• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2006

Dental personnels faced risks of infection in the clinic. For infection control, recognition and practice of dental personnels are important factor. This study was performed to investigate the recognition and practice of dental hygiene for infection control and infection waste control. A stratified convenience sample of dental hygienists in dental health-care settings. The major finding of the present study are as follows: 1. The existence of education about Standard Precaution and low of infection waste storage was higher dental hospital than dental clinic. 2. The degree of practice in the storage of dental wastes was low in absorbent cotton and body tissue exclude damage waste. And the degree of practice in the disposal of dental wastes was high in all three. 3. Practice in the storage of dental waste was higher dental hospital than dental clinic. 4. At the conclusion of this investigation, systematic refresher training of infection control should be prepared by campaign an various media, Dental health care workers should be encouraged to practice those action items from training. For successful implementation of infection control in every dental health-care settings, it is highly demanded as well that development of effective safe-guard tools, stategic support, and standardized action items against infection problems.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2024

Background: E-waste workers in Hong Kong are handling an unprecedented amount of e-waste, which contains various neurotoxic chemicals. However, no study has been conducted to evaluate the neurological health status of e-waste workers in Hong Kong. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of neurobehavioral alterations and to identify the vulnerable groups among Hong Kong e-waste workers. Methods: We recruited 109 Hong Kong e-waste workers from June 2021 to September 2022. Participants completed standard questionnaires and wore a GENEActiv accelerometer for seven days. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Questionnaire 16/18 (Q16/18) were used to assess subjective neurobehavioral alterations. The GENEActiv data generated objective sleep and circadian rhythm variables. Workers were grouped based on job designation and entity type according to the presumed hazardous level. Unconditional logistic regression models measured the associations of occupational characteristics with neurobehavioral alterations after adjusting for confounders. Results: While dismantlers/repairers and the workers in entities not funded by the government were more likely to suffer from neurotoxic symptoms in Q18 (adjusted odds ratio: 3.18 [1.18-9.39] and 2.77 [1.10-7.46], respectively), the workers from self-sustained recycling facilities also have poor performances in circadian rhythm. Results also showed that the dismantlers/repairers working in entities not funded by the government had the highest risk of neurotoxic symptoms compared to the lowest-risk group (i.e., workers in government-funded companies with other job designations). Conclusion: This timely and valuable study emphasizes the importance of improving the working conditions for high-risk e-waste workers, especially the dismantlers or repairers working in facilities not funded by the government.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.655-671
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• 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: While plate waste has been widely investigated in hospitals, there have been minimal studies specific to the texture-modified diet (TMD). This study aims to determine the percentage of plate waste among patients prescribed with TMD and its contributory factors. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This was a single-centre study conducted in the university hospital on three types of TMD (blended diet, mixed porridge, minced diet) during lunch and dinner meals. Weighing method and visual estimation method assisted by digital photograph were adopted in this study. Face to face interview was carried out to investigate on 1) the food/food service quality factors in terms of patients' satisfaction level towards sensorial quality of food and food services provided and 2) the clinical/external factors including appetite, the provision of oral nutrition support, time taking the diet, the need for feeding assistance and the length of hospital stay. RESULTS: The mean percentage of overall plate waste of 95 patients receiving TMD was high (47.5%). Blended diet was identified as the most wasted diet (65%) followed by minced diet (56%) and mixed porridge (35%). Satisfaction level among patients was moderate. Patients on TMD in general had higher satisfaction level on the aspect of food service as compared to food quality. Substantial association between sensorial qualities of food and plate waste were varied according to individual TMD type. A multiple linear regression showed that only the satisfaction level toward the aspects of appearance and variety of foods were the predictors of TMD plate waste (R² = 0.254, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A significant relationship between the percentage of plate waste and the overall satisfaction level of patients receiving TMD suggests that vigorous strategies are needed to reduce the food waste of TMD which will lead to a better nutritional status and clinical outcomes among the patients.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.532-544
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• 2017

Objectives: Because the amount of medical waste (i.e., health-care waste) generated in Korea is rapidly increasing and social concern against its safety is widespread, a number of issues related with medical wastes are being discussed. The purpose of this study is to compare diverse medical waste management systems worldwide and propose future directions of a medical waste management system in Korea. Methods: Literature review was conducted mainly on the WHO, and developed countries such as the European Union (Germany, Belgium and UK), Japan and the United States. For these countries, the data with respect to their systems for medical waste management ranging from the definition of medical waste to the whole processes of collection, transportation and disposal were summarized and compared. Results: The terminology and classification of medical wastes were not consistent for WHO recommendation, EU, Japan, US and Korea. Comparison of the collection, storage, transportation and disposal of medical waste showed that Korea had rather stronger regulations for medical waste management compared to developed countries including Belgium (Flanders region), Germany, Japan and the US. Considering that developed countries adopt rather flexible disposal system especially for general medical wastes which pose lower possibility of infection, Korean government could consider diversifying disposal methods other than incineration. It may also be very important to try to reduce the amount of medical wastes and enough capacity for off-site incineration are secured. Conclusion: Our study of international comparisons suggests that it is necessary to continue to identify advantages and disadvantages of the current medical waste management systems and establish more effective one in Korea.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.246-249
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• 2017

Health-care workers are at risk of exposure to occupational infections with subsequent risk of contracting diseases, disability, and even death. A systematic collection of occupational disease data is useful for monitoring current trends in work situations and disease exposures; however, these data are usually limited due to under-reporting. The objective of this study was to review literature related to knowledge, risk perceptions, and practices regarding occupational exposures to infectious diseases in Malaysian health-care settings, in particular regarding blood-borne infections, universal precautions, use of personal protective equipment, and clinical waste management. The data are useful for determining improvements in knowledge and risk perceptions among health-care workers with developments of health policies and essential interventions for prevention and control of occupational diseases.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-21
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• 2004

The United States has a unique health care system, which is unlikely any other health care systems in the world. The major part of basic functional components of the system -financing, insurance, delivery, and payment- is in private hands. A market-oriented economy invites the participation of numerous private entities that are interested in carrying out the key functions of health systems. Due to this central feature, U.S.health care is not delivered through a network of interrelated components designed to work together coherently. For lack of standardization, the various components of the system fit together only loosely. The involvement of numerous players in the key functions leads to duplication, overlap, inadequacy, inconsistency, and waste, which add to the complexity and also make the system inefficient. Hence, cost containment remains an elusive goals. Moreover, the system falls short of delivering equitable services to all americans, though consumption of health care services is the largest in the world. On the other hand, United States leads the world in the latest and the best in medical technology, medical training, and research. It offers some of the most sophisticated institutions, products, and processes of health care delivery. This article discuss the characteristic features of the U.S. health care system. and its performance, trying to seek its implication on Korean health care system.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.39-47
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• 2013

Purpose. To examine the orientation of the eco-friendly Health care service on korean Hospital nurses Methods. Between October 2012 and November 2012, two hundred eighty five nurses (mean age, $25{\pm}17$ years; age range, 22~42yrears) were enrolled in this study. They performed a questionnaire which related to environmental problem, hospital infectious wastes manage and eco-friendly care service orientation. Results. Within the results, There were statistically significant correlation between "Hospital infectious wastes management" and "environmental problem awareness"(r=0.45, p<.001), "eco-friendly care service orientation"and "environmental problem awareness" (r=0.48, p<.001), and "eco-friendly Health care service orientaton" and "Hospital infectious wastes management"(r=0.50, p<.001). Conclusions. In current study, these results express that it is necessary to promote environmental problem awareness and hospital infectious wastes management practice for the "orientation of the eco-friendly Health care service on korean hospital nuurses.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.329-343
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• 2004

We conducted to investigate citizen's attitude to the treatment of food waste in Yongin city. The respondent of $41.81\%$ throws the food waste eliminate from home and store less than 1l in Yongin. When they dump the food waste, they speak out the inconvenience of damaged envelope by animals in case of home and store. This caused troubles for reason of sanitary. So a local autonomous entity must carefully consider of expand use specially designed container as like apartment house. They give an answer that the collecting time of food waste is suitable form dawn till morning. This answer shows the satisfaction of the period time to collect the food waste. They prefer to be appointed the exclusive place to collect food waste. The service interval of collect is suitable 1 time a day. They want to increase the number of washing of the collecting container. This is good method for sanitary condition, but the care of the period time to collect the food waste is more efficient than the care of the number of washing the collecting container. The care of the period time minimizes to incur the enmity of the people and to pollute in environment. The major of respondent handled the food waste after keeping the basket or a kit. This fact shows to us almost citizen doesn't feel the seriousness to remove the moisture of the food waste. Recently, many solutions which can be disposal efficiently are getting magnified and improved owing to increase utilities channel to loss in quantities and dry the food waste. We expect the reduction of food waste is solved getting easily step by step. The results of the awareness about the facility of food waste show citizen prefer recycling facility to the other facilities. If recycle facility and incineration facility are constructed, they were worried about bed smell. When some facility of the food waste is constructed, they have to maintain and to handle not to incur the enmity of the people. The spread rate of specially designed container already increased, the citizen set a high value on the use of specially designed container more than amount-rate vinyl envelope that people have used for several years. In the cost treatment about food waste, the major respondent answered the use cost of specially designed container is suitable price. So we can know the use charge is proper level. The majority of citizen more prefer autonomous plan which voluntary atmosphere creation and public information by mass media than levy system and rising treatment cost which forced plan. The citizens have pretty positive thinking of incineration, so the government needs more efforts for a public notice, which includes the incineration is no more than abandoned thing. Each of local self government has to sort the food waste and make kind of resource system related to collecting and carrying, constructing a suitable facility, proper disposal of the food waste and producing harmless in our surrounding in order to solve the invisible problems. To do above mentioned things, we have to analyze referred several problems till now. Also, to minimize the side effect, the government will have to improve through enforce the system.

• Journal of Appropriate Technology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2020

Medical waste is any kind of waste that contains infectious material and recommended not to be transferred for infection control. As a means of disposal, incineration has better points than dumping or landfill in the quantity reduction, odorless and nonhazardous. However, open burning and incineration of health care wastes under bad circumstances, can result in the emission of environmental pollutants to air. A burial of biological waste brings pollution of soil and water. Most of sub divisional hospitals in Fiji transfer their medical wastes to divisional hospitals for incineration. In 2011, 62,518 kg of medical waste was incinerated in the three divisional hospitals. However, some medical wastes are considered as general waste and burnt or sent to landfill site, some are buried on site in some sub-divisional hospitals. In this regards, urgent education is necessary for awareness promotion to relevant personnel in medical waste treatment. On site incineration using small scale incinerator is more recommended than transportation of medical wastes treatment in Fiji. Moreover, remotely controllable and fixable small scale of incinerator is more desirable in sub-divisional hospitals. It is recommended that Fiji government to set up a legal framework for medical waste management (MWM), to develop specific guidelines for MWM, to set up a training system for MWM to ensure that all relevant personnel are trained, to develop a monitoring and supervision system for MWM, to clarify the future financing of MWM activities, and to improve the MWM infrastructure.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.211-219
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• 2019

Since improper management practices of solid medical waste (SMW) could potentially result in serious health risks and environmental problems, it is very important to properly treat and dispose of the medical wastes. In this study, current practices of SMW management from storage to final disposal stage in 12 health care facilities (HCFs) of Burundi were investigated using the official government reports. The results showed that 75% and 92% of HCFs used uncovered wheelbarrows and trucks for on-site or off-site SMW transportation, respectively, indicating that most transportation equipment and waste workers are not safely protected. The results also showed that 92.8% of SMW (15,736.4 ton) from all 12 HCFs were inappropriately disposed of through uncontrolled land disposal and incineration. If pharmaceutical wastes and discarded medical plastics (29.5% of SMW) can be separated and treated properly, the treatment costs can be reduced and resource savings can be achieved. Raising awareness of healthcare workers and general public about potential health effects arising from improper SMW management, sufficient financial and human resources for the treatment facilities (especially incinerators), and effective regulations and guidelines for transportation and treatment of SWM are some of the major tasks for safe and sustainable medical waste management in Burundi.