• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2019

Background: Promoting healthy lifestyles at work should complement workplace safety programs. This study systematically investigates current states of occupational health and safety (OHS) policy as well as practice in the European Union (EU). Methods: OHS policies of EU member states were categorized as either prevention or health promotion provisions using a manifest content analysis. Policy rankings were then created for each prevention and promotion. Rankings compared eight indicators from the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks-2 data on prevention and promotion practices for each member state using Chi-square and probit regression analyses. Results: Overall, 73.1% of EU establishments take preventive measures against direct physical harm, and about 35.4% take measures to prevent psychosocial risks. Merely 29.5% have measures to promote health. Weak and inconsistent links between OHS policy and practice indicators were identified. Conclusion: National OHS policies evidently concentrate on prevention while compliance with health and safety practices is relatively low. Psychosocial risks are often addressed in national policy but not implemented by institutions. Current risk assessment methods are outdated and often lack psychosocial indicators. Health promotion at work is rare in policy and practice, and its interpretation remains preventive. Member states need to adopt policies that actively improve health and well-being at the workplace.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.138-175
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• 1994

The objectives of this study are (i) to review current situations and problems of the occupational health care system with emphasis on reforming the organizations and services, (ii) to find out a disirable occupational health system model based on integration of the occupational health system and the general health system, and finally, (iii) to suggest policy implications in occupational health services in the light of objectives of the newly emerging national health insurance reform in Korea. The major policy implications of this study are as follows: 1. In the long-run, within the occupational health system, preventive occupational health services such as employees' physical check-up, working environment examination, etc should financially be integrated with industrial accident compensation insurance. Currently separately paying expenses for each different category of services by the owner of an enterprise should be disbursed once through the payment of contributions of industrial accident compensation insurance. And then, it is necessary to strengthen and expand the role and function of industrial accident compensation insurance to cover preventive occupational health services. 2. The occupational health system should be integrated with general health system for its effective management. For the short-term policy, it is necessary to eliminate fiscal and access barrier between industrial accident compensation insurance and national health insurance by means of ex post facto settlement of accounts. The duplication of employees' physical check- ups between under the health insurance program and under the industrial health services must be coordinated in a manner either through mutual authorization by the two parties concerned or through merge into the health insurance. 3. The intent of current employees' physical check-up system focused on detection of occupational diseases, should be converted to an idea of medical surveillance system or biological moritoring system. The introduction of medical surveillance or biological monitoring system is a necessary condition to build a positive, effective and inexpensive occupational health care system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.18-34
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• 2018

Objectives: This study aims to identify and solve problems in the consistency, procedural justification, effectiveness, and other matters concerning approaches to occupational safety and health legislation, administrative rules, and administrative guidelines. Methods: In this study of policy on the industrial safety and health law of Korea, problems were raised based on important information on the approach to occupational safety and health legislation and administrative guidelines such as notices, ordinances, and instructions, as well as on their interpretation and operation standards. Secondly, based on the identified problems in the occupational safety and health law policy, core practical methods to present improvement directions for occupational safety health policy in Korea were sought. Results: It is absolutely necessary to actively promote the infrastructure for occupational safety and health by developing and disseminating notices, guidelines, and manuals that act as contact points between laws and the field in various ways at the administrative institution level. In addition to sanctions, efforts to systematically guide and promote complex professional matters must be supported. Efforts should be made to strengthen administrative expertise so that administrative authorities can secure professional authority and fully enforce legal policies according to the purpose of legislation. In order to ensure the effectiveness of occupational safety and health law policies, it is necessary to shift the focus of the legal policy toward confirming and guiding substantial compliance with legal standards. Conclusions: As a result of the above efforts, when reliable occupational safety and health law policy is implemented, the understanding and acceptance of the legal policy for the administrative object will be increased, and the safety and health management of the enterprise will be maximized to its full extent.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2017

Background: Despite our knowledge of the causes of cancer, millions of workers are involuntarily exposed to a wide range of known and suspected carcinogens in the workplace. To address this issue from a policy perspective, we developed a policy framework based on a prospective health policy analysis. Use of the framework was demonstrated for developing policies to prevent cancers associated with diesel engine exhaust (DEE), asbestos, and shift work, three occupational carcinogens with global reach and large cancer impact. Methods: An environmental scan of existing prospective health policy analyses was conducted to select and describe our framework parameters. These parameters were augmented by considerations unique to occupational cancer. Policy-related resources, predominantly from Canada, were used to demonstrate how the framework can be applied to cancers associated with DEE, asbestos, and shift work. Results: The parameters of the framework were: problem statement, context, jurisdictional evidence, primary prevention policy options, and key policy players and their attributes. Applying the framework to the three selected carcinogens illustrated multiple avenues for primary prevention, including establishing an occupational exposure limit for DEE, banning asbestos, and improving shift schedules. The framework emphasized the need for leadership by employers and government. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first proposal for a comprehensive policy framework dedicated to the primary prevention of occupational cancer. The framework can be adapted and applied by key policy players in Canada and other countries as a guide of what parameters to consider when developing policies to protect workers' health.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.304-310
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• 2021

Background: Healthcare settings have been recognized among the most hazardous places to work. Based on the five categories of occupational hazards that were identified by the ILO and WHO, this study aimed to analyze policy framework relevant to occupational health protection of health workers (HWs) in public health service in China, then discussed how to share the experience of the National Health Service (NHS) England for improvement. Methods: Based on policy learning theories, policy analysis and qualitative interview were used in this study. Results: In the Chinese public health service, at least five laws related to the regulation of occupational health protection for HWs; however, enforcement of relevant laws was separated and multi-centered; the national monitoring system, which targeted to occupational hazards and health outcome for HWs in China, had yet to be developed; the top three priorities were workplace violence, bloodborne pathogens, and musculoskeletal disorders; national strategies included Security Hospital, and Healthy China 2030. In NHS England, three laws were fundamental; several monitoring systems had been set up, including NHS Staff Survey, Commissioning for Quality and Innovation incentive scheme; mental health, musculoskeletal problem, and nutrition disorder and overweight were raised great concern; Health and Safety, and NHS Healthy Workforce Program were critical nationwide strategies. Conclusion: There were several similarities as well as differences between the Chinese public health system and NHS England, which laid foundation of learning by China. Recommendations of improving occupational health policies in China were provided, based on the lessons learned from the NHS England.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2011

Korea enacted the occupational safety and health law in order to prevent industrial accidents in 1981. Led by ministry of labor, occupational safety and health support services policy has been built through government-affiliated organizations, research institutions and academic research. Korea's accident rate has remained at 0.7% for last 10 years despite continuous efforts over the last 30 years. These results means that the occupational safety and health support services policy conducted by the government have reached their limits. Therefore, the necessity of assessment about occupational safety and health support services policy is proposed. The main objective of this study, through the IPA analysis, is to grasp the point of worker's needs about occupational safety and health support services policy and to help formulate the efficient policy.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.20.1-20.7
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• 2023

The policy proposal by the current Korean government that proposes flexible overtime rules is causing social controversy. This study has explored the 612 experts' opinions on the occupational safety and health impacts of the policy using an online self-report survey. They expected short-term overwork (87.25%), overwork inequality (86.44%), irregular working hours (84.31%), chronic overwork (84.15%), long working hours (83.66%), and unpredictability of working hours (81.86%) as a result of the policy change. They also responded that the policy change would increase industrial accident deaths (87.25%), mental illnesses (87.09%), deaths due to overwork or cardiovascular diseases (83.84%), and accidents (83.33%). They disagreed that the government's flexibilization policy, while agreeing that the necessity of policies on regulating night work (94.77%), guaranteeing wages to eliminate overtime (90.36%), establishing working time regulations for the bogus self-employed (82.84%), and applying the 52-hour workweek system to all workplaces (76.47%). These expert opinions are consistent with previous research on the health effects of working hours.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.151-163
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• 1998

The government policy on the occupational safety and health is the fundamental factor for the effectiveness and efficiency of the accident prevention efforts. However this point of view is comparatively neglected and most of policy in occupational safety and health has not been successful enough in Korea. Thus, this study aims to reduce the accidents at work in Korea through the improvement of the decision-making process on the occupational safety and health policy in Korea. The recommendations are derived from the comparison between the policy decision-making organization and process of Korea and those of other major countries. Capitulated recommendations are: more involvement of professional individuals in the process of policy decision-making; intensive utilization of research institutes; and more openness of the process of policy decision-making to the stakeholders ie, the representatives of employees and employers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.136-145
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• 2014

This article has compared the level of activities of occupational safety and health in workplace among sub-sectors of manufacturing industry in order to set the priority for policy intervention. Data of manufacturing industry in the survey on the current status of occupational safety and health was used with factor analysis and radar graphic method. Authors have categorized sub-sectors of manufacturing industry into four categories, attained group, active group, neglected group, and passive group based on injury rate, level of safety and health activities. The neglected group may be the first target group for occupational safety and health policy guiding some detailed occupational safety and health activities. Limitation of this study is that cross sectional data was analyzed. The long term effect could not be analyzed.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.290-295
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• 2017

Background: Safety climate and occupational stress are related with occupational accident. The present study tried to identify the differences in safety climate and occupational stress according to occupational accidents experience and employment type (e.g., direct workers and subcontract workers). Methods: In this study, we conducted a survey using safety climate scale and Korean Occupational Stress Scale and classified the participants into four groups: direct workers working for accident-free departments, direct workers working for accident departments, subcontract workers working for accident-free departments, and subcontract workers working for accident departments for 2 years within the same workplace in the shipbuilding industry. Results: The direct workers and subcontract workers showed diverse results in subscales of safety climate and occupational stress. This result is supported by existing studies; however, further study is necessary for more supporting evidence and elaborative methodological approach. Conclusion: The necessity of management for safety climate and psychosocial factor such as occupational stress for both direct workers and subcontract workers as a whole is suggested by this study.