• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.8
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• pp.2924-2932
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• 2022

Motivated by learning from experience and exploiting existing knowledge in civil nuclear operations, we have developed in-house generic Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) models for pressurized and boiling water reactors. The models are computationally light, handy, transparent, user-friendly, and easily adaptable to account for major plant-specific differences. They cover the common internal initiating events, frontline and support systems reliability and dependencies, human-factors, common-cause failures, and account for new factors typically overlooked in many PSAs. For quantification, the models use generic US reliability data, precursor analysis reports, the ETHZ Curated Nuclear Events Database, and experts' opinions. Moreover, uncertainties in the most influential basic events are addressed. The generated results show good agreement with assessments available in the literature with detailed PSAs. We envision the models as an unbiased framework to measure nuclear operational risk with the same "ruler", and hence support inter-plant risk comparisons that are usually not possible due to differences in plant-specific PSA assumptions and scopes. The models can be used for initial risk screening, order-of-magnitude precursor analysis, and other research/pedagogic applications especially when no plant-specific PSAs are available. Finally, we are using the generic models for large-scale precursor analysis that will generate big picture trends, lessons, and insights.

• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2014

Tunnelling has become a preferred method of construction for road and highway projects in countries with a lot of hilly slope geological conditions such as found in Malaysia. However the construction works of a tunnelling project are usually complicated and costly, which consequently impose great risks to the parties involved. This paper identifies the key significant risks and sub-risks for tunnelling construction projects in Malaysia through a case study. Interview has been used as the solitary means to determine the significant risks from contractor's eleven key project personnel who were directly involved in the tunnelling construction such as consultant, construction manager and tunnel engineers. The importance of the risks identified is then prioritised and ranked via the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)'s pairwise comparison approach to determine their criticality towards a successful delivery of project. As a result, three key risks have been identified as significant for the tunnelling case study project, namely health and safety, cost overrun in construction and time overrun in construction. Two sub-risks each of the latter categories, which are cost underestimation and unforeseen events (cost overrun in construction) as well as plant and machinery failure and delay in material delivery (time overrun in construction), have occupied the top five overall risk ranking.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2023.11a
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• pp.49-50
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• 2023

Asbestos is a building material that has been actively used because of its excellent durability and heat resistance until 2009, when it was found to be a first-class carcinogen and prohibited in Korea. Currently, asbestos dismantling is an essential process in demolition of old buildings. Workers are likely to be exposed to asbestos in the process of dismantling and removing them, which causes various occupational diseases, suggesting related laws and work standards to ensure the safety of asbestos dismantling process. Accordingly, prior studies have been conducted to analyze the level of asbestos exposure and influencing factors occurring during work, but most of them are mainly concerning health issue while research on process risks considering field characteristics and safety aspects of the work processes is still insufficient. Therefore, this study aims to derive the process risks affecting the safety of workers based on the survey results of asbestos dismantling companies, and further proposed a cost calculation model taking those risks into account.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.108-116
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• 2004

After the IMF financial crisis, a lot of risks in construction industry have been increased gradually with the expansion of construction industry widely, higher stories of building, and the expansion of the underground space and excavation work. These risks are bringing out construction accidents such as the death, the injury of worker and so on, not so much as it would be effected the corporation's image. In spite of these situations, many construction industries still maintain the wrong methods and not try to decrease construction accidents. Recently, we should focus on the fact that management system of the larger construction also is being good, on the other hand, the condition of the work in the case of smaller construction industries is very poor, construction company have a particular safety management system but it has a difference according to the construction magnitude, construction companies have a particular safety management system but it has a difference depending on the construction according to the construction magnitude. Therefore, this study will suggest the developed way of construction safety management by the comparison and analysis from the difference between the higher and the smaller construction industries.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 2010

Industrial Safety and Health Law (ISH Law) of Japan requires abnormalities identified in evaluations of worker health and working environments are reported to occupational physicians, and employers are advised of measures to ensure appropriate accommodations in working environments and work procedures. Since the 1980s, notions of a risk assessment and occupational safety and health management system were expected to further prevent industrial accidents. In 2005, ISH Law stipulated workplace risk assessment using the wording "employers shall endeavor." Following the amendment, multiple documents and guidelines for risk assessment for different work procedures were developed. They require ISH Laws to be implemented fully and workplaces to plan and execute measures to reduce risks, ranking them from those addressing potential hazards to those requiring workers to wear protective articles. A governmental survey in 2005 found the performance of risk assessment was 20.4% and common reasons for not implementing risk assessments were lack of adequate personnel or knowledge. ISH Law specifies criminal penalties for both individuals and organizations. Moreover, under the Labor Contract Law promulgated in 2007, employers are obliged to make reasonable efforts to ensure employee health for foreseeable and avoidable risks. Therefore, enterprises neglecting even the non-binding provisions of guidelines are likely to suffer significant business impact if judged to be responsible for industrial accidents or occupational disease. To promote risk assessment, we must strengthen technical, financial, and physical support from public-service organizations, encourage the dissemination of good practices to reduce risks, and consider additional employer incentives, including relaxed mandatory regulations.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.184-190
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• 2001

Industrial structure is more developed, the economical value of human resources and the cases which risks worker's Health & Safety is expended. The Safety & Health issues are focused on elements of control for management activity simultaneously with work environment as well as the risk elements which risks worker's life and body. The activity for combination of basic management System and Safety & Health management is progressing with active discussion in ILO, BS 8800 is specified the guidance of Occupational Safety & Health Management System in UK. 1996. This research refers to BS 8800:1996, specification as a basic model, and introduce of the result of certification development result in Occupational Safety & Health management System with in ISO 14001 Environmental System Standards & ISO 9001 Quality Management System Standards and Systemic Factors. Through this applicability and efficiency evaluation, we make an effort to support and to improve the specification. Also applicability evaluation of Occupational Safety & Health management System and the specification developed for the purpose of the third party certification is applied with expending in industry, and the method is presented through the case which is required to support for method review and activities.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.372-377
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• 2020

Infection risks of handling specimens associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by public health laboratory services teams were assessed to scrutinize the potential hazards arising from the work procedures. Through risk assessments of all work sequences, laboratory equipment, and workplace environments, no aerosol-generating procedures could be identified except the procedures (mixing and transfer steps) inside biological safety cabinets. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as surgical masks, protective gowns, face shields/safety goggles, and disposable gloves, together with pertinent safety training, was provided for laboratory work. Proper disinfection and good hand hygiene practices could minimize the probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection at work. All residual risk levels of the potential hazards identified were within the acceptable level. Contamination by gloved hands was considered as a major exposure route for SARS-CoV-2 when compared with eye protection equipment. Competence in proper donning and doffing of PPE accompanied by hand washing techniques was of utmost importance for infection control.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.163-169
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• 2022

Background: It is estimated that about 13 million artisanal and small-scale miners carry out their activities under harsh, precarious, unfriendly, and risky conditions. Yet, our understanding of the extent to which these workers use personal protective equipment (PPE) and navigate through the various risks and hazards they face is still limited. This article has two main objectives. First, it explores the extent of usage of PPE among artisanal and small-scale miners for the prevention of hazards and risks. Second, it examines the coping strategies used by these miners as a response to experiences of occupational injuries and risks Methods: A cross-sectional survey of small-scale miners was conducted in six communities across three districts in Ghana, West Africa. The mixed methods approach was adopted. A total of 148 small-scale miners participated in the study. Six focus group discussions (FGDs) were held across the six communities. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Chi-square tests were used to analyse the relationship between some socio-demographic characteristics (sex, age, and educational background) and the usage of PPE. Open-ended questions and responses from FGDs were analysed based on the content and verbatim quotations from miners. Results: Findings suggest that 78% of the miners interviewed do not use the appropriate PPE citing reasons such as cost, and their personal discomfort associated with use of PPE. There was no significant relationship between socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., sex, age, education and major mining activity) and the usage of PPE. The study further revealed four main coping strategies used by miners to handle the risks. These are rest, taking unprescribed medication and hard drugs, registration with health insurance scheme and savings and investments. Conclusion: This study shows that very few artisanal miners use PPE despite the significant hazards and risks to which they are exposed. The study recommends to the government to put in place measures to ensure that miners adhere to health and safety regulations before undertaking mining activities. This means that health and safety plans and use of PPE should be linked to the license acquisition process for miners.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.390-397
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• 2023

Introduction: Biological risks are a major global problem in the workplace. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the biological risks at work. This study presents data on both communicable infectious biological agents and noncommunicable factors leading to death and disability for the year 2021. Methods: We followed the methodology established by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in their past global estimates on occupational accidents and work-related diseases. We used relevant ILO estimates for hazardous substances and related population attributable fractions derived from literature, which were then applied to World Health Organization mortality data. The communicable diseases included in the estimates were tuberculosis, pneumococcal diseases, malaria, diarrheal diseases, other infectious diseases, neglected tropical diseases, influenza associated respiratory diseases and COVID-19. Noncommunicable diseases and injuries considered were Chronic Obstructive Diseases (COPD) due to organic dusts, asthma, allergic reactions and risks related to animal contact. We estimated death attributable to biological risk at work and disability in terms of disability adjusted life years (DALYs). Results: We estimated that in 2022, 550,819 deaths were caused by biological risk factors, with 476,000 deaths attributed to communicable infectious diseases and 74,000 deaths caused by noncommunicable factors. Among these, there were 223,650 deaths attributed to COVID-19 at work. We calculated the rate of 584 DALYs per 100,000 workers, representing an 11% increase from the previous estimate of the global burden of work-related disabilities measured by DALYs. Conclusion: This is a first update since previous 2007 ILO estimates, which has now increased by 74% and covers most biological risks factors. However, it is important to note that there may be other diseases and deaths are missing from the data, which need to be included when new information becomes available. It is also worth mentioning that while deaths caused by major communicable diseases including COVID-19 are relatively rare within the working population, absences from work due to these diseases are likely to be very common within the active workforce.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.151-158
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• 2015

Usually risk assessment is performed for the safety of diverse industries though, many kinds of risks cannot be analyzed effectively by using classical probability models due to lack of experience data and impreciseness of human decision making. For these reasons, fuzzy risk assessment utilizing subjective judgment and experience of skillful experts has been considered as a solution. In this study, to comprehend the relationship between conventional fuzzy theory and human conceptual images on risks, linguistic variables were reviewed with reference to fuzzy membership functions, especially in the Korean language. As interviewees, about a hundred people including students as well as safety engineers voluntarily participated. The research results showed that most people were in favor of adjective expressions decorated with adverbs rather than naive expressions such as "high" or "low", and that directly translated linguistic variables were not appropriate for the Korean people in risk assessment as far. Therefore, with consideration of the selection tendency by the Korean people in linguistic variables, it could be concluded that 5 level expressions would be most favorable for linguistic variables in risk assessments in Korea.