• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.124-129
• /
• 2003

We developed a HPMA Information System to establish the voluntary safety management for the Paint Industry. HPMA System means that manager, supervisor and worker on the process-line find out the hazardous and/or unsafe potentials, make improvement of the field safety by the cooperation with top manager, safety staff and eventually put in the practice. HPMA Information System consists of functions to suggest and evaluate the safety concerns hierarchically from top manager to workers on internet or intranet. We establish the safety management and sharing of the safety information and are able to find the unsafe potentials by the HPMA Information System. Also We are able to mine new safety information and establish accident prevention model by the Safety DATABASE.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.254-263
• /
• 1998

A worker employed in a serpentine mine was found developed mesothelioma as the first case of Korea in 1997. Asbestos was known as a causative agent for mesothelioma. Thus, asbestos contamination in mines could be a big health threat to those workers who were unknowingly exposed. However, there was no report that any minerals found in Korea contained asbestos. This study was carried out to find the presence of any asbestiform fibers in minerals which could be obtained in Korean mines. We examined fifteen minerals from 44 mines which were suspected contaminated with asbestiform fibers. Asbestiform analysis was done with high resolution transmission electron microscope(TEM), with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope(EDX) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) analyses. Among asbestiform fibers, chrysotile was found in chrysotile, serpentine, talc and pyrophylite specimens from 11 mines. Tremolite was found in tremolite and talc specimens from three mines. Mordenite was found in zeolite specimens from two mines. Wallastonite and sepiolite were found in wallastonite and sepiolite specimens respectively. Crocidolite, antigorite and actinolite were found from talc specimens. But no asbestiform fiber contaminants were found in doromite, vermiculite, limestone, marble, gypsum, kaolin, and clary specimens. Thus, these asbestiform fibers such as such as chrysotile, tremolite, mordenite, crocidolite, antigorite and actinolite could be the responsible agents for the health hazards such as mesothelioma and other cancers.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.169-174
• /
• 2017

Background: We assessed the cancer risks of four different Finnish asbestos-exposed cohorts. We also explored if the cohorts with varying profiles of asbestos exposure exhibited varying relative risks of cancer. Methods: The incident cancer cases for the asbestos-exposed worker cohorts were updated to the end of 2012 using the files of the Finnish Cancer Registry. The previously formed cohorts consisted of asbestos mine workers, asbestosis patients, asbestos sprayers, and workers who had taken part in a screening study based on asbestos exposure at work. Results: The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for mesothelioma varied from about threefold to > 100-fold in the different cohorts. In the screening cohort the SIR for mesothelioma was highest in 2003-2007, In other cohorts it was more constant in 5-year period inspection. The SIR for lung cancer was about twofold to tenfold in all except the screening cohort. Asbestos sprayers were at the highest risk of mesothelioma and lung cancer. Conclusion: The SIR for mesothelioma is high in all of the cohorts that represent different kinds of asbestos exposure. The smaller SIR for mesothelioma in the screening cohort with lowest level of asbestos exposure might suggest dose-responsiveness between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. It does seem that the highest risk of lung cancer in these cohorts except in the youngest of the cohorts, the screening cohort, is over. The highest SIR for lung cancer of the asbestosis patient and sprayers cohort is explained by their heavy asbestos exposure.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.24 no.1 s.33
• /
• pp.45-56
• /
• 1991

The history of occupational health in Korea s covered the era of the Republic of Korea after the Liberation from the Japanese colonialism. But the number of Korean workers exceeded about 2 millions at the times of liberation in 1945, so that it is expected that many occupational health problems inflicted Korean workers under the Japanese colonialism. The authors reviewed medical literatures, administrative documents, and other available data which were published under the colonial state, and collected things which had reference to the health status of Korean workers. The results were as follows : 1. Nutritional status of Korean workers was supposed to be inferior to that of general population, some students, and poor inhabitants in a remote mountain villages. 2. It was supposed that the constitution of Korean workers was near lower limit of average build of contemporary Koreans. 3. The accidents rate in mines was significantly high but decreasing year after year, and the most important cause of accidents was the fall of roof in the mine. The medical facilities and equipments for miners were supposed to be not sufficient in the mines and workshops. 4. Some occupational disease including silicosis, noise-induced hearing impairment, and decompression disease were known. But, overall incidence or prevalence of these diseases could not be identified. 5. On the whole, the fatalities of acute infectious diseases of Korean workers were higher than those of Japanese inhabitants in Korea and Korean inhabitants. The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis of Korean workers was increasing with every passing year. 6. The medical personnels and facilities were so deficient that most Korean workers were out of adequate medical use. We discussed only a part of the health status of Korean workers under the Japanese colonialism, so it would be necessary to have a better grasp of details of occupational health policy and health status in the era of afflicting.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.89-96
• /
• 1981

Of 2,740 industries in Jeonbug area which are covered by industrial insurance policy, 462 facilities which the accidents related to industry occured during the year of 1979 were studied. and the results are summarized as follows: 1. The accidents related to industry occured in 462 industries of the total 2,740 industrial facilities in Jeonbug area as of 1979. 2. The incidence rate of accident per 1,000 workers was 34.3 (49.2 in male workers and 12.8 in female workers), the frequency rate of the total industries in jeonbug area was 13.36, and severity rate was 1.3. 3. The frequency rates and severity rates by type of industry in study area were quite different to compare with those of national rates. 4. The incidence rate of construction industry was 223.6 per 1,000 workers, and that of transportation-communication industries were 78.6. 5. The proportion of industrial accidents of $20{\sim}24$ age group was 22.1 per cent of the total accidents, and the proportions decreased according to age increase. 6. The incidence rate in the industry having less than 49 workers was 20.6 per 1,000 workers, that of industry with $50{\sim]99$ workers was 26.7, that of industry with $100{\sim}199$ was 51.9, that of industry with $200{\sim}499$ was 80.2 and that of with more than 500 worker was 40.7. 7. The accidents which occured in the workers with experience of less than one year was 69.4 per cent of the total accidents, otherwise, the longer the workers have worked the less accident they have. 8. The most accidents occured in tile shift between 10 to 12 o'clock, and 16 to 18 hour 9. The primary causes of the industrial accidents were found to be collisions, machinery falling objects and falls. 10. The site of injury by type of industry were quite different, and the major site of injury was finger. 11. The laceration and open injuries of the accidents related to industry were 37.2 per cent of the total cases, and fractures or dislocations were 23.5 per cent, and contusions were 6.5 per cent. 12. Death rate of industrial accident was 5.0 per 10,000 workers, and those of industry were 47.6 in transportation, 42.8 in construction industry, 24.4 in mine industry, and 2.0 in manufacturing industry.