the levels of disaster preparedness competency in public health workers and identify influential factors on disaster preparedness competency. Methods: The data was collected through self-report questionnaires from a convenience sample of 281 public health workers in 2014 in Korea. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression. Results: The mean disaster preparedness competency score was 2.77 and the mean disaster educational needs score was 4.01. Disaster preparedness competency had a statistically significant difference by gender, position, experience of disaster education in workplace, and experience of BLS education. As a result of the multiple regression analysis, disaster preparedness competency accounted for 11.6% of the variance by gender, experience of disaster education in workplace, and experience of BLS education. Conclusion: The results of this study reveal that gender, strengthening education of disasters in the workplace, and education of BLS should be taken into consideration and integrated when developing an effective educational program in order to enhance disaster preparedness competency in public health workers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.32-41
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• 2012

Objectives: Information of chemical in electronics industry has not been known enough, although workers' health hazards by chemicals in this industry have been regarded serious. The who always contribute to reveal and control the health hazards and risks in electronics industry have not been the industry but the occupational or environmental victims and grassroot organizations. The similar phenomena can be observed in Korea. Methods: The experiences of individual workers on the occuapational safety and health in semiconductor factory were heard separately and integrated with related literatures. Results:: The first part of this article is largely based on the memories and experiences of individual workers of semiconductor factories, mainly from S semiconductor. Common features of those experiences can be a good resource for detail understanding of the workplace, especially under the situation without any transparent disclosure of information by the governments or the companies. The second part of this article deals with several factors to be considered for control of exposure in workplace; characteristics of workplace and workforce, types of chemicals used, and the way of using the chemicals. Then the current social issues on work-relatedness of cancers of S semiconductor workers are presented briefly. Conclusions: As a conclusion, current OSH situations and issues in Korean electronics industry raise the need of changes in OSH culture. General adaptation of precautionary principle, internalization of costs, and extended responsibility of producers are needed urgently. The OSH professionals both in public and private sectors should support these agendas under their social obligation to protect workers' health.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.244-247
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• 2020

The occurrence of the shift work disorder (SWD) in health-care workers (HCWs) employed in 24/7 hospital wards is a major concern through the world. In accordance with literature, SWD is the most frequent work-related disturb in HCWs working on shift schedules including night shift. In agreement with the Luxembourg Declaration on workplace health promotion (WHP) in the European Union, a WHP program has been developed in a large Hospital, involving both individual-oriented and organizational-oriented measures, with the aim to prevent the occurrence of SWD in nurses working on shifts including night shift. The objective assessment of rotating shift work risk and the excessive sleepiness were detected before and after the implementation of the WHP program, by using the Rotating Shiftwork-questionnaire and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The findings of this study showed the effectiveness of the implemented WHP program in minimizing the impact of shift work on workers' health and in preventing the misalignment between sleep-wake rhythm and shift working.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.129-138
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• 2014

As S. Korea is becoming an "aged society", workers in the country would be exposed to higher risk of workplace injuries due to their reducing work abilities as they are getting old. To identify the relationship between the work ability and the incident rate of workplace injuries, the work ability index (WAI) scores were surveyed from 409 workers occupied in different manufacturing industries reside on north GyoengBuk area. The workplace injury statistics in the year of 2010 for the corresponding industries were analyzed and summarized with the WAI scores by age groups, years of service, and sizes of business. The results showed the WAI scores of the workers occupied in the higher risk of workplace injury was lower than that of the workers of the lower risk. It means the lower the WAI score, the higher the chance of being injured during the task. It is concluded that appropriate correlation exists between the WAI scores of workers and the incident rate of workplace injury. It is recommended to administrate individual work abilities of aged workers in order to keep low rate of workplace injuries in upcoming aged and highly aged society.