• 대한안전경영과학회지
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.31-38
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• 2020

The study evaluated the accuracy and intra-rater reliability for OWAS (Ovako Working posture Analysing System), RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment), REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment) to improve their evaluation accuracy and reliability. Participants (n = 163) with undergraduate degree were recruited in this study and trained for 6 hours about the ergonomic assessment methods. Ergonomic assessments were conducted using OWAS, RULA, and REBA for a representative work with dynamic posture found in manufacturing industries. The study compared action categories (overall level) and detailed evaluation scores for individual body part. Action categories of the participants significantly differed from the golden reference defined by ergonomic experts. The participants underrated or omitted scores for truck (37.4% of the participants) and legs (52.8%) in OWAS. Similarly, the participants underrated or omitted additional scores for all body parts except the hand and wrist in RULA (53.5%) and REBA (54.8%). On the other hand, the participants overrated scores for the hand and wrist in RULA (55.2%) and REBA (39.9%). The results found in this study can help of selecting focus points and parts during assessment and education to improve accuracy and reliability of the ergonomic assessment methods.

• 한국산림과학회지
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• 제110권2호
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• pp.210-216
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• 2021

우리나라 모든 산업에서 근골격계질환은 작업자들의 안전에 큰 영향을 미치고 있으며, 산림작업은 산업안전보건법에 따라 근골격계 부담작업으로 분류된다. 특히 벌도 및 가지제거작업은 주로 인력작업으로 실시되고 있으며, 작업원의 안정성 확보를 위해 작업자세에 대한 평가가 필요하다. 따라서 본 연구는 체인톱을 이용한 벌도 및 가지제거작업의 작업자를 대상으로 세가지 인간공학적 분석 도구(OWAS, RULA, REBA)를 이용하여 위험도를 평가하고, 평가기법별 작업자세에 대한 영향인자를 분석하였다. 벌도와 가지제거작업자세의 위험도는 RULA, OWAS, REBA 순으로 높게 평가되었으며, 대부분 2-3단계로 작업자세의 즉각 변경조치는 요구되지 않았다. 하지만 벌도작업에서 허리와 다리를 굽힌자세와 가지제거작업에서 벌도목 위에서 작업하는 자세는 위험도가 매우 높게 분석되었다. 또한 벌도작업의 경우 산지경사, 가지제거작업의 경우는 지상에서부터 벌도목 높이가 작업위험도 평가에 영향이 높은 것으로 분석되었다. 따라서 산림작업에 있어서 작업자의 안전성을 확보하기 위해 작업부하가 낮은 자세(벌도작업: 쪼그리는 자세, 가지제거작업: 허리와 다리가 곧은 자세)로 작업하는 것이 바람직한 것으로 사료된다.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.225-229
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• 2021

Background: The socioeconomic burden of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) is significant, and kitchen work is a high-risk occupation for MSDs due to the intensive manual workload and repetitive movements that are involved. However, there are very few studies on MSDs and rest breaks as a workplace intervention among kitchen workers. This study examined the relationship between insufficient rest breaks and increased MSD risk among Korean kitchen workers. Methods: Sociodemographic and occupational factors of 1,909 kitchen workers were collected from the 3rd-4th Korean Working Conditions Survey data. Five items on rest breaks at work were categorized into two groups, "sufficient" and "insufficient." The number of MSDs and work-related MSDs (WMSDs), an outcome variable, was obtained from the sum of MSDs/WMSDs in three anatomical sites (back, neck, and upper limb, lower limb). The association between rest breaks and MSDs was estimated using zeroinflated negative binomial analyses, with adjustments for age, education level, and weekly working hours, and the analyses were stratified by sex. Results: After adjustment, significant associations were found between insufficient rest breaks and an increased risk of MSDs (odds ratio [OR] 1.68 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-2.54) and WMSDs (OR 1.40 95% CI 1.01-1.96) among female kitchen workers. Insufficient rest breaks were significantly associated with MSDs in female kitchen workers in all three anatomical sites. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the need for rest breaks as a workplace intervention for preventing MSDs in kitchen workers. Further studies to reveal the causality of this relationship are required.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제21권6호
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• pp.106-115
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data for continuing study in order to accomplish preventive countermeasures for work-related musculoskeletal disorders(WMSD) and to examine related factors in connection with each other as: the working environment, the equipment used, working method, pain symptoms of dentists. The investigation period for this study was from November 1, 2004 to February 28, 2005, and we analyzed questionnaire survey of 190 dentists who were giving medical treatment in and around the metropolitan area and Daegu City. Also, we visited 20 dental hospitals personally and examined the work posture through check lists, interviews, and field investigations on work posture using photos and videotaping. This study showed the increasing physical burdens which were related to dentists work accomplishment and attitude, recognizing pain which were affecting work related WMSD. With the access of ergonomics and improving the education and training of awkward medical treatment methods and posture, and continuous public information about WMSD, the occurrence rate of WMSD could be decreased.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.451-460
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine occupational risk factors that affect the mental health (depression, anxiety, anger, insomnia, self-esteem, trauma) of hospital facility workers. Methods: A survey was conducted from November 17, 2020 to December 1, 2020 for 700 non-medical workers (Temporary and contract workers: cleaning, security, information, office workers, etc.) working at a general hospital in Seoul. Results: As a result of the study, the risk of musculoskeletal disorders was found to have a significant effect on depression, anxiety, insomnia, and trauma. Noise had a significant effect on depression and anger, dust hazard had an effect on depression and self-esteem, and high temperature had a significant effect on anxiety and insomnia. Conclusions: Based on these results, it is necessary to examine the influence of occupational risk factors to improve the mental health of non-medical hospital facility workers.

• 대한안전경영과학회지
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.57-67
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• 2009

The psychosocial stress and musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) have been one of major health problems for hospital workers. This study tried to understand the relationship between symptoms associated with MSDs and risk factors such as working posture, job stress, psychosocial stress and fatigue. A total number of 655 hospital workers participated in this study. Specifically, REBA was applied for evaluating working posture and a checklist prepared by KOSHA(Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency) was used for symptom survey. A questionnaire from KOSHA was also used for collecting data associated with job stress, psychosocial stress and fatigue. All these data were formulated and modeled by path analysis which was one of major statistical tools in this study. Specifically, path analysis for the data we collected came up with several major findings. As a result, as for body part(neck), (waist) and (arms) the degree of risk of work posture measured with the use of job stress(KOSS), psycho-social stress(PWI-SF) and REBA is significantly more affected by fatigue than muscular skeletal disease related consciousness symptom. However, regarding bod(wrist), the degree of risk of work posture measured with the use of job stress(KOSS) and REBA is directly affected by muscular skeletal disease related consciousness symptom. This study is meaningful in that the study clarified the causal relations of the degree of risk of work posture, degree of fatigue, and muscular skeletal disease related consciousness symptoms by each body part measured with the use of work stress(KOSS), psycho-social stress(PWI-SF) and REBA.

• 근관절건강학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.65-74
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• 2014

Purpose: This study examined gender differences on Musculoskeletal disease (MSD) medical status, the characteristics of the approved patients in workers, and the factors affected approval. Methods: Claim data for the MSD to the Korea Worker's Compensation & Welfare Services (2011) were employed. The medical status by gender was analyzed using t-test, chi square-test and multivariate logistic regression models. Results: The number of claims for MSD has continuously increased in females but not in males since 2006. The severity measured by the care duration, surgery experience and disability grade has been substantially higher in males than in females. Age, size of company, types of occupation, work duration and the weight of materials handled daily were associated with the approval. When males were considered, the work duration, the weight of materials handled daily and parts of the body were statistically significant predictors of approval in males. In case of female, there were meaningful predictors in types of industry and parts of the body. Conclusion: These findings suggest that gender-specific risk factors of MSD should be measured and the management program for MSD should be developed.

• 한국전문물리치료학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.69-79
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• 2012

Importance of the work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) has been increasing in the hospital industry such as health care industry and financial industry. This study investigated in order to identify the factors like general, occupational and ergonomically characteristics of the subjects related to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of physical therapists (PTs). Ergonomic tools of rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) were used for evaluation workload of the tasks. Prevalence of MSDs were 13 PTs (26.0%) for neck, 31 PTs (62.0%) for shoulder, 9 PTs (18.0%) for arm/elbow, 27 PTs (54.0%) for hand/wrist, 28 PTs (56.0%) for back, 14 PTs (28.0%) for leg/foot. The analysis of the rate of the pain intensity showed that 53.5% subjects experience moderate pain and 14.0% subjects experience severe pain. Factors which were general characteristics, for example, height, ergonomically characteristics such as 'Posture Score A' were related musculoskeletal subjective symptoms in logistic analysis (p<.05). Among physical therapists, action level of RULA were action level 2 (6.0%), action level 3 (52.0%), action level 4 (42.0%). Physical therapists were estimated one of the highest risk factor in this study. This study suggested that the need of preventive education and program for PTs (physical therapists). Comprehensive and systematic management plans should be established to include both ergonomic and sociopsychological aspects.

• 대한안전경영과학회지
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.77-86
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• 2004

Observational methods to evaluate postural load have an intrinsic week point that is the problem of reliability in observing postures subjectively, although they have been widely used in assessing risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the industry. In this study, observational reliability was discussed based on reviewing several previous studies. Practical guidelines was presented to reduce the observational errors when using video recording for the assessment of risk factors. In addition, previous studies on observational reliability were summarized and analyzed according to body parts to be observed, media for observation, objective measures, analysis, statistics, etc. It is expected that this basic study can be used to increase the applicability and accuracy of the observational methods.

• 한국직업건강간호학회지
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of work environment on health problems of nurses. Methods: The subjects of the study were 395 nurses who were wage workers among KWCS (Korean Working Conditions Survey) respondents in 2014. The work environments were measured by the KWCS questionnaire. Results: 48.5% of the 395 nurses had health problems. The prevalence of musculoskeletal diseases (34.7%) was the highest among all health problems. The ergonomic work environment was significantly related to musculoskeletal disorders, headache and eye strain, and fatigue. In addition, the increase in work-individual interface area was significantly related to fatigue. Conclusion: The work environment of nurses affects health problems. It is therefore important to develop strategies that improve the health problems of nurses by reducing ergonomic and psycho-social risk factors.