• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.1 s.49
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• pp.225-243
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• 1995

Benzidine Industry in Korea has started after Japan has banned its production in early 1970's, and it has been in operation in Korea for over 20 years. However, it is not known yet whether any bladder cancer has developed from benzidine exposure. This study was done to screen benzidine-exposed workers for bladder cancer, and to examine the feasibility of employing screening test at the workplace. All the workplaces that manufacture or use benzidine for more than 20 years in Korea have been covered in this study, and they include 2 benzidine manufacturing factories, 5 benzidine using factories, as well as 2 benzidine free factories as an outside control. In total, 516 workers were screened with urine stick test and urine cytology test for the evidence of hematuria and abnormal urothelial cells. Each worker was also asked about risk factors and symptoms of bladder cancer including past medical history, smoking, medication and occupational history Benzidine in the air was measured by personal and area sampling. Out of 516 screened workers, 84(16.3%) workers showed positive hematuria in urine stick test, and 7(1.4%) workers showed degenerative cells in urine cytology tests. Those workers with abnormal urine test results who have been exposed to benzidine fo more than 10 years were further screened, and, in total, 23 workers were examined with intra-venous pyelography and cystoscopy. None of those screened had any evidence of bladder cancer When workers with only past hematuria history were included in the positive hematuria group, 96(18.5%) had positive hematuria. On the multiple logistic regression analysis, positive hematuria was significantly associated with benzidine exposure, history of other occupations with elevated bladder cancer risk, pyuria and glycosuria. The association got stronger as direct benzidine exposure was accounted through individual task analysis, and as exposure duration was accounted with tenure analysis. For those with benzidine exposure with more than 10 years of tenure, the odds of having positive hematuria was elevated 2.14(95%C.I is 1.08 to 4.25) times more than for those without exposure. Even though bladder cancer was not detected for several limitations including short observation period, majority of studied workers with short latency, healthy worker effect, and low sensitivity of single screening test in a cross-sectional study, the study results suggest that hematuria screening is a feasible and very useful test for bladder cancer screening among benzidine exposed workers.

• Educational Technology International
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.17-39
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships among organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and learning organization culture. This study was conducted in five sub-organizations of one Korean conglomerate company. One thousand employees were randomly and proportionately selected, with 669 useable cases obtained, for a response rate of 67%. The organizational commitment instrument used from the "affective, continuance, and normative commitment" scale (ACNCS) of Allen and Meyer (1990). The "Dimensions of Learning Organization Questionnaire" of Watkins and Marsick (1997) was used to measure learning organization culture. The short form MSQ (Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire), developed by Weiss, Dawis, England, and Lofquist (1967), was the third instrument used. Descriptive statistics, correlational statistics, and inferential statistics (ANOVA and t-tests) were used. Organizational commitment (except for continuance) is moderately and positively related to job satisfaction and moderately and positively related to learning organization culture. In addition, learning organization culture is weakly to moderately and positively related to job satisfaction. No differences by age were found. Four-year college graduates are more likely to have higher creating continuous learning opportunities in learning organization culture than graduate school degree holders. Males are likely to have higher affective and continuance organizational commitment than females. Employees working in R&D, Engineering, and Manufacturing (REM) are likely to have higher continuance organizational commitment than do other types of jobs. Employees are more likely to have higher learning organization culture and job satisfaction than assistant managers. Assistant managers have higher continuance organizational commitment than managers. Managers generally have higher organizational commitment, learning organization culture, job satisfaction than assistant managers. They also have higher learning organization culture than employees. Employees who had worked for less than four years in their current job and organization have higher promoting inquiry and dialogue in learning organization culture than those who have worked for ten years or more. Employees in the insurance organization have higher affective organizational commitment, learning organization culture, and job satisfaction than those of the other organizations. Finally, employees of the electronic company have higher continuance organizational commitment in learning organization culture than those of other companies. In summary, this research enables CEOs and HRD and HRM practitioners to view organizational commitment, learning organization culture, and job satisfaction as important variables in exploring diverse ranges of topics related to the workplace. And then, they can diversely apply their management, interventions and practices to fit these diverse characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.466-479
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• 2023

Objectives: A mobile health intervention program was provided for employees with overweight and obesity for 12 weeks, and a process evaluation was completed at the end of the program. We investigated participant engagement based on app usage data, and whether engagement was associated with the degree of satisfaction with the program. Methods: The program involved the use of a dietary coaching app and a wearable device for monitoring physical activity and body composition. A total of 235 employees participated in the program. App usage data were collected from a mobile platform, and a questionnaire survey on process evaluation and needs assessment was conducted during the post-test. Results: The engagement level of the participants decreased over time. Participants in their 40s, high school graduates or lower education, and manufacturing workers showed higher engagement than other age groups, college graduates, and office workers, respectively. The overall satisfaction score was 3.6 out of 5. When participants were categorized into three groups according to their engagement level, the upper group was more satisfied than the lower group. A total of 71.5% of participants answered that they wanted to rejoin or recommend the program, and 71.9% answered that the program was helpful in improving their dietary habits. The most helpful components in the program were diet records and a 1:1 chat with the dietary coach from the dietary coaching app. The barriers to improving dietary habits included company dinners, special occasions, lack of time, and eating out. The workplace dietary management programs were recognized as necessary with a need score of 3.9 out of 5. Conclusions: Participants were generally satisfied with the mobile health intervention program, particularly highly engaged participants. Feedback from a dietary coach was an important factor in increasing satisfaction.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.61-67
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• 2023

This study compared, analyzed, and verified the accident rate and accident fatality rate (per 10,000 workers) of workplaces that perform safety management on behalf of a safety management institutions designated and registered in accordance with the OSHAct and workplaces that perform safety management. According to the research results, the significance was confirmed that the group with a low accident rate was the workplaces that self-appointed safety managers, workplaces with self-appointed safety managers in size with less than 300 employees, and workplaces in the industrial accident insurance industry in the manufacturing and transportation, warehouse, and telecommunications industries. The groups with a low accidental death rate were workplaces with less than 300 employees, workplaces where safety management was performed on behalf of safety management institutions, and workplaces with selfappointment for other medical businesses. In this study, it was confirmed that the accident rate in the safety management agency's workplaces was higher than that of its own appointed workplaces, and that there were some differences in the accident fatality rate depending on the size and industry. Therefore, since the current safety management agency system cannot ensure the effect of preventing accidental deaths, there is a need for comprehensive improvement of the agency system and improvement of the system to strengthen expertise in preventing industrial accidents.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.39.1-39.14
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• 2023

Background: Diseases affecting the lungs and airways contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. The problem in low- and middle-income countries appears to be exacerbated by a shift in global manufacturing base to these countries and inadequate enforcement of environmental and safety standards. In Ghana, the potential adverse effects on respiratory function associated with occupational wood dust exposure have not been thoroughly investigated. Methods: Sixty-four male sawmill workers and 64 non-woodworkers participated in this study. The concentration of wood dust exposure, prevalence and likelihood of association of respiratory symptoms with wood dust exposure and changes in pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters in association with wood dust exposure were determined from dust concentration measurements, symptoms questionnaire and lung function test parameters. Results: Sawmill workers were exposed to inhalable dust concentration of 3.09 ± 0.04 mg/m³ but did not use respirators and engaged in personal grooming habits that are known to increase dust inhalation. The sawmill operators also showed higher prevalence and likelihoods of association with respiratory symptoms, a significant cross-shift decline in some PFT parameters and a shift towards a restrictive pattern of lung dysfunction by end of daily shift. The before-shift PFT parameters of woodworkers were comparable to those of non-woodworkers, indicating a lack of chronic effects of wood dust exposure. Conclusions: Wood dust exposure at the study site was associated with acute respiratory symptoms and acute changes in some PFT parameters. This calls for institution and enforcement of workplace and environmental safety policies to minimise exposure at sawmill operating sites, and ultimately, decrease the burden of respiratory diseases.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 2013

This study has been performed for 150 days from February 1 - June 31, 2012 aiming at analyzing biologically hazardous factors in order to develop HACCP system for the vinegared pickle radishes. A process chart was prepared as shown on Fig. 1 by referring to manufacturing process of manufacturer of general vinegared pickle radishes regarding process of raw agricultural products of vinegared pickle radishes, used water, warehousing of additives and packing material, storage, careful selection, washing, peeling off, cutting, sorting out, stuffing (filling), internal packing, metal detection, external packing, storage and consignment (delivery). As a result of measuring Coliform group, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Bacillus cereus, Listeria Monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, Clostridium perfringens, Yeast and Mold before and after washing raw radishes, Bacillus cereus was $5.00{\times}10$ CFU/g before washing but it was not detected after washing and Yeast and Mold was $3.80{\times}10^2$ CFU/g before washing but it was reduced to 10 CFU/g after washing and other pathogenic bacteria was not detected. As a result of testing microorganism variation depending on pH (2-5) of seasoning fluid (condiment), pH 3-4 was determined as pH of seasoning fluid as all the bacteria was not detected in pH3-4. As a result of testing air-borne bacteria (number of general bacteria, colon bacillus, fungus) depending on each workplace, number of microorganism of internal packing room, seasoning fluid processing room, washing room and storage room was detected to be 10 CFU/Plate, 2 CFU/Plate, 60 CFU/Plate and 20 CFU/Plate, respectively. As a result of testing palm condition of workers, as number of general bacteria and colon bacillus was represented to be high as 346 $CFU/Cm^2$ and 23 $CFU/Cm^2$, respectively, an education and training for individual sanitation control was considered to be required. As a result of inspecting surface pollution level of manufacturing facility and devices, colon bacillus was not detected in all the specimen but general bacteria was most dominantly detected in PP Packing machine and Siuping machine (PE Bulk) as $4.2{\times}10^3CFU/Cm^2$, $2.6{\times}10^3CFU/Cm^2$, respectively. As a result of analyzing above hazardous factors, processing process of seasoning fluid where pathogenic bacteria may be prevented, reduced or removed is required to be controlled by CCP-B (Biological) and threshold level (critical control point) was set at pH 3-4. Therefore, it is considered that thorough HACCP control plan including control criteria (point) of seasoning fluid processing process, countermeasures in case of its deviation, its verification method, education/training and record control would be required.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.24 no.1 s.33
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• pp.37-44
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• 1991

In the plywood manufacturing factory established in 1979, female 3 workers who had exposed to adhesives containing formaldehyde for more than 48 months of duration suffered from eye, nasal, oral, throat and skin irritation and dyspnea as chief complaints. The actual level of the exposure to formaldehyde were not estimated when the exposed workers started to have above symptoms. The environmental monitoring of workplace was measured on April 25, 1990, and the concentration of formaldehyde revealed 0.2 ppm, however the exhaustive ventilatory system was already installed at that time. Twenty six subjects from entire factory were examined by questionnaire, physical examination and spirometry, etc. on August 22, 1990. Significant difference was observed in symptoms and signs of nasal, oral and throat irritation between the exposed group with longer duration and that with short duration. When the exposed group with longer duration was compared to the group of nonexposed, symptoms and signs of nasal, oral, throat and skin irritaion, chest tightness and dullness were significantly increased in the former group. The results of the spirometric test showed that the forced vital capacity and the forced expiratory volume at 1 second were decreased among the exposed group with longer duration but not significant.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2014

This study has been performed for about 270 days at analyzing biologically hazardous factors in order to develop HACCP system for the non heat-frozen carrot juice. A process chart was prepared by manufacturing process of raw agricultural products of non heat-frozen carrot juice, which was contained water and packing material, storage, washing, cutting, extraction of the juice, internal packing, metal detection, external packing, storage and consignment (delivery). As a result of measuring Coliform group, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Bacillus cereus, Listeria Monocytogenes, Enterohemorrhagic E. coli before and after washing raw carrot, Standard plate count was $4.7{\times}10^4CFU/g$ before washing but it was $1.2{\times}10^2CFU/g$ detected after washing. As a result of testing airborne bacteria (Standard plate count, Coliform group, Yeast and Fungal) depending on each workplace, number of microorganism of in packaging room, shower room and juice extraction room was detected to be 10 CFU/Plate, 60 CFU/Plate, 20 CFU/Plate, respectively. As a result of testing palm condition of workers, as number of Standard plate count, Coliform group and Staphylococcus aureus was represented to be high as $6{\times}10^4CFU/cm^2$, $0CFU/cm^2$ and $0CFU/cm^2$, respectively, an education and training for individual sanitation control was considered to be required. As a result of inspecting surface pollution level of manufacturing facility and devices, Coliform group was not detected in all the specimen but Standard plate count was most dominantly detected in scouring kier, scouring kier tray, cooling tank, grinding extractor, storage tank and packaging machine-nozzle as $8.00{\times}10CFU/cm^2$, $3.0{\times}10CFU/cm^2$, $4.3{\times}10^2CFU/cm^2$, $7.5{\times}10^2CFU/cm^2$, $6.0{\times}10CFU/cm^2$, $8.5{\times}10^2CFU/cm^2$ respectively. As a result of analyzing above hazardous factors, processing process of ultraviolet ray sterilizing where pathogenic bacteria may be prevented, reduced or removed is required to be controlled by CCP-B (Biological) and critical level (critical control point) was set at flow speed is 4L/min. Therefore, it is considered that thorough HACCP control plan including control criteria (point) of seasoning fluid processing process, countermeasures in case of its deviation, its verification method, education/training and record control would be required.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.181-188
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• 2022

Despite the recent increase in the consumption level of the processed meat-byproducts, the health and safety issue has consistently been raised in the processes of production, distribution and consumption. The purpose of this study is to analyze and evaluate the microbiological hazard elements in the Korean sausage, "Sundae," to present not only the safety standard of meat by-product vendors based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point), but also the quality control criteria and sanitary arrangements of small manufacturers. For the study, the microbiological hazards in 24 raw materials, 7 manufacturing processes, 40 facilities and tools, 17 workplace environment, and 12 workers were analyzed. The analysis revealed the hazardous elements in the initial stages with 6.28 and 4.07 log CFU/g of total aerobic count and coliforms, respectively, detected from the porcine blood and 3.23 log CFU/g of coliforms from the porcine small intestines. The result also showed that the total aerobic counts and coliforms in the process of mixing and filling process exceeds the standards in the hygiene guidelines by Natick with the total aerobic counts of 5.23, 5.45 log CFU/g, and the coliforms of 3.25, and 3.31 log CFU/g, respectively. Although the detected total aerobic count and the coliforms in the filling and washing rooms exceeded the standards, it was found that the total aerobic count was significantly reduced by 98% after cleaning and disinfecting and no coliforms was detected in any process thereafter. In order to achieve high level of safety in the manufacturing processes of Sundae, the separation of washing and disinfection room from the other sections and the sanitation control of the workers must be preceded, along with strict monitoring in the storage and distribution processes. The study raises necessity for additional studies for the safety evaluation of the processed meat-byproducts and further researches on the validity of the critical limits.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.58-71
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• 2015

Objectives: The aims of this study were to investigate the classification system of chemical substances in the Occupational Safety and Health Act(OSHA) and Chemical Substances Control Act(CSCA) and to compare several health indices (i.e., Time Weighted Average (TWA), Lethal Dose ($LD_{50}$), and Lethal Concentration ($LC_{50}$) of chemical substances by categories in each law. Methods: The chemicals regulated by each law were classified by the specific categories provided in the respective law; seven categories for OSHA (chemicals with OELs, chemicals prohibited from manufacturing, etc., chemicals requiring approval, chemicals kept below permissible limits, chemicals requiring workplace monitoring, chemicals requiring special management, and chemicals requiring special heath diagnosis) and five categories from the CSCA(poisonous substances, permitted substances, restricted substances, prohibited substances, and substances requiring preparation for accidents). Information on physicochemical properties, health indices including CMR characteristics, $LD_{50}$ and $LD_{50}$ were searched from the homepages of the Korean Occupational and Safety Agency and the National Institute of Environmental Research, etc. Statistical analysis was conducted for comparison between TWA and health index for each category. Results: The number of chemicals based on CAS numbers was different from the numbers of series of chemicals listed in each law because of repeat listings due to different names (e.g., glycol monoethylether vs. 2-ethoxy ethanol) and grouping of different chemicals under the same serial number(i.e., five different benzidine-related chemicals were categorized under one serial number(06-4-13) as prohibited substances under the CSCA). A total of 722 chemicals and 995 chemicals were listed at the OSHA and its sub-regulations and CSCA and its sub-regulations, respectively. Among these, 36.8% based on OSHA chemicals and 26.7% based on CSCA chemicals were regulated simultaneously through both laws. The correlation coefficients between TWA and $LC_{50}$ and between TWA and $LD_{50}$, were 0.641 and 0.506, respectively. The geometric mean values of TWA calculated by each category in both laws have no tendency according to category. The patterns of cumulative graph for TWA, $LD_{50}$, $LC_{50}$ were similar to the chemicals regulated by OHSA and CCSA, but their median values were lower for CCSA regulated chemicals than OSHA regulated chemicals. The GM of carcinogenic chemicals under the OSHA was significantly lower than non-CMR chemicals($2.21mg/m^3$ vs $5.69mg/m^3$, p=0.006), while there was no significant difference in CSCA chemicals($0.85mg/m^3$ vs $1.04mg/m^3$, p=0.448). $LC_{50}$ showed no significant difference between carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxic chemicals and non-CMR chemicals in both laws' regulated chemicals, while there was a difference between carcinogens and non-CMR chemicals in $LD_{50}$ of the CSCA. Conclusions: This study found that there was no specific tendency or significant difference in health indicessuch TWA, $LD_{50}$ and $LC_{50}$ in subcategories of chemicals as classified by the Ministry of Labor and Employment and the Ministry of Environment. Considering the background and the purpose of each law, collaboration for harmonization in chemical categorizing and regulation is necessary.