• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.91-97
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• 2012

The primary aim of this study was to compare responsiveness of self-report by worker and therapist-scored functional capacity instrument. Self-report and therapist-scored interval-level person measures and item difficulties were compared at admission and discharge. Therapist and worker ratings were collected on 230 clients from 27 rehabilitation sites using the newly developed Occupational Rehabilitation Data Base (ORDB) functional capacity instrument. ORDB comprises several subscales measuring relevant variables of "a return-to-work model" in work-related rehabilitation clinics. The functional capacity scale deals with 10 DOT job factors. The rating scale categories were 1-severely impaired, 2-moderately impaired, 3-mildly impaired, and 4-not impaired. Only data from clients with low back pain (n=98) with complete data (both admission and discharge scores) were used for the present study. Therapists and workers completed the functional capacity instrument at admission and discharge. Rasch analysis [1-parameter item response theory model (IRT)] was applied to calibrate item difficulty and person ability measure of therapist and workers ratings. Effect sizes for therapist and self-report ratings were slightly different, .69 and .30, respectively. Therapist and worker ratings were more consistent at discharge (r=.54) than at admission (r=.32). Workers have a tendency to be more severe in their ratings (show higher item difficulties) than therapists at admission and discharge. Therapists and workers report similar magnitudes of improvement following treatment program. These findings challenge the belief that injured workers may unreliable source for monitoring therapeutic outcomes. Self-report measures have the advantage of conserving therapist time for treatment (versus evaluation). While the therapist and self-report ratings are comparable at discharge, there is less consistency at admission. Comparable therapist-worker ratings may be achieved by controlling for rating severity using IRT methodologies.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.126-137
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• 2008

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in gender related to health status, occupational environment, occupational safety and health and hazardous chemicals use of migrant workers in Korea. Method: The survey was conducted in clinics that provided free healthcare services for migrant workers. Of the 413 respondents, 66.3% were males and 33.7% were females. Result: In the case of male migrant workers, many worker were not fluent in Korean, had illegal status in the country, and had moved jobs frequently. There were many cases in which migrant workers worked in small-scale enterprises and worked long hours. Job stress score was high for many workers and they dealt with heavy materials and risky machines. Many workers had not received proper occupational health and safety education and those that were previously injured had repeated injuries. Among the female migrant workers, many worker received low salary and shift work was common. Many worker complained of gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal illnesses and treated toxic substances. Conclusion: As a result, it will be necessary to focus on the strategies for decreasing occupational injuries from physical risk factors for males and from chemical risk factors for female migrant workers.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.194-206
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• 2020

This study aims at creating a daily life satisfaction improvement plan by using motivation for seeking need for rehabilitation services and self-efficacy in individuals who returned-to-work and reemployed injured workers. The subjects of this study were 2,642 returnees and 3,742 reemployed individuals who participated in the first to fifth year survey of the first cohort of the Panel Survey of Workers' Compensation Insurance. The analysis checked the mediating effect through the multiple regression analysis and bootstrapping. The result indicated the need for rehabilitation services had negative impact on self-efficacy and daily life satisfaction whereas self-efficacy had a positive effect on daily life satisfaction and played a mediating role between the need for rehabilitation services and daily life satisfaction. Based on these results, a need for the advancement of social psychological rehabilitation program and establishing an integrative rehabilitation process were identified.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2013

Objectives: This study is planned to assess the trend of occupational injuries in Korea from 2001 to 2010. Methods: Ten years of occupational injuries, from 2001 to 2010, were analyzed in order to investigate the changing profiles according to the various characteristics of injuries; economic sectors, age of the injured, and type of injuries. The changing profile of occupational injuries was investigated by comparison with an index-created relative value based on the number of cases of reference category. Results: The fatalities of construction, forest, agriculture, and service show the increasing trend. The nonfatal occupational injuries of the manufacturing sector were higher than those of other sectors in every year but the fatal occupational injuries of construction workers were higher than those of the manufacturing sector. Occupational injuries occurring due to amputation and those of slip and trip increased. The number of occupational injuries for the worker groups of 24 years old and below decreased and 45 years old and above increased. In comparison to the figure of fall from height, the figures of slip and trip or caught in equipment are higher in every calendar year. Conclusion: This study find out construction, forest, agriculture, and service sectors, aged worker with 45 years old and over can be target population for the strategies of occupational safety.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.231-236
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• 2016

Background: To analyze the effects of the factors associated with different types of injury (superficial wounds, dislocations and sprains, bone fractures, concussion and internal injuries, burns scalding and freezing) caused by occupational accidents in automotive repair workshops. Methods: Study of a sample consisting of 89,954 industry accidents reported from 2003 to 2008. Odds ratios were calculated with a 95% confidence interval. Results: Belonging to a small company is a risk factor for suffering three of the five types of injury studied. Women are less likely to suffer burns and superficial wounds, and more likely to suffer dislocations or sprains. Foreign workers are more likely to suffer concussion and internal injuries. Conclusion: Health and safety strategies and accident prevention measures should be individualized and adapted to the type of worker most likely to be injured in each type of accident. Occupational health and safety training courses designed according to worker profile, and improving the participation of the workers in small firms creating regional or roving safety representatives would improve working conditions.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to analyze the annual trends and characteristics of work-related mental disorders including suicide among Korean workers. Methods: Employing the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance (IACI) data collected by the Korea Worker's Compensation & Welfare Service, we analyzed total work-related mental disorders and suicide cases (n=455) claimed to IACI from 2008 to 2012. We paid a special attention to workers' socioeconomic status and occupational characteristics. Results: The number of injured workers and industrial accident rate decreased during the study period, whereas the case of work-related mental disorders showed significant increase. Mental disorders cases were more prevalent in workers who were male, aged the 40s, and engaged in finance, as well as with 1-5 years of working duration than their respective counterparts. Increasing trend of suicide cases was statistically significant by the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test (p=.002). Conclusion: This study suggests that work-related mental disorder management strategy and system should be established.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.221-249
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• 2017

This study aims to investigate determinants that affect job retention of injured workers depending upon types of return to work in order to suggest define the intervention priority for those who returned to original works and for those who did not. After constructing explaining variables based on literature reviews, determinants were verified analyzing 1,292 people using Panel Study of Worker's Compensation Insurance(PSWCI) data. The job retention period turned out to be 46.6 months for those who returned to original work and 34.2 month for those who returned to new works. Injured workers who return to new works tend to have more unemployment experiences. As a result of Cox proportional regression analysis, the longer it takes to return to work, the longer both groups tend to retain after the accident. Age, recuperation period, health status, psycho-social rehabilitation, education and occupational training also affect on job retention probability for those who return to new work. Based upon the analyzed result, setting up an adequate duration for return-to-work, intervention for injured workers who experienced vulnerable working condition before the accident and continuous case management after return-to-work are suggested.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.557-564
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• 2013

Unsafe and dangerous factors or environments on building construction sites often cause safety accidents. Sometimes, accidents happen despite the existence of warning and caution signs. Such warning signs are likely to be hidden by stacked materials or temporary facilities on site. If workers cannot see the signs when moving or working, they could be injured, sometimes fatally. Many studies have focused on each worker's position, and various systems have been developed using GPS signals and sensors. This paper suggests a method for identifying the problem of worker inability to see the unsafe factors, to manage the problem in the construction planning phase by considering things from the worker's perspective. The method uses CAD software to investigate the relation between the height of stacked materials and the visible ratio of the unsafe factor. The results of a sample project show that the changes in the height and location of stacked materials make the site safer.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.1242-1242
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• 2022

Annually, several construction workers fall ill, are injured, or die due to heat-related exposure. The prevalence of work-related heat illness may rise and become an issue for workers operating in temperate climates, given the increase in frequency and intensity of heatwaves in the US. An increase in temperature negatively impacts physical exertion levels and mental state, thereby increasing the potential of accidents on the job site. To reduce the impact of heat stress on workers, it is critical to develop and implement measures for monitoring physical exertion levels and mental state in hot conditions. For this, limited studies have evaluated the utility of wearable biosensors in measuring physical exertion and mental workload in hot conditions. In addition, most studies focus solely on male participants, with little to no reference to female workers who may be exposed to greater heat stress risk. Therefore, this study aims to develop a process for objective and continuous assessment of worker physical exertion and mental workload using wearable biosensors. Physiological data were collected from eight (four male and four female) participants performing a simulated drilling task at 92oF and about 50% humidity level. After removing signal artifacts from the data using multiple filtering processes, the data was compared to a perceived muscle exertion scale and mental workload scale. Results indicate that biosensors' features can effectively detect the change in worker physical and mental state in hot conditions. Therefore, wearable biosensors provide a feasible and effective opportunity to continuously assess worker physical exertion and mental workload.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.73-81
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• 1995

Explosives demolition mothod is allowed for more efficient time-saving and safer demolitioni operations as compared to conventional / mechanical demolition methods. CDI has to minimize the effects of noise, dust and various demolition hazards to the public areas, and residences that are located adjacent to the project site. CDI's explosives demolition work on the Nam san Foreigner's Apartment Complex and chosun trading Co's factory are backed by over 45 years of explosives experience in the demolition of over 6,000 structures worldwide, many of these structures are similar to the Nam san Foreigner's Apt. and Chosun trading's factory in construction and proximity to sensitive adjacent exposures. Recoginized worldwide as the founder of the leader in explosives demolitioni technology, CDI always will applied "State-of-the-Art" explosives techniques to safely and successfully achieve the desired demolition results on these project. CDI has never injured, much less caused any fatality, to either a worker on one of our sites or to a third party during the implosion of high-rise structure.