• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.183-194
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• 2022

Background: No study has examined the regulatory factors associated with fatal health problems due to the use of humidified disinfectants (HD) in South Korea. Objectives: This study aimed to identify and discuss the deficiencies and limitations found in the Toxic Chemical Control Acts (TCCA) that failed to prevent the health risk of chemicals in HD products. Methods: The South Korean TCCA was reviewed focusing on acts in operation from 1994 through the end of 2011, the period when HD was allowed in manufacturing and marketing. Results: The TCCA was the act intended to regulate the toxicity of chemicals in HD products. We found the TCCA to lack three key legal clauses which would have been essential to controlling the health risk of HD. First, there was the exemption of toxic and hazard testing for existing chemicals, including chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT), methylisothiazolinone (MIT), and benzalkonium chloride (BKC). Secondly, there were no articles requiring industry to provide animal inhalation test result for polymers such as polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) and Oligo(2-)ethoxyethoxyethyl guanidine chloride (PGH). Finally, there was a lack of articles on examining the risk of products as well as on addressing changes in the usage of products. These articles were found to be generally provided in the US Toxic Substance Chemical Act (TSCA) and the EU Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH). Conclusions: In conclusion, the Ministry of Environment of South Korea had not updated key articles for regulating hazardous chemicals, causing large-scale health problems due to HD which had been fundamentally addressed in chemical-related acts in other countries.

• 한국환경독성학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경독성학회 2002년도 추계국제학술대회
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• pp.154-154
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• 2002

Benzoyl peroxide is a High Production Volume Chemical, which is produced about 1,375 tons/year in Korea as of 2001 survey. The substance is mainly used as initiators in polymerization, catalysts in the plastics industry, bleaching agents for flour and medication for acne vulgaris. The substance is one of seven chemicals of which human health and environmental risks are being assessed by National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) under the frame of OECD SIDS Program. In this study, Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSAR) is used for getting adequate information on the physical-chemical property and the environmental fate of this chemical. For the assessment of benzoyl peroxide, models such as MPBPWIN for vapor pressure, KOWWIN for octanol/water partition coefficient, HENRYWIN for Henry's Law constant, AOPWIN for photolysis and BCFWN for bioconcentration factor (BCF) were used. These (Q)SAR model programmes were worked by using the SHILES (Simplified Molecular Input Line Entry System) notations. The physical-chemical properties and the environmental fate of benzoyl peroxide were estimated as followed : vapor pressure =0.00929 Pa, Log Kow = 3.43, Henry's Law constant = 0.00000354 atm-㎥/mole at 25 $^{\circ}C$, the half-life of photodegradation = 3 days, bioconcentration factor (BCF) = 92

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.169-178
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• 2001

Numerous regulations have been introduced and a various kinds of institutional intervention have been made by government against the occupational safety and health problems. However, it was serious issue to the workers that what can be claimed by those who meet with apparently harmful and risky working conditions in their social systems. In the view point of employees, their right to be free from unacceptable risk and hazards has not been clearly defined. Therefore, workers have very limited rights to take any actions unless employer or government do their actions. It is believed that this undesirable conditions resulted from Jack of legal definition of workers' right to work in the safe and healthy environment. It has been found increased social pressure to make intervention to the industry to protect workers' health. Also, increased pressure has been kept for deregulation. This conflict lay the current situation in dilemma. The concept of the working environmental right has been developed and discussed in this study to overcome this trade-off confliction. It should be clearly separated between legal aspects and administrative and Policy area to make the regulations effective. Strong enforcement to the industry based on the law should be minimum, however, it should be practically effective in the aspect of workers' right. Administration and policy should be focused on supportive and leading activities to achieve the ultimate goal, safe and healthy working environment. It is concluded that establishment of working environmental right would satisfy workers and industry and it would result in improvement workers' environment and conditions.

• 한국학교보건학회지
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.115-126
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• 2004

Purpose: The aim of the study is to provide information about selecting school sites for new schools in congested urban areas and to propose a method to manage harmful environments around primary and secondary schools. Method: Four schools were selected around Gilum New Town and Ilsan City. The problems were identified by counting the businesses classified as harmful and prohibited in a school zone through surveying, collecting reports from relevant sources, and asking questions of authorities in school districts. Results: It was found that many harmful businesses prohibited by the Law of School Health were present in the safe zone of schools in both Ilsan city and Gilum New Town. The school site of Bohyun Elementary School was classified as poor because there was a steep ascent at the entrance and the school was surrounded by a dangerous, steep boundary. We suggested that an education and environment assessment system by completed before the school site was selected. Conclusion: There is a urgent need to improve the approval and permission process of harmful businesses as well as regulatory standards of school site selection in the light of the shortage of land.

• International Journal of Safety
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.43-46
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• 2005

The construction workers might be at the risk of many occupational injuries and illnesses. To protect workers from various hazards, industrial health and hygiene systems were specified for the construction workers by law. It is important to know the actual health and safety(H&S) conditions by tasks and the characteristics of injuries and illnesses of construction workers. This study was designed to investigate the actual conditions of construction workers exposed to various harmful substances and work elements including evaluation of health status of each worker and general H&S system. Questionnaire was sent to 600 construction workers nationwide and totally 367 people responded to it having 61.67% of response rate. The common construction hazards were dust(29.6%), noise(19.3%), repetitive motions(12.0%), handling excessive heavy materials(11.2%) in order. The repetitive motions and handling heavy materials related to muscle disorders accounted for 23.2%. The accident and injury types were in order of overexertion, falling, overturning, dropping or flying, electric shock, collision, etc.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.129-136
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• 2022

Objectives: Given the real problems at industrial sites related to the Serious Accident Punishment Act (SAPA), it has become controversial as a particularly important issue in terms of occupational safety and health. I intend to examine in detail what are the problems and how to approach them. Methods: The contents of SAPA were reviewed focusing on whether its provisions conform to the principles of occupational safety and health, whether they fit the related legal theory, and whether they are effective for accident prevention. The purpose of this study is to examine whether there is a problem with SAPA from the perspective of the effectiveness of accident prevention by combining occupational safety & health management theory, and legal theory. Results: In order to ensure the effectiveness of SAPA, it should be revised to increase the predictability and implementation of safety and health measure standards. Otherwise, it is expected that there will be not only economic and social costs in the short term, but also side effects that disrupt the safety law system, resulting in a considerable number of post-mortem conditions in the mid- to long term. Conclusions: It is easy to see in comparative law that raising the legal punishment alone does not have the effect of preventing industrial accidents. SAPA should be revised as soon as possible in the direction of faithfully and elaborately reorganizing the standards for safety and health measures.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.148-155
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• 2024

Objectives: Among the regulations that have recently attracted a lot of social attention in Regulation on Occupational Safety and Health Standards, we would like to specifically present the reasons why even companies with strong will to comply with regulations that are not effective or entail a number of legal problems, and suggest ways to improve them. Methods: The facts were confirmed and identified through various methods such as interviews and meetings with labor inspectors who enforce the Regulation on Occupational Safety and Health Standards and safety officials at industrial sites experiencing them. Results: Due to the lack of effectiveness in Regulation on Occupational Safety and Health Standards, there are not a few areas that do not function properly as a preventive standard. Although operating the regulatory nature of punishment as an administrative guideline without basing it on Regulation on Occupational Safety and Health Standards is a direct violation of the principles of the administration of the rule of law, there are many expedient ways to replace what should be placed in this rule as just an administrative guideline. Conclusions: It should be prioritized to explicitly stipulate effective regulations within the Regulation on Occupational Safety and Health Standards. In addition, as regulations on occupational safety and health standards play a large part in preventing industrial accidents, comprehensive and practical measures are indispensable rather than fragmented and formal measures to ensure that these rules function properly in the prevention industrial accidents.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.19-30
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• 1983

This report is intended to find out the health status of the korean industrial workers based on the periodic physical examination in 1982. It has resulted in the followings: 1. As of April, 1982, total No. of industries was 81,136 of which workers was totally 3,383,700 persons classifying into 2,163,600 in male and 1,220,100 in female, and manufacturing field was occupied 44.6% of total industries and 61.0% of total workers. 2. In view of size, industries having less than 9 ordinary workers was 47.5%, those having less than 29 ordinary workers was 77.0%. 3. Applicable target industries to industrial safety & health law was 31,059 which was covered 38.3% of total establishments and No. of workers was 2,192,511, 64.8% of all industrial workers. 4. No. of establishment & workers conducting the physical examination was 26,463 which is 85.2% of all examining industries and was 2,007,091, 91.5% of all examining required workers. 5. Case having general disease by general physical examination was 3.5% of examining workers and especially it was appeared 9.7% in mining. 6. Case having general disease by special physical examination was 3.8% of examining workers and incidence rate for occupational disease was 2.4% of examining workers. 7. No. of the occupational diseased was 5,341 persons which is 2.6% of all the examining workers, 205,497 and its rate was appeared highly as 7.5% of silicosis in mining workers and 1.4% of hearing difficulty to noise in construction.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.70-76
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• 1999

A laboratory experiment was performed to investigate the phosphorus removal using the activated sludge-electrolysis reactor which consisted of A$^2$/O system and aluminium electrodes as cathode and anode. In this system, the phosphorus was removed by aluminium ion, which was eluted from aluminiumelectrodes by electrolysis. In the batch experiments, when the current densities were 0.026, 0.052 and 0.08 A/dm$^2$, the phosphorus removal efficiencies for synthetic sewage were 66.4, 86.4 and 98.7% respectively. These results showed that the phosphorus removal efficiency increased with the increase of the current density. When the current values were 13, 26 and 40 mA respectively, the amounts of Al$^{3+}$ eluted from electrodes according to Faraday's law were 0.049, 0.07 and 0.12 g and Al/P mole ratio were 1.1, 2.0 and 3.41. In the continuous experiments, As hydraulic retention time(HRT) increased, COD and total nitrogen(T-N) removal efficiencies for domestic sewage increased. The average phosphorus removal rates of the activated sludge-electrolysis system were 97, 91, 80 and 80% at the HRT of 48, 24, 18 and 12 hours, respectively. Especially, the phosphorus removal rate in the activated sludge system with aluminium electrodes was higher than that in the system without aluminium electrodes.

• 환경영향평가
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.391-402
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• 2020

국내 법적 근거를 가진 건강영향평가(Health Impact Assessment)는 환경영향평가 항목 중 위생공중보건 항목에서 작성 수행되고 있다. 택지개발 등 주거지 개발사업들은 「환경보건법」 제13조에 따른 건강 영향평가 대상사업은 아니다. 하지만 환경영향평가협의회 단계에서 인근 산업단지 등 오염원에서 배출되는 물질 중 건강영향평가 대상물질을 확인하여 위해도(발암·비발암 포함)를 산정하여 제시하라는 심의내용에 근거하여 부분적인 건강영향평가로 수행하고 있다. 주거지 개발사업은 특정대기유해물질 등 오염물질 배출시설 계획이 없지만 주변 산업단지와 같은 대기오염 발생원에서 배출되는 오염물질에 의해 향후 입주하는 계획지구 주민들에게 건강영향을 미칠 수가 있다. 본 연구에서는 실제 도시개발사업 사례를 분석하여 미래에 입주하는 계획지구 입주민들에게 미치는 영향을 검토하고자 하였다. 미래에 영향 검토 시 주변지역에 대한 문헌을 통한 예측 case1, 대기확산모델(AERMOD)을 이용한 발암성물질 노출농도예측과 기여도 분석 case2를 하였다. 본 연구를 통해 계획지구 인근 산업단지 등의 오염원에 대한 수용체를 고려한 건강영향평가 방법으로는 현황조사와 대기확산모델(AERMOD)을 이용한 노출농도예측 및 기여도분석을 상호 보완적으로 적용하여 평가하는 것이 효용성이 높은 것으로 판단되었다.