• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.543-552
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• 2013

Physiological and subjective responses of the farmers and thermal environment during chili harvest in the open field were investigated to evaluate the thermal environments and farmers's workload. Eight career female farmers in their sixties participated as subjects both in morning work(MW, AM 9:00~10:30) and in afternoon work(AW, PM 15:00~16:30) with each lasting about 90 minutes. The results were as follows. 1) Air temperature, air humidity, globe temperature and WBGT of MW were mean $25.54^{\circ}C$, 81.82%RH, $37.72^{\circ}C$, $26.27^{\circ}C$ and AW were mean $30.63^{\circ}C$ 82.50%RH, $40.11^{\circ}C$, $30.02^{\circ}C$, respectively. By the WBGT, we evaluated that the thermal environment in the afternoon in the open field gave a thermal burden to farmers. 2) Mean skin temperature of AW($34.8{\pm}0.8^{\circ}C$) was higher than MW($33.5{\pm}1.2^{\circ}C$)(p<0.05). Clothing microclimate temperature on the chest of each work time were $31.3^{\circ}C$(MW) and $32.7^{\circ}C$(AW). Clothing microclimate humidity on the chest of each work time were over 80%RH. Heart rate were 88.5bpm(MW) and 91.7bpm(AW) respectively. 3) Farmers working in the afternoon felt uncomfortable after 45~60 min. of work and in the morning they felt uncomfortable after 90 min. of work. We evaluated that the harvesting of chilies in the open field was 'moderate work' by the physiological responses but the level of thermal burden increased over time especially in the afternoon work. It is suggested that farm workers should drink fluids between work to stay in homeostasis by sweating and to take frequent rests. Active clothing ventilation and wearing functional garments would help farm workers excrete sweat effectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.163-175
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• 2015

This study aimed to analyze factors of importance and performance picked by customers of Bibijeong, a farm restaurant operated by the local community of Wanju-gun. Major points include: Recognition paths mostly were word of mouth and mass media, types of visit were in the company of friends, family members or work colleagues, and purposes of visit included consumption of meal and identifying features of the restaurant. Secondly, factor analysis showed that level of facility, atmosphere/cleanness, diversity of menu, employees, ingredients and network. The Cronbach Alpha coefficient was +0.6. Thirdly, average of importance of factors was 3.861 while average performance was 3.429. IPA analysis showed that employee(communication, customer contact) in the first quadrant proved the need for fast improvement through training. Atmosphere/cleanness (interior atmosphere, table clean, kitchen cleanliness, clean dishes, interion design) and employee(proficiency, menu recognition), foodstuff(freshness, origin, safety) in the second quadrant showed that the marketing strategy of improvement as well as maintaining current status is needed, including regular training and hygiene inspection. The third quadrant contains facilities(disability, baby, fire protection) and food menu(food packing, various menu, creative menu, menu description), network(village economic links), which showed the need for gradual improvement. The forth quadrant contains network(sights's near contains. The results so far can be summed into the statement that overcoming the basic functionality of providing meals and linking the restaurant with local attractions and local economy would be need, as well as building up the image of unique farm restaurant with local features, so that Bibijeong can serve as the centerpiece of community and foundation of exchange with other areas.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.749-754
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• 2021

In order to solve problems such as a decrease in the agricultural population and an aging population, research on agricultural robots is being actively conducted for the purpose of automating various agricultural tasks. The harvesting process is the most labor-intensive process among farm work and this process consumes about 2-3 times more compared to other processes. Since the transport of agricultural crops requires the most labor costs and there is a risk of injury during the operation, automating the transport operation through an agricultural robot can improve safety and significantly improve productivity. Therefore, this paper proposes an agricultural robot that is optimized for farm worksites and capable of autonomous driving.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.545-557
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• 2017

Objective: The aim of this study was to find risk factors in cultivating ginseng based on risk assessments and suggest safety measures for main risks. Background: Safety education and training is one of the practical and effective methods to prevent occupational accidents and injuries. In agricultural sector, there are few contents of safety education as compared to other industries. Especially, farm work has different cultivation characteristics according to the crops, so it needs special education materials for each crop. Among the various types of crops, ginseng contains various risk factors due to its long cultivating period and unique environment. Therefore, safety education material specified for ginseng is necessary to improve ginseng farmers' safety. Method: Risk assessment for cultivating tasks of ginseng was carried out through data obtained from various methods (site survey, interview, literature survey). To improve objectivity, the risk assessment was applied with 3-criteria (researcher estimate, interview, previous research results). Finally, the three high-risk tasks were selected and safety measures for those tasks were provided. Results: Three tasks, such as 'Mounting, maintenance and removing supports', 'Pest control' and 'Harvest', were selected as risky tasks among total tasks. (1) In 'Mounting' and maintenance and removing supports', the farmers found to be exposed to the risks of musculoskeletal disorders and accidents related to operating the tablet machine. (2) In 'Pest control', agrichemical poisoning, musculoskeletal disorders and hyperthermia were main risks. Finally, (3) In 'Harvest', the farmers are mainly exposed to the possibility of accidents of agricultural machines and risks of musculoskeletal disorders. Thus, it needs to apply appropriate safety measures to those risky tasks, such as safety guidelines, convenience equipment, protective kit, and so on. Conclusion: This study can be used as basic data for agricultural safety and expected that it would be useful for further study. In addition, the results of the research will be produced in the form of animation, which will enhance the safety consciousness for aged farmers. Application: The result of this study can be used in developing safety education materials for ginseng farmers which is essential to prevent occupational accidents and injuries among ginseng farmers.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.127-132
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• 2021

Background: Herbicides such as glyphosate, paraquat, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid have been reported to cause adverse side effects through production of reactive oxygen species. However, there were no data representing the adverse effects of a mixture herbicide usage in farmers, especially the changes in oxidative marker and antioxidant defense. This study aimed to determine the urinary malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) level in farmers using mixed herbicides. Methods: Ninety-three farmers were recruited, and two spot urine samples (before and after work) were collected. The urinary MDA level was evaluated by thiobarbituric acid reactive substance assay, and the urinary GSH level was determined using the enzymatic recycling method. Results: Sixty-two percent of the participants were men, and 59% of the participants worked in a farm for 20-40 years. The common combinations of herbicide usage were glyphosate with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (36.5%). There was no significant difference between pre- and post-work urinary MDA and GSH levels among the 3 groups of herbicides. However, the urinary MDA levels in farmers using the combination of glyphosate and paraquat were significantly higher than those found in farmers using glyphosate alone. The associated factors with changes in MDA levels found that the exposure intensity index (B = 0.154), the cumulative exposure intensity index (B = 0.023), and wearing gloves while working (B = -2.347) were found to be significantly associated with MDA level. Conclusion: The results suggest that the combined use of glyphosate and paraquat caused a significant increase in urinary MDA levels. Moreover, intensity of exposure to herbicide and wearing gloves were associated with the level of MDA.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.773-783
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• 2012

Objective: The aim of this study is to identify foot shapes of Korean male farmers by classifying their foot types using 3D scan data and analyzing the characteristics of each type. Background: The increasing demands for anthropometric information for the design of machinery and personal protective equipment to prevent occupational injuries has necessitated an understanding of the anthropometric differences to be found among occupations. Static stooped posture and squatting posture are so common in Korean farmers that anthropometric deformation in foot especially seems to occur easily. Method: 366 Korean male farmers volunteered for this study from 16 different farming villages nationwide from 2009 to 2011. Subjects were categorized into 4 age groups from 40s to 70s. Their right feet were measured by using 3D foot scanner, the anthropometric dimensions were composed of 40 items. Results: The 8 major factors affecting the foot shapes were extracted. From these factors the foot shape of Korean male farmers was classified into 3 Foot types. Foot type 1 showed severe deformation in toe 1, type 2 had a narrow shape and type 3 had a wider width for its length. Conclusion: There were some differences in foot shape and types between farmers and the public. The most characteristic foot type in Korean male farmers was type 3. Application: The results of identifying foot shapes of Korean male farmers might provide the useful information for designing ergonomic farm work shoes.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.118-124
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• 2020

Background: The poultry industry in Pakistan has flourished since the 1960s; however, there are scarce data regarding the impact of occupational exposure on the pulmonary health of farm workers in terms of years working in the industry. The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of poultry environment on the health of occupationally exposed poultry farmers in countries of warm climatic regions, such as Pakistan. This study will also show the effect of exposure to poultry facilities on the health of poultry farmers in the context of low-income countries with a relatively inadequate occupational exposure risk management. Materials and methods: The lung function capacity of 79 poultry workers was measured using a spirometer. Along with spirometry, a structured questionnaire was also administrated to obtain information about age, height, weight, smokers/nonsmokers, years of working experience, and pulmonary health of farm workers. The workers who were directly involved in the care and handling of birds in these intensive facilities were considered and divided into four groups based on their years of working experience: Group I (3-10 months), Group II (1-5 years), Group III (6-10 years), and Group IV (more than 11 years). The forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and the FEV1/FVC ratio were considered to identify lung function abnormalities. Statistical analysis was carried out using independent sample t test, Chi-square test, Pearson's correlation, and linear regression. Results: Based on the performed spirometry, 68 (86 %) of workers were found normal and healthy, whereas 11 (14 %) had a mild obstruction. Of the 11 workers with mild obstruction, the highest number with respect to the total was in Group IV (more than 11 years of working experience) followed by Group III and Group II. Most of the workers were found healthy, which seems to be because of the healthy survivor effect. For the independent sample t test, a significant difference was noticed between healthy and nonhealthy farmers, whereas Chi-square test showed a significant association with height, drugs, and working experience. Linear regression that was stratified by respiratory symptoms showed for workers with symptoms, regression models for all spirometric parameters (FVC, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC) have better predictive power or R square value than those of workers without symptoms. Conclusion: These findings suggest that lung function capacity was directly related to years of working experience. With increasing number of working years, symptoms of various respiratory problems enhanced in the poultry workers. It should be noted that most of the poultry workers were healthy and young, the rationale being that there is a high turnover rate in this profession. The mobility in this job and our finding of 86% of the healthy workers in the present study also proposed healthy worker survivor effect.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.454-468
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• 2014

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the actual condition of the farm work environment and personal protective equipment as part of the effort to improve livestock work for the safety and health of poultry farmers and provide basic data for establishing plans to improve and develop personal protective equipment. Methods: For this purpose, a questionnaire survey on general information about stables, the poultry work environment, accidents, the wearing of work clothes and personal protective equipment, and the level of awareness related to personal protective equipment was conducted among 148 poultry farmers. Results: As a result, it was found that poultry workplace environment was exposed to such risks as fine dusts; organic dusts; poisonous gases; odorous substances; chicken excrement; contact with chickens, bacteria or viruses; and accidents related to machine operation. Thirteen percent of respondents suffered severe respiratory diseases, and the most frequently injured sites due to accidents were the hands (25.7%), knees (23.8%), arms (17.3%), and head (10.9%). The most frequent type of accident was collisions between the body and obstacles or machinery during movement (36.4%), followed by erroneous machine operation such as feeders and electric shocks (8.5%). Regarding the wearing of work clothes and personal protective equipment, 51.7% of the respondents wore worn-out clothing or everyday clothes, whereas only 32.0% wore work clothes. The percentage of farmers who wore proper protective equipment for the work environment during poultry work was 48.4%. The most frequently used type of protective equipment was boots (38.9%), followed by mask (36.7%), gloves (36.3%), appropriate work clothes (22.6%), quarantine clothes (17.6%), helmets (13.4%), and goggles (12.6%). The rate of wearing goggles was low because they were considered inconvenient and lowered work efficiency. Furthermore, they purchased everyday products available on the market for their personal protective equipment which were not appropriate for maintaining safety in an actual harmful environment and its consequent risks. As a result of the survey of the awareness level related to personal protective equipment, their levels of awareness of accidents and attitude proved to be average or higher, but the practice of wearing protective equipment and the level of knowledge and management of personal protective equipment were lower. Conclusion: This survey found that the wearing status of personal protective equipment among poultry farmers was insufficient even though they were exposed to risks. Most respondents were aware of the necessity of wearing personal protective equipment and of the potential for accidents, but they did not wear proper protective equipment. Their wearing rate was low due to a lack of knowledge about protective equipment, as well as the inconvenience of wearing it. Therefore there is a need to improve and develop specialized personal protective equipment for respiration, hands, and eyes, as well as work clothes that can protect farmers from major harmful matter that is generated in the poultry workplace. Based on the results of this investigation, we will conduct further studies on the required performance and design directions of personal protective equipment while collecting more objective data through field-oriented assessments.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.71-81
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• 2020

Enclosed pig house are creating an environment with high concentrations of gas and dust. Poor conditions in pig farms reduce pig weight and increase disease and accidents for livestock workers. In the pig house, the high concentration of harmful gas may cause asphyxiation accidents to workers and chronic respiratory disease by long-term exposure. As pig farm workers have been aging and feminized, the damage to the health of the harsh environment is getting serious, and real-time monitoring is needed to prevent the damage. However, most of the measuring devices related to humidity, harmful gas, and fine dust except temperature sensors are exposed to high concentrations of gas and dust inside pig house and are difficult to withstand for a long time. The purpose of this study is to develop an wearable based device to monitor the hazardous environment exposed to workers working in pig farms. Based on the field monitoring and previous researches, the measurement range and basic specifications of the equipment were selected, and wearable based device was designed in terms of utilization, economic efficiency, size and communication performance. Selected H₂S and NH₃ sensors showed the average error of 5.3% comparing to standard gas concentrations. The measured data can be used to manage the working environment according to the worker's location and to obtain basic data for work safety warning.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.266-276
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• 2014

The present study aims to determine the effect of the prevention exercise program of musculoskeletal disorders developed for apple and pear farmers. To achieve this goal, 25 farmers who have subjective symptoms in the musculoskeletal system (Criteria 1 in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) have conducted the prevention exercise program for 12 weeks from April 7, 2011 to July 1, 2011. As a result, the prevention exercise program of the musculoskeletal disorders for farmers in the fruit growing industry have improved physical capability of them (upper extremity endurance, lower extremity endurance, balance and agility) as well as a quality of life effectively. In addition, a quality of life showed a significant correlation with Oswestry Disability Index, and Psychosocial Well-being Index. For the future study, various studies are expected to develop and apply exercise programs in consideration of the characteristics of farming work.