• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.80-87
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• 2021

Risk assessment techniques are processes used to evaluate hazardous risk factors in construction sites, facilities, raw materials, machinery, and equipment, and to estimate the size of risk that could lead to injury or disease, and establish countermeasures. The most important thing in assessing risk is calculating the size of the risk. If the size of the risk cannot be calculated objectively and quantitatively, all members who participated in the evaluation would passively engage in establishing and implementing appropriate measures. Therefore, this study focused on predicting accidents that are expected to occur in the future based on past occupational accident statistics, and quantifying the size of the risk in an overview. The technique employed in this study differs from other risk assessment techniques in that the subjective elements of evaluators were excluded as much as possible by utilizing past occupational accident statistics. This study aims to calculate the size of the risk, regardless of evaluators, such as a manager, supervisor, safety manager, or employee. The size of the risk is the combination of the likelihood and severity of an accident. In this study, the likelihood of an accident was evaluated using the theory of Bud Accident Chainability, and the severity of an accident was calculated using the occupational accident statistics over the past five years according to the accident classification by the International Labor Organization.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 2021

Objectives: This study examined demographic factors hampering access to healthcare at hospitals and suggests policy approaches to improve healthcare management in Thailand. Methods: The data for the study were drawn from a health and welfare survey conducted by the National Statistical Office of Thailand in 2017. The population-based health and welfare survey was systematically carried out by skilled interviewers, who polled 21 519 384 individuals. The independent variables related to demographic data (age, sex, religion, marital status, education, occupation, and area of residence), chronic diseases, and health insurance coverage. The dependent variable was the degree of access to healthcare. Multiple logistic regression analysis was subsequently performed on the variables found to be significant in the univariate analysis. Results: Only 2.5% of the population did not visit a hospital when necessary for outpatient-department treatment, hospitalization, or the provision of oral care. The primary reasons people gave for not availing themselves of the services offered by government hospitals when they were ill were-in descending order of frequency-insufficient time to seek care, long hospital queues, travel inconvenience, a lack of hospital beds, unavailability of a dentist, not having someone to accompany them, and being unable to pay for the transportation costs. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that failure to access the health services provided at hospitals was associated with demographic, educational, occupational, health welfare, and geographic factors. Conclusions: Accessibility depends not only on health and welfare benefit coverage, but also on socioeconomic factors and the degree of convenience associated with visiting a hospital.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.9-18
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• 2022

In today's civilization, it can be impossible to prevent disasters that cause large-scale human and material harm, and the environmental industry is not excepted from this. Over the last 50 years, several large and small environmental health catastrophes have occurred in Korea. Notable instances include the phenol pollution accident in the Nakdong River, the Hebei Spirit oil spill in Taean, Chungcheongnam-do, and the humidifier disinfectant disaster. Looking at these instances, it is clear that the government failed to prevent similar incidents and accidents after the tragedies. The government created and executed different policies to prevent such incidents and accidents, but the majority of them were highly fragmented. It is understandable that depending on the political and social level of the society in which the environmental health hazard incident/accident happened, the investigation of the cause, countermeasures, and policy reaction may differ. To put it another way, the more authoritarian and non-democratic a political social system is, the more likely it is to cover up occurrences and accidents without a deep examination. This is in line with the members of society's level of political awareness and acknowledgment of the importance of life and safety. In 1985, when the Onsan pollution disease was discovered, and in 2011, when we recognized the realities of the humidifier disinfectant disaster, South Korea's political and social systems were entirely different.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.397-405
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• 2015

This survey was to identify voice symptoms and vocal-health service related experiences of occupational voice users(teachers, telemarketers, speech therapists). The 91.8% of teachers, 97.9% of telemarketers, 86% of speech therapists surveyed reported more than one voice symptom. The symptoms were classified as 9 categories(running a temperature, getting dry, dry and cough, pain, phlegm, tingled, hoarseness, cracks, swollen) and the most frequently reported from 3 groups was 'getting dry'. The 85.7% of teachers, 87.8% of telemarketers, 66% of therapists surveyed had no experience of vocal-health related services. The 19.6%, 19.9%, and 72% of each group reported they have heard both of 'voice/speech therapist'. The 36.8% of teachers and 43.6% of telemarketers answered they don't know how to use their voice efficiently and 45.3% of the teachers, 43.6% of the telemarketers, 28% of the therapists surveyed asked professional help for their voice. The result showed that most of the occupational voice users surveyed experienced voice symptoms but rarely knew professional vocal-health related services.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.93-103
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was conducted to assess reported industrial accidents and non-reported industrial accidents that took place in 63 small and medium sized manufacturing industries located in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do in the year of 2009. Methods: During the period from January to December 2009, the number of industrial accidents that happened each month was examined according to the characteristics of industry, industrial accidents, workers with industrial accidents, treatment, as well as causes and treatment of the non-reported. Results: The total incidence rate of industrial accidents was 3.48%, of which only 0.31% reported. The incidence rate in packing and distribution among manufacturing workplace, and in the industry with 50~99 employees, was higher than the other groups. Of the non-reported, over 80% in required under 10 days of medical treatment, and 56% in required cost of less than 100,000 won. Kappa values were 0.771 concurrence in opinions for causes of non-reported, and 0.571 concurrence in opinions for management termination of non-reported between the employees and employer. Conclusion: It is suggested that more supportive policy and precise, nationwide survey on the actual state of industrial accidents, including non-reported cases, be implemented to efficiently manage industrial accidents.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.405-413
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• 2012

This study of male workers of small manufacturing companies with 50 or less determine the level of job stress and Investigated the relevance of these demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and job-related characteristics. The study subjects were 856 male workers, health checkups and screening agencies are engaged in small manufacturing companies with 50 or less people. Data collection period from April 1, 2010 until June 30, during the self - administered questionnaire through a survey was done. The Study results, several demographic characteristics, health-related behavioral characteristics and job-related characteristics of the variables and job stress is surveyed, there was a significant association. Drinking status, occupation, hours of sleep, leisure activities, whether working position, duration, number of hours per week, for inpatient and outpatient experience, whether in the workplace satisfaction, especially those affecting the job stress factors, such as has been pointed out, Therefore, in order to reduce job stress, health-related behaviors and the work environment, and efforts to improve the content of the job.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 2016

Background: Korean Working Conditions Surveys (KWCS), referencing European Working Conditions Surveys, have been conducted three times in order to survey working condition and develop work-related policies. However, we found three limitations for managing the collected KWCS data: (1) there was no computerized system for managing data; (2) statistical KWCS data were provided by limited one-way communication; and (3) the concept of a one-time provision of information was pursued. We suggest a web-based public service system that enables ordinary people to make greater use of the KWCS data, which can be managed constantly in the future. Methods: After considering data characteristics, we designed a database, which was able to have the result of all pairwise combinations with two extracted data to construct an analysis system. Using the data of the social network for each user, the tailored analysis system was developed. This system was developed with three methods: clustering and classification for building a social network, and an infographic method for improving readability through a friendly user interface. Results: We developed a database including one input entity consisting of the sociodemographic characteristics and one output entity consisting of working condition characteristics, such as working pattern and work satisfaction. A web-based public service system to provide tailored contents was completed. Conclusion: This study aimed to present a customized analysis system to use the KWCS data efficiently, provide a large amount of data in a form that can give users a better understanding, and lay the ground for helping researchers and policy makers understand the characteristics.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.289-297
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• 2004

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine factors affecting workers' physiological somatic complain using the Job Stress Model proposed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Method: Data were collected from the 1st to the 30th of December 1999. The subjects were 2.123 workers employed at 155 work sites. Collected date were analyzed through SAS/PC program. Result: According to individual characteristics, younger and women groups showed significantly higher physiological somatic complaint than elder men groups. By work condition, groups with higher physiological somatic complaint included workers of irregular shift work. Dark lighting, improper temperature in winter, improper ventilation, inappropriate humidity, unpleasant work environment and crowded work place were significantly related with physiological somatic complaint. By work-related factor, physiological somatic complaint was high in those with higher variance in work load, quantitative work load, role conflict, job burden, role ambiguity and future ambiguity. On the other hand, physiological somatic complaint was low in those with little underutilization of ability. As for the relationships between physiological somatic complaint and non-work related factors, physiological somatic complaint was high in workers who had a side job, were bringing up infants alone, cleaned the house alone, cared for the elderly and disabled persons, were studying, were volunteering at another organization, and were spending 5-10 hours in religious activities per week. Physiological somatic complain was in significantly negative correlations with overall social support, supervisory support and family support, but in significantly positive correlations with co-worker support. Conclusion: The main predictors of physiological somatic complain were gender, shift work pattern, overtime work, ventilation, role ambiguity, role conflict, future ambiguity, job control, variance in work load, overall social support, worker with side job, worker who cleans the house alone, worker who is studying. These predictors explained 19.10% of the total variance of physiological somatic complain.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.5-13
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify Activities of Daily Living(ADL) of industrial accident disabled with a caregiver and to evaluate the degree of satisfaction with services according to kinds of caregiver, professional or non-professional. Method: Data was collected from 178 patients in three workers' accident medical corporations of H, A and D cities from July to August, 2006. Five inspectors interviewed with the disabled by visiting the hospital. Collected data was analyzed for the frequency, percentages, t-test, etc. Results: The average score of ADL which ranged from 1 to 7 was 3.6. The 51.5 percent of caregivers for industrial accident disabled were non-professional and the 48.5 percent of caregivers were professional. 50.9 percent of the reason for the family caregivers was because of economical one. The caregiver satisfaction degree was 3.7 out of 4. The satisfaction degree with the professional caregivers was significantly higher than that with non-professional family caregivers for their excellent knowledge and techniques. Conclusion: A nursing expenses for the industrial accident disabled was intended to provide appropriate nursing services for the patient and so, it should not be a kind of income. So, the system for caring services should be investigated and the qualification of caregivers should be classified according to the health condition of the patient or ADL.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.479-489
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• 2021

Background: During 2011, a study was undertaken to assess safety conditions in Serbian underground coalmines by analysis of injury data. The study covered all Serbian coalmines, identified week spots from the aspect of safety, and recommended possible courses of action. Since then, Serbia has made changes to safety and health legislation; all coalmines introduced new preventive measures, adopted international standards, and made procedures for risk management. After 10 years a new study has been performed to analyze the impact of these changes. Materials and methods: In this study, the injuries that have occurred in the Serbian underground coal mines over the last 20 years were analyzed. Statistical data analysis was performed by IBM SPSS Statistics v23. The injuries that occurred in the last ten years were compared with the results of the previous study (2000-2009). The average values of injury rates for both periods were compared for each of the categories (severity, age, body part, qualification), and the results were presented as absolute difference or percentile difference. Results: The results showed reduction in the number of injuries in the category of 20-30 years old workers, where the new training procedures for workers, which were set by mandatory legal regulations, certainly contributed. They also showed an increase in the number of injuries in the category of old workers, which indicates that the law did not have a positive effect on this category. Conclusion: The total number of injuries is still high; therefore, it is necessary to introduce mechanization and automation in mines and have a better policy for older workers who retire later nowadays.