• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.141-156
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• 2001

This study was performed to identify the occupational diseases in the dental technicians working in Korea, and to elucidate the main related affecting factors for the occurrence of the occupational diseases. The research was carried out using a mail questionnaire and data collection was done for two months from April 15, 2000. The questionnaires were delivered to 1000 dental technicians working at 250 dental laboratories which were chosen among the total 1330 dental laboratories in south Korea. And 763 questionnaires were collected, then 739 questionnaires were used for a logistic and a multiple regression analyses. The results obtained in this study are summarized as follows: 1. The occupational diseases in the dental technicians included pneumoconiosis, chronic bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, hyposmia, allergic dermatitis, eczema, contagious dermatitis, central nervous disorder, dysfunction of finger, vertebral disorder, dysfunction of interphalangeal joint, ophthalmitis, auditory dysfunction, otitismedia, optic trauma, and bum. 2. The main related affecting factors for the occurrence of the occupational diseases in the dental technicians were elucidated as follows: On the ccurrence of chronic bronchitis, vibration of equipment and job career were affected positively. On the ccurrence of asthma, job career and career on current working part were affected positively, but exhaust ventilation, work hour were affected negatively. On the occurrence of eczema, career on current working part and vibration of equipment were affected positively, but personal protective equipment, local exhaust ventilation, isolation of gas source were affected negatively. And eczema was occurred more in methyl methacrylate work than in any other work part. On the occurrence of finger dysfunction, vibration of equipment and noise of work place were affected positively. But personal protective equipment, local exhaust ventilation, isolation of dust and gas source were affected negatively. But finger dysfunction was occurred more in metal polishing than in any other work part. On the occurrence of auditory dysfunction, noise of work place were affected negatively. The results obtained in this study can give a valuable information for a prevention of the occupational diseases in the dental technicians working in Korea, and for keeping them in healthy. This study also can be helpful for a researcher who is aiming at a identification of occupational diseases and a elucidation of related affecting factors in a similar occupation.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.419-429
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• 2016

Objectives: According to the new Chemical Control Act from the Korean Ministry of Environment (2014-259), workers handling hazardous chemicals should wear personal protective equipment (PPE). However the act simply states in basic phrases that every worker handling one or more of the 69 listed chemicals should wear PPE and does not consider the unique hazard characteristics of chemicals and work types. The main purpose of this study is to provide basic data to revise the act to suit particular work processes and situations. Methods: The hazard rank of the substances was classified based on hazardous characteristics such as LC50 and vapor pressure using matrix analysis. The workplace exposure risk of the substances was also determined through a matrix analysis based on the previously determined hazard ranks and the demands of manual handling together with the likelihood of accident frequency of the operation combined with the exposure of workers during spill accidents. Results: To meet the demands for developing subsequent guidelines for the risk-based application of PPE in hazardous workplaces, this study sorted the 69 listed chemicals into five hazardous categories based on their LC50 and vapor pressures, and also assigned exposure categories according to exposure vulnerability for various types of work which are frequently performed throughout the life cycle of the chemicals. Conclusion: In the next study, an exposure risk matrix will be produced using the hazard rank of chemicals and workplace exposure risk, and then PPE will be selected to suit the categories of the exposure risk matrix.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.17-26
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• 2020

Purpose: This paper presents research evidence that the environmental design of the doffing area in a biocontainment unit (BCU) can have a measurable impact on increasing the safety of frontline healthcare workers (HCW) during doffing of high-level personal protective equipment (PPE), and proposes optimized biocontainment unit design. Methods: From 2016 to 2019, The SimTigrate Design Lab conducted 3 consecutive studies, focusing on ways in which the built environment may support or hinder safe doffing. In the first study, to identify the risky behaviors, we observed 56 simulation exercises with HCWs in 4 BCUs and 1 high-fidelity BCU mockup. In the second study, we tested the effectiveness of a redesigned doffing area on improving the HCWs performance and used simulation, observation, and rapid prototyping in 1 high-fidelity mockup of a doffing area. In a follow-up study, we used simulation and co-design with HCWs to optimize the design of a safer doffing area in a full-size pediatric BCU mock-up. Results: We identified 11 specific risky behaviors potentially leading to occupational injury, or contamination of the PPE, or of the environment. We developed design strategies to create a space for safer doffing. In the second study, in a redesigned doffing area, the overall performance of HCW improved, and we observed a significant decrease in the number of risky behaviors; some risky behaviors were eliminated. There was a significant decrease in physical and cognitive load for the HCWs. Finally, we propose an optimized layout of a BCU for a safer process of PPE doffing. Implications: The proposed BCU design supports better staff communication, efficiency, and automates safer behaviors. Our findings can be used to develop design guidelines for spaces where patients with other highly infectious diseases are treated when the safety of the patient-facing HCWs is of critical importance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.74-79
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to find out its effect on changes in the joint angle and the success rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation by conducting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when wearing and not wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) targeting 20 paramedics with more than 5 years of experience. The subjects carried out CPR in 30:2 for 4 minutes and collected images were digitized by Kwon3D XP Software Package(Version 4.0) and then data were obtained. Data, which were collected by analyzing the motion when starting in one cycle, when pressing to the maximum, in the final position (relaxed), were analyzed by using SPSS 18.0. In conclusion, during CPR, the angle of the both shoulder joints was not significant (p>.05) and the angle of the right elbow joint was reduced in all positions and was statistically significant (p<.05) and the angle of the left was significantly reduced in the maximum pressure posture and the final position (p>.05). In the case of the trunk, the angle increased statistically significantly at all stages (p<.01, p<.001). Also, during CPR, the average compression rate was significantly reduced after wearing PPE (p<.05) and average hand escape time by cycle increased statistically significantly (p<.05) but chest compression execution rate at the correct depth did not show any significant difference between the two groups (p>05).

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.647-659
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• 2015

This study analyzes current technologies in personal protective equipment (PPE) and mechanisms that can be used in the agricultural field to provide data for research and development on PPE for farmers. There is growing awareness of the importance of PPE as part of efforts to reduce agricultural accidents, but data remain rare for developing PPE tailored to the farm work environment. In this regard, patent data on PPE can provide useful insights for facilitating relevant technologies and research. This study examines patents and utility models classified under the IPC code in Korea and other countries to analyze patented technologies and recent trends for the period from January 2003 to October 2014. Here Korea, the U.S., Japan, and Europe were considered. The results show that the number of patent applications for PPE remained steady without any sharp fluctuations. KIPO applications accounted for 43.5% of all cases, reflecting the highest proportion among the countries considered. Domestic applicants accounted for 94% of all cases. In Korea, patent applications were concentrated in safety gear for the face and eyes, indicating a high level of technology. The highest level of competition was observed for safety goggles in all countries. Some PPE technologies were dominated by a particular manufacturer. The analysis results for farming-related technologies show the current state of technologies and areas lacking technological development. This study analyzes patented technologies for PPE in Korea and other countries and recent research trends as part of the effort to develop PPE for workers in the farming and livestock industry. This study represents an early-stage effort to develop PPE for workers in the farming and livestock industry, and the results are expected to be useful for tailoring PPE to Korea's farming and livestock environment.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.467-477
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• 2017

Objectives: Oxidative stress and DNA damage have been proposed as mechanisms linking pesticide exposure to health effects such as cancer and neurological diseases. We investigated whether protective measures could significantly reduce the levels of biomarkers for oxidative stress and DNA damage in agricultural workers. Methods: In the present study, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), biomarkers related to oxidative stress and DNA damage, respectively, were analyzed in urine samples collected from agricultural workers in two provinces of Korea (n=60). The influence of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and performing protective behaviors on the levels of these two biomarkers was also evaluated. Results: The median urinary levels of MDA and 8-OHdG were 10.45 nmol/mg creatinine and 14.42 ng/mg creatinine in subjects living in region A, while they were 6.25 nmol/mg creatinine and 24.77 ng/mg creatinine in subjects living in region B, respectively. The levels of MDA and 8-OHdG were higher in male farmers. Farmers wearing greater numbers of PPE and performing more protective behaviors had significantly lower levels of MDA. Greater numbers of protective behaviors was significantly associated with lower levels of 8-OHdG. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that pesticide exposure could induce oxidative stress and DNA damage in agricultural workers, and that protective measures are important for mitigating pesticide exposure.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.431-437
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• 2017

Objectives: To protect the health and safety of residents during chemical accidents, the governmental authorities need to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to citizens who desire it. This study aims to investigate residents'awareness of PPE and perform an economic analysis on providing PPE to residents near chemical plants prior to the establishment of a related law. Methods: This study was carried out through a questionnaire completed by 600 residents composed of items such as residents'awareness of PPE, what type of PPE they need, and how to purchase PPE. Economic analysis (cost-benefit analysis) was conducted on providing PPE to residents near chemical plants on basis of the Gumi City hydrogen fluoride accident of 2012. Results: The results of the questionnaire showed that most residents recognized the need for PPE preparedness for chemical accidents, in particular, for respirators. The level of expense that respondents were prepared to shoulder to share the burden was $25. Except for chemicals of hazard level 2, the benefit of all kinds of chemical accident preparedness considerably exceeded costs in the cost-benefit analysis on providing PPE. An estimated government budget of $20 million per year would be required to provide PPE (hood-type mask) for all residents within a one-kilometer radius of chemical plants in Korea, but only $5.8 million when residents share the expenses. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that programs for providing PPE for residents near chemical plants should be established by law.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.583-593
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the frequency score of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and concentration of urinary organophosphorus pesticide metabolites in farmers. Methods: The study was conducted in Chungcheongnam-do Province of South Korea. We collected urine samples from 308 farmers from September to December 2017 and May to July 2018. Among them, 17 farmers with urinary creatinine levels outside the normal range were excluded. Information on the frequency of wearing PPE was obtained from the farmers through face-to-face survey. Each frequency of wearing for seven types of PPE was converted into a score and expressed as a total score, which was divided into quartiles. Four types of urinary organophosphorus pesticide metabolites were analyzed using a gas chromatography mass selective detector. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify concentrations of urinary organophosphorus pesticide metabolites affected by the frequency of wearing PPE. Results: The average frequency score of wearing PPE was 8.0. The quartiles of frequency score of wearing PPE were divided as follows: 1st quartile (≤1), 2nd quartile (1-6), 3rd quartile (6-12), and 4th quartile (>12). Compared with subjects with a low frequency score of wearing PPE (reference), subjects with a high frequency score of wearing PPE (4th quartile) had lower concentrations of urinary diethyl phosphate (DEP) (p<0.01) and dialkyl phosphate (ΣDAP) (p<0.05), which is the sum of dimethyl phosphate (DMP), DEP, dimethyl thiophosphate (DMTP), and diethyl thiophosphate (DETP). Conclusion: Concentrations of urinary organophosphorus pesticide metabolites were associated with frequency score of wearing PPE. Particularly as the frequency score of wearing PPE increased, concentrations of urinary DMP, DEP, DETP, and ΣDAP significantly decreased. The findings of this study can contribute to the management of health effects among farmers working with pesticides.

• Informatization Policy
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.3-19
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• 2018

With the introduction of video cameras into law enforcement, a great deal of police organizations have adopted the technology in their routine crime prevention activities. The up-to-date systems of ambient surveillance energized by CCTV, police wearable cameras, drones, and thermal imaging devices enable the police to thoroughly monitor public spaces as well as to rigorously arrest on-scene criminals. These efforts to improve the level of surveillance are often met with public resistance raising concerns over citizens' rights to privacy. Recent studies on the use of police video equipment have constantly raised the issues related to the lack of applicable legal provisions, risk of personal information and privacy infringement as well as security vulnerabilities. In this regard, the present study attempted to review the public surveillance methods currently used by law enforcement agencies worldwide within the context of public safety and individual rights to privacy. Furthermore, the present study also discussed the legal boundaries of police use of video equipment to address public concerns over privacy issues.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.83-97
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide basic data for the development of personal protective equipment (PPE) for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) during chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive situations. Methods: Body measurements were obtained for adults aged from 20 to 59 years from the data in the 6 th Size Korea national sizing survey. These data were compared to the sizes of protective clothing currently available in the market. In-depth interviews with active paramedics with experiences of wearing PPE were conducted. Results: Most of the imported protective clothing turned out to be unfit for Korean adults. This showed the urgent need for developing appropriately sized protective clothing for Korean emergency technicians. In total, 55.0% of the respondents indicated that the current protective clothing is unsafe, and 71.0% requested the clothing to have level C protective performance. Regarding the design, many people wanted hooded all-in-one type of clothing. Conclusion: Considering these requirements, most of the wearers wanted their protective clothing to be fundamentally protective of their body, be available in various sizes with adjustable parts, and easy to wear and take off. They also wanted the clothing to be secure in clear sight, while not revealing any parts of their body and not interfringe with their ability to communicate with others.