• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.192-202
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• 2007

Objectives: The objectives of this research are to examine the missions, organization, and programs of the environmental, health and safety(EHS) offices of the major research universities in the U.S.A., particularly the case of Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) EHS Office, and to suggest ways to address the EHS issues of the universities and research institutes in South Korea. Methods: The top 30 research universities in the U.S.A. were selected by the total amounts of research funds they annually received. The web sites of the 30 universities were searched to identify the names of the departments that address environment, health, and/or safety related issues, the missions of those departments, the major programs of those departments, and the number of staff in those departments. Also, a case study was conducted for the Environment Health and Safety Management System and the Environment, Health and Safety Office of the MIT, using literature and web searches and a meeting with the Director of the MIT Environment, Health and Safety Office. Results: All the top 30 research universities in the U.S.A. had designated departments that dealt with EHS issues. Most of them were by the name of or similar to environmental, health and safety. The mission statements of those departments were mostly about improving the safety and health of their community members, improving the environment, and complying to EHS regulations. Most of those departments had an environmental management program, industrial hygiene program, radiation protection program, safety program, and biosafety program as their major programs. The components of the environment, health and safety management system(EHS-MS) of the MIT were examined in detail. In contrast, not many universities in South Korea had designated departments that dealt specifically with EHS issues. Also, the number of fulltime staff for EHS was only 1-2 in most of the Korean universities and their work duties included only general safety, while neglecting other health/environment related issues. Conclusions: Well organized and functioning environmental, health and safety offices were present in all of the top 30 research universities in the U.S.A., whereas similar organizations of the universities in South Korea were virtually non-existent and/or had very limited EHS activities. Therefore, in order to reduce potential risks of accidents and health problems in the Korean universities and research institutions, well established and functioning EHS-MSs and EHS offices are warranted. The case of the EHS-MS and EHS Office in the MIT demonstrate a successful case to follow.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.179-182
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• 2023

The Chemical Substances Control Act has been legislated to counter the risks posed by chemical substances to public health and the environment, but a number of small- and large-scaled incidents related to hazardous chemicals continue to occur every year. The Korean Ministry of Environment takes legal responsibility for prevention, preparedness, and response to nationwide chemical accidents under the Chemical Substances Control Act. The determination of chemical accidents that occur during hazardous chemical handling processes is based on the Article 2 (Definitions) of the law and the administrative criteria for judgement of chemical accidents. However, there are certain ambiguities in the scientific basis for determining chemical accidents under the current regulations. Whether or not a chemical accident has a direct influence on penalties and administrative measures for a workplace where an accident occurred, it is necessary to find reasonable criteria for determining chemical accident based on legal and scientific evidence.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제49권5호
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• pp.247-250
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• 2023

This case report aims to introduce the safety campaign activities for preventing chemical accidents that were cooperatively conducted by an environmental office and chemical-handling workplaces located in the Ulsan area. A chemical safety campaign was initiated to examine and manage chemical-handling facilities at high risk for chemical accidents, specifically valves, flanges, and switches (VFS) from October 2020 to December 2022. The VFS safety check campaign was conducted to raise workers' safety consciousness based on a campaign of advertisements in the workplace from October 2020 to December 2021. In addition, a VFS plus [+] campaign was initiated to encourage actual management activities for chemical-handling facilities at high risk of chemical accidents in 2022. A total of 49 corporations participated in the VFS plus [+] campaign. In contrast to the VFS safety check campaign, which simply focused on publicity and resulted in changes in worker awareness, practicable safety management activities focusing on the handling facilities were carried out. Although notable short-term impacts have yet to be discerned from the campaigns, it is expected that they will eventually serve as a starting point for developing a proper safety culture and environment.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.56-61
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• 2015

Frozen food processing workers work under a cold environment which can cause several adverse health effects.This study explored factors affecting workers' health in the frozen food industry in Thailand. Participants comprised 497 workers exposed to a cold working environment and 255 office workers who served as the controls. Data were collected by a survey on the work environment, and the interview of workers for abnormal symptoms. The exposed group had the following characteristics: 52.7% male, overall average age of 27 (SD 6.6) years old, attained elementary education (Grade 4 and Grade 6) (54.1%), married (48.9%), smokers (21.3%), alcohol consumption (31.0%), duration of work was between 1 and 5 years (65.2%), working 6 days a week (82.7%), 1-5 hours of overtime per week (33.8%), office workers (33.9%); work category: sizing (6.9%), peeling (28.3%) dissecting (22.2%), and in the warehouse (8.6%). The temperature in the work environment ranged from $17.2^{\circ}C$ to $19.2^{\circ}C$ in most sections, $-18.0^{\circ}C$ in the warehouse, and $25^{\circ}C$ in the office areas. Warehouse workers had more abnormal symptoms than controls including repeated pain in the musculoskeletal system (OR 11.9; 95% CI 6.12-23.45), disturbance throughout the body (OR 4.60; 95% CI 2.00-10.56), respiratory symptoms (OR 9.73; 95% CI 3.53-26.80), episodic finger symptoms (OR 13.51; 95% CI 5.17-35.33). The study results suggest that workers' health should be monitored especially with regard to back and muscle pain, respiratory symptoms, episodic finger symptoms, and cardiovascular symptoms. Health promotion campaigns such as antismoking and reduction of alcohol consumption should be established because smoking and alcohol consumption are contributing factors to the pathogenesis of Raynaud's phenomenon and peripheral vascular disorders such as hypertension and heart disease.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.115-121
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• 2008

In winter season, the survey was performed in three commercial office buildings in the metropolitan Seoul, Pusan, and Gwangju city. The purpose of the survey was to evaluate the effectiveness of ventilation for offices in commercial buildings. The data were compared to standard of applicable to the indoor ventilation in office. The results indicated that the most commercial office buildings used the air handing unit and fan coil unit as HVAC system, and the intake amount of fresh outdoor air were very inadequate to compared to the ASHRAE standard value of $0.57\;m^3/min/person$. Also the surveyed all commercial office building used the HVAC system as a meas of controlling temperature for office indoor air. Ultimately, these results presented that there were possibility of evoking indoor air quality problems by the insufficient ventilation.

• 한국식품위생안전성학회지
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.250-259
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• 2024

발효주의 잔류물질 실태조사를 위해 울산지역에서 유통되는 발효주 150건을 수거하여 잔류농약 400종과 중금속 납, 카드뮴, 수은을 분석하였다. 잔류농약 분석 결과, 102건(68%)의 검출을 나타냈으며 검출된 농약 종류는 35종으로 그 중 원료 농산물의 기준이 없는 농약은 4종이 검출되었다. 발효주 종류별로 비교하면 와인이 60건의 검사 중 54건(90%)으로 가장 많은 잔류농약이 검출되었고 맥주는 60건 중 37건(61.7%), 막걸리는 30건 중 11건(36.7%)이 검출되었다. 발효주에 대한 중금속 분석 결과는 납 73건(48.7%), 카드뮴은 9건(6.0%), 수은은 36건(24.0%)을 나타내었다. 납은 73건의 검출 중 와인이 57건(78.1%)을 차지해 가장 높은 검출을 나타내었고 카드뮴과 수은은 검출된 9건, 36건 중 막걸리가 7건(77.8%), 13건(36.1%)으로 가장 많이 검출되었다. 각 품목에서 검출된 잔류농약 및 중금속 항목에 대해 인체노출량 평가결과는 모두 1% 미만으로 안전한 것으로 나타났다.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.254-260
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• 2007

Trichloroethylene(TCE) is widely used as a degreasing solvent in workplaces. TCE is primarily toxic to the nervous system, however, systemic disorder like Stevens-Johnson syndrome has been recently reported in small-scale factories, where the government has had limited information of chemical use. A survey was performed to investigate the actual condition of using TCE and to provide practical information to occupational health service agencies and professionals. This survey was carried out on 103 factories out of 430 factories which were conducted periodic work environment measurement for TCE. Degreasing was the most popular reason for using TCE in Korea, which reached to 94%. TCE was also used as a solvent for rubber in the coating or molding process, and adhesives in the bonding process. Metal fabrication was the most common as 23%, followed by assembling automobile parts (17%), and machinery (12%). Workers exposed to TCE during full-shift were 52% while 48% were exposed during short period of the shift or intermittently. Manual or semi-automatic work occupied 87% while automatic work was just 13%. Though automatic work by a closed system was generally lower exposed to TCE, compared to manual work, it can cause a high exposure when the maintenance system is improper. Semi-automatic work especially like open-top degreasing process can cause a high exposure when local exhaust system with condensing and refrigerating coils in the degreaser does not work well. In conclusion, the survey showed nationwide status of TCE exposure in various aspects. It can be used to monitor workplaces and workers exposed to TCE to prevent occupational diseases.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.12-18
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• 2023

Objectives: Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an essential means for protecting workers against hazardous agents or risks that threaten their safety and health. Governmental organizations related to safety and health in the workplace regulate the PPE rules to protect workers and to minimize damage from hazardous agents. This study discussed current PPE rules overseen by the Korea Ministry of Environment and explores future perspectives on the matter. Methods: This study was based on a review of PPE regulations with which every stakeholder should comply in the workplace. Both South Korean regulations enforced by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Environment and cases from other countries were reviewed. Results: Regulations related to the PPE required for handling chemical substances in the workplace are enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Enforcement Decree, Enforcement Rules, and Notification of Protective Equipment Certification under the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The Ministry of Environment also regulates the PPE standards for 97 substances requiring preparation for accidents and adjustment of work conditions, but a recent amendment (partially amended on September 30, 2022) loosened some unreasonable or excessive provisions. It requires workers simply to carry or otherwise keep PPE handy instead of wearing it for some tasks in which hazardous chemicals are not handled directly. Conclusions: It is important to regularly review provisions that need to be improved or supplemented to help all stakeholders. Considerations should be also made to build a reasonable regulatory system that can induce more mature safety management in each workplace.

• 대한안전경영과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한안전경영과학회 2009년도 춘계학술대회
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• pp.79-91
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• 2009

The government separated and established the industrial safety and health law from the Labor Standard law since 1981 to promote the labor's working environment and to improve the conditions of laborers. The government made a lot of effort to discharge the industrial safety and health law by continuous revision of the law thereafter. it is, however, difficult to establish clear-cut lines of authority and responsibility due to the fact that the substantial application of the industrial safety and health law is adapted by enterprise's autonomous management. There are frequent industrial disasters on the small and medium enterprises which have financial difficulty and it means this causes much more social cost. Finally, for the improvement of laborer's safety, health and working environment in the small and medium enterprises we need to raise the effectiveness of the industrial safety and health law through enhancing a government-office's administration and surveillance with the changing mind of a business proprietor. On this paper, we research on the actual condition of the administration, inspection and regulation of safety and health by means of the industrial safety and health law. Thereafter we analyze how much the Korea Occupational Safety & Health Agency and vicarious businesses of safety & health management help. we used the survey method to gather data from 380 laborers directly and analysed the data by SPSS v17.0.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.31-42
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• 2007

Recently, concerns regarding indoor air quality in offices have continued to increase. Thirty offices in five metropolitan commercial buildings were surveyed from February to April 2004. Sampling was performed during normal business hours. Thermal comfort factors such as temperature and relative humidity, carbon dioxide ($CO_2$), carbon monoxide (CO), formaldehyde (HCHO), respirable dust, $PM_{10}$ were sampled and analyzed to determine the mean, standard deviation, range, and correlation for each of those parameters. The data was then compared to office as standard of Ministry of Labor, and guideline applicable to the indoor environment. The results represented that the temperature was slightly higher than the standard of American Society of Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the relative humidity was lower that the standard of ASHRAE. The range of the 8-TWA concentration of $CO_2$ was 639 ~ 786 ppm, but 33.3% of the total thirty offices exceeded the 1000 ppm as ceiling concentration. The concentration of CO was less than 3 ppm, which was similar to that of offices in Japanese. The mean concentration of formaldehyde was 0.032 ppm, and only 2 % of total samples (193) exceeded the 0.1 ppm, standard of formaldehyde in office air. The concentration of respirable dust and $PM_{10}$ was not exceeded the standard of those parameters, $150{\mu}g/m^3$. The concentration of those parameters in the office air was statistically correlated.