• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.396-416
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• 2021

Objectives: This study was conducted to analyze the trends of government R&D (R&D) projects related to laboratory safety over the past 20 years. Methods: We collected publications from various databases(DBs) with words such as laboratory(ies), lab(s), researcher(s), laboratory worker(s), safety, environment, hazard(s), risk(s), and so on. Selected publications were analyzed by the research funds and the number of projects according to the investment subject and research characteristics. Results: About 93% of the total R&D budget went to government policy projects, not scientific research. Second, from the perspective of 'safety management activities', most of the research is related to management and inspection at the organizational level. Issues that need to be discussed at the national level like policy governance are not included. Third, focusing on the 'safety management cycle', there were few studies related to 'prediction' or 'post-response'. Fourth, when an analysis framework combining the perspectives of 'safety management activities' and 'safety management cycle' is applied, most of the budget is spent on infrastructure such as digital management systems, whereas basic knowledge for prevention and production of evidence was very few. Conclusions: In order to prevent policy planning without policy evaluation, implementation without strategy, and evaluation without evidence, it is necessary to expand investment in empirical research on risks, research on the effectiveness of current application methods, and research on theory development. The government budget for laboratory safety-related projects should be managed separately from the R&D budget for scientific research. Although less than 5% of the budget allocated to scientific research is the total budget, an optical illusion occurs because both the project budget and the scientific research budget are counted as R&D budgets.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.73-89
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• 2008

Objectives: This research was conducted to suggest a recommendation for the Korean credentialing policy of health education specialist as the primary human resource in community health promotion activities from the special group perspective of the Korean Society for Health Education and Promotion. Methods: This research was conducted by the professional focus group discussion and descriptive literature review on health education and promotion. Results: This draft recommendation for Korean credentialing system development of health education specialist was based on the four background reasons for modifying health promotion related acts, for developing better policy of health education credentialing, for keeping the public and ethical responsibilities as the competitive professional society, and for improving health promotion activities in Korea. Theoretical background of the four reasons was Ottawa Charter. We classified three credentialing levels of health education specialist based on health education own competencies, coordiating competencies with environmental factors, and research competencies. Furthermore, we developed 10 major roles and categorized 53 sub-roles based on these competencies above. We recommended 10 classes required to take to become Health Education Specialist. These 10 classes were developed based on the credentialing systems in the United States and Japan. These 10 classes were about health education and promotion methods and strategies not health intervention topics. We also built the draft plan for continuing education to keep KCHES based on the NCHEC in the United States. Conclusions: Further research should be conducted to build better health education specialist credentialing systems modifing current communtiy-based health promotion activities in terms of modifying public regulation, developing KCHEC examination system, protecting job security both in public and private sectors, and creating professionalism in KCHEC.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.20-35
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• 2021

Objectives: Waste treatment by incineration is gradually increasing as the emission of harmful substances has decreased owing to developments in incineration technology. However, residents living near incinerators continue to express anxiety regarding the effects on their health. Therefore, we attempted to summarize the health impact of incinerators by comprehensively reviewing the recently reported literature. Methods: Sixty-two epidemiological research papers related to incineration and health effects were selected from the Google Scholar database and analyzed (from between January 2001 and December 2019). Results: When compared to older incinerators, newer incinerators established after 2000 are considered relatively safe in terms of health effects. Nevertheless, there have been some studies that have linked them to various diseases, such as malignant tumors including soft tissue cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, reproductive disorders, respiratory diseases, and more. In addition, incinerator workers and local residents are considered to be exposed to dioxins and some heavy metals from the incinerator. Since most studies included subjects exposed to older incinerators, it is difficult to apply these results to the health impact assessment of new incinerators. However, it is not appropriate to conclude that new incinerators made with state-of-the-art technology are safe, as chronic environmental diseases caused by hazardous substances tend to appear only after prolonged exposure. Conclusions: In terms of environmental health, it is necessary to continuously monitor the health effects of incinerators. Also, there is a need to develop a research methodology that can minimize various confounders in incineration-related epidemiological study.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.1 s.56
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• pp.195-207
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• 1997

High price equipment is one of the major factors that increases national health expenditure in developed countries. Computerized Tomography(CT), one of the important high price equipment, has been concerns of health service researchers and policy makers in many countries. In Korea, CT, first introduced in 1984, have spreaded nationwide with rapid speed. Though the Committee for Approving Import of High Price Medical Equipment, founded in 1981, tried to regulate the introduction of high price medical equipment including CT, the effort resulted in failure. The exact situation of diffusion of the high price equipment, however, was not yet investigated. We aimed at the description of the diffusion of CT in Korea and analysis of influencing factors on hospitals for the adoption of CT. We mainly used the database of CT, made in 1996 by the National Federation of Medical Insurance for the purpose of insurance payment for CT. Also characteristics of hospitals were gathered from yearbooks published by the central and local governments and by the Korean Hospital Association. We calculated the cumulative number of the CT per one million population year by year. In turn, multiple linear logistic regression was done to find out the contributing factors for the adoption of CT by each hospital. In the logistic regression model, it is regarded as dependent factor whether a hospital retained CT or not in 1988 and 1993. The major categories of the independent factors were hospital characteristics, environmental factors and competitive conditions of hospitals at the period of the adoption. The results are as follows: Number of CT scanners per one million persons in Korea marked more higher level compared with those of most OECD countries. Major influencing factors on the adoption of CT scanners were hospital characteristics, such as hospital referral level, and competitive condition of hospitals, such as number of CT scanners per 10,000 persons in each district where the hospital was located. In Korea, CT diffused with rather rapid speed, comparable with those of the United States and Japan. The major factors contributing on the adoption of CT for hospitals were competitive condition and hospital characteristics rather than regional health care need for CT. In conclusion, a kind of regulating mechanism would be necessary for the prevention of the indiscreet adoption and inefficient use of high price equipment including CT.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.57-65
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• 2023

Background: The association between exposure to extremely low frequency-magnetic fields (ELF-MF) and childhood leukemia has been controversial. There is a need to clarify this relationship by summarizing key conclusions from systematic review articles. Objectives: The major aim of this study is to summarize key conclusions from systematic review articles on the association between exposure to ELF-MF and childhood leukemia based on childhood exposure to ELF-MF, proximity from childhood household to high voltage cables, and parental occupational exposure to ELF-MF. Methods: This study was conducted through a brief literature review focusing on systematic, meta-analysis, and pooled analysis methods. We conducted a literature search in PubMed using the key words "ELF-MF" and "childhood leukemia" singly or combined. Results: In 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO)'s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reviewed two manuscripts to conduct pooled analysis and concluded that there is a significant association between exposure to >0.3 μT or 0.4 μT and childhood leukemia. We found a total of four manuscripts for systematic or pool analysis that have been published since the IARC's conclusion. They consistently concluded that there was a significant association between exposure to >0.4 μT and childhood leukemia compared to ELF-MF exposure to below 0.1 μT. The proximity of children's households to high voltage cable lines and occupational exposure by their parents to ELF-MF during certain periods prior to or during pregnancy were inconsistently associated with childhood leukemia. The study found that many EU countries have implemented precautionary policies to prevent potential childhood leukemia due to exposure to ELF-MF. Conclusions: This study recommends implementing a precautionary policy that includes legal exposure limits for ELF-MF to minimize exposure to ELF-MF.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.30 no.sup
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• pp.6.1-6.4
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• 2015

Objectives This study is conducted to estimate the cost paid by the public suffering from disease possibly caused by chemical and to examine the effect on public health. Methods Cost-benefit analysis is an important factor in analysis and decision-making and is an important policy decision tool in many countries. Cost-of-illness (COI), a kind of scale-based analysis method, estimates the potential value lost as a result of illness as a monetary unit and calculates the cost in terms of direct, indirect and psychological costs. This study estimates direct medical costs, transportation fees for hospitalization and outpatient treatment, and nursing fees through a number of patients suffering from disease caused by chemicals in order to analyze COI, taking into account the cost of productivity loss as an indirect cost. Results The total yearly cost of the diseases studied in 2012 is calculated as 77 million Korean won (KRW) per person. The direct and indirect costs being 52 million KRW and 23 million KRW, respectively. Within the total cost of illness, mental and behavioral disability costs amounted to 16 million KRW, relevant blood immunological parameters costs were 7.4 million KRW, and disease of the nervous system costs were 6.7 million KRW. Conclusions This study reports on a survey conducted by experts regarding diseases possibly caused by chemicals and estimates the cost for the general public. The results can be used to formulate a basic report for a social-economic evaluation of the permitted use of chemicals and limits of usage.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.419-426
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aims to develop an Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) guide for the safe cleaning of contaminated machinery, equipment, and parts used in the electronics manufacturing process. Methods: A literature review, field investigations, and discussions were conducted. An initial draft of an OSH guide was developed and reviewed by experts with significant experience in maintenance work in the electronics manufacturing process in order to refine the guide. Results: Workers involved in cleaning processes with chemicals, solvents, and abrasive blasting can face exposure to a wide range of chemicals, abrasives, and noise. Identifying potential risks associated with each cleaning technique was an essential first step toward enhancing safety measures. The OSH guide comprises approximately eleven to twelve sections spanning 20-25 pages. It includes engineering and administrative protocols systematically organized to address the necessary actions before, during, and after cleaning tasks, depending on the technique. It is recommended that airline respirator masks be used in conjunction with an air purification system to ensure adherence to air quality standard "D" for atmosphere level. The use of an oil-free air compressor is advised, preferably a stationary model that does not rely on fuel sources like diesel. Conclusions: This OSH guide is designed to protect workers involved in maintenance activity in the electronics industry and aligns with global standards, such as those from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Semiconductor Equipment and Material International, ensuring a higher level of safety and compliance.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.1-1
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• 1995

This paper evaluates the historical development of national park policy and administration in Japan from the perspective of achieving sustainable development in nationally important ecological areas. Contrary to the widely held belief, the national park system in Japan has been unsuccessful in balancing conservation and development. The fundamental reasons for its failure are as follows: the Japan's national park system has been largely founded and developed based on economic grounds and held sway by economic development policy; the policy and administrative coordination between government units concerning conservation and development has not been carried out; public participation and environmental groups' involvement in the decision making have been extremely limited; national parks have been perceived in the public image not as distinctive national heritage but as finest and popular tourist sites; and the dominant interest of tourism and recreational development has prevailed over conservation interest. Japan's unsuccessful experience and lessons imply that there is urgent need to drastically reform our national park system, largely founded on the Japanese model, in order to save our last national environmental heritage.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2012

This paper dealt with developing conceptual model for making public policy on consumer product safety. The matters of consumer safety, public health and environmental protection are essential parts of making policy for consumer products. Moreover, policy authority should consider all measures based on consumer safety. In the process making regulations, policy authority has to have some methods to prevent errors on treating eligible persons as persons disqualified under uncertainty decision making of public policy. To recognize and ensure fairness on public policy, policy authority needs to establish basic policy making and fundamental concepts. Therefore, we developed conceptual model for consumer products safety, CPSPcon in this paper. The conceptual model is one part of SSM(Soft System Methodology) and can support specific policy target. The CPSPcon model can assist in evaluation of responses to an adapting or considering model.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.17-25
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to determine the level of environmental governance practices of Local Government Units (LGUs) on the implementation of waste policies. It determines the level of compliance with the waste policies implemented by LGUs particularly on waste resource conservation and waste reduction; the degree of the implementation of the environmental governance on education, values, health, and economic sufficiency. Also, it determines the initiatives done by the local government units to decentralize the leadership on waste sustainability. Research Methodology: The survey method was employed to gather information from municipalities and cities on waste programs implemented by the local government units. The data were gathered from households, schools, businesses and industries; and local government units. Results and Conclusions: The findings revealed that the level of environmental governance on waste reduction and waste resource conservation was fairly implemented by the local government units. The LGUs used the four areas of governance to keep the municipality self-sufficient, well-managed, and free from waste issues. The research can be used by the academe as a good teaching material for social responsibility, public administration, strategic management, and environmental-related courses.