• KIISE Transactions on Computing Practices
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.689-698
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• 2015

Currently, the itemized box loading operation at the Agriculture Products Processing Center which distributes agricultural products for the region is carried out manually. The process of loading agricultural products requires great manpower and had been resolved through the part-time employment of the residents of farm villages. However, recently it has become quite difficult to secure manpower as the aging within the rural community has been intensified. Hence, the necessity for countermeasures such as facility automation or use of robots have become necessary. This study suggests an automatic robot system for the itemized loading of apple boxes at the Agriculture Products Processing Center. The suggested method is to design and develop equipment such as a conveyer, robot, and bar code reader. In addition, a sorting plan, operational control, generation of control information, and software module that could monitor the inside of the Agriculture Products Processing Center is needed. After test-operating and evaluating the developed system, the existing manual work would be replaced with the automated robot system in order to enhance work efficiency and resolve safety issues.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2007

The term, "food safety", has traditionally been viewed as a practical science aimed at assuring the prevention acute illnesses caused by biological microorganisms, and only to a minor extent, chronic diseases cause by chronic low level exposures to natural and synthetic chemicals or pollutants. "food safety" meant to prevent microbiological agents/toxins in/on foods, due to contamination any where from "farm to Fork", from causing acute health effects, especially to the young, immune-compromised, genetically-predisposed and elderly. However, today a broader view must also include the fact that diet, perse (nutrients, vitamins/minerals, calories), as well as low level toxins and pollutant or supplemented synthetic chemicals, can alter gene expressions of stem/progenitor/terminally-differentiated cells, leading to chronic inflammation and other mal-functions that could lead to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, atherogenesis and possibly reproductive and neurological disorders. Understanding of the mechanisms by which natural or synthetic chemical toxins/toxicants, in/on food, interact with the pathogenesis of acute and chronic diseases, should lead to a "systems" approach to "food safety". Clearly, the interactions of diet/food with the genetic background, gender, and developmental state of the individual, together with (a) interactions of other endogenous/exogenous chemicals/drugs; (b) the specific biology of the cells being affected; (c) the mechanisms by which the presence or absence of toxins/toxicants and nutrients work to cause toxicities; and (d) how those mechanisms affect the pathogenesis of acute and/or chronic diseases, must be integrated into a "system" approach. Mechanisms of how toxins/toxicants cause cellular toxicities, such as mutagenesis; cytotoxicity and altered gene expression, must take into account (a) irreversible or reversal changes caused by these toxins or toxicants; (b)concepts of thresholds or no-thresholds of action; and (c) concepts of differential effects on stem cells, progenitor cells and terminally differentiated cells in different organs. This brief Commentary tries to illustrate this complex interaction between what is on/in foods with one disease, namely cancer. Since the understanding of cancer, while still incomplete, can shed light on the multiple ways that toxins/toxicants, as well as dietary modulation of nutrients/vitamins/metals/ calories, can either enhance or reduce the risk to cancer. In particular, diets that alter the embryo-fetal micro-environment might dramatically alter disease formation later in life. In effect "food safety" can not be assessed without understanding how food could be 'toxic', or how that mechanism of toxicity interacts with the pathogenesis of any disease.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.423-432
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• 2017

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate asbestos handling history of workers at automobile manufacturing plants in Korea. Methods: National regulations on asbestos and Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency(KOSHA) database on the information of asbestos containing products were reviewed. We investigated asbestos related materials from one automobile manufacturing plant. Material safety data sheets(MSDS) collected in 2010, work environment monitoring results reported from 2000 to 2013, trade union reports and asbestos survey reports were reviewed. We also interviewed workers with long career and did walk-through survey. Results: The Ministry of Labor in Korea has permitted asbestos manufacturing since 1990. In 1997, the use of crocidolite and amosite asbestos were banned. In 2007, the Korean government announced a total ban on the manufacturing, importation and use of all kinds of asbestos, which took full effect in 2009. A total of 174 asbestos products information from KOSHA database was analyzed. Extruded cement panel for building, special brake for crane farm machinery, gasket, joint sheet and thermal insulator were produced until 2007. From automobile manufacturing plant survey, we confirmed that asbestos containing materials(ACM) such as gasket, heating induction materials have been used until 2011. Asbestos containing building materials(ACBM) such as bamlites, slate and ceiling tex were reported at 122 asbestos dismantling projects in 2014. Conclusion: Although the use of all kinds of asbestos were banned from 2009, ACMs and ACBMs installed before 2009 were still found at automobile manufacturing plant until 2011 and 2014 respectively. In particular, asbestos slates should be managed because most of slates had not been removed until 2014.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2016

Objectives: In establishing policies for agricultural safety, evaluating injury burdens as well as investigating the rates and characteristics of work injury is important. This study investigated the types and characteristics of agricultural injury subjective burdens. Methods: By analyzing the injured farmers identified in the 2013 Korean Farmers' Occupational Injury Survey, the burdens caused by injuries were categorized using one direct cost item (medical costs) and five indirect cost items (including productivity decreases and wage increases). Statistical differences among the burden items were analyzed using logistic regression analysis according to the characteristics of the farmers and their farm injuries. Results: Among the subjective burdens indicated by the 457 injured farmers, disruption to work was most common. The major influences on each subjective burden item are as follows: for the item of disruption to work, age, time of injury occurrence, treatment period, and farming machine use were influential; for an increased family member's burden of farm works, the number of family members and treatment period were influential. Regarding cost burden of treatment, the results varied according to whether or not the patient was hospitalized and annual income. Conclusion: Subjective burdens induced by indirect costs rather than those induced by direct costs were found to be higher in ratio. In regard to each burden item, the results varied according to the characteristics of the farmers and their farm injuries. To support injured farmer, setting goals to reduce indirect cost burdens and preparing concrete methods is necessary.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.248-254
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• 2022

Background: Occupational hazards in crop farms vary diversely based on different field operations as soil management, harvesting processes, pesticide, or fertilizer application. We aimed at evaluating the immunological status of crop farmers, as limited systematic investigations on immune alteration involved with crop farming have been reported yet. Methods: Immunological parameters including plasma immunoglobulin level, major peripheral immune cells distribution, and level of cytokine production from activated T cell were conducted. Nineteen grape orchard, 48 onion open-field, and 21 rose greenhouse farmers were participated. Results: Significantly low proportion of natural killer (NK) cell, a core cell for innate immunity, was revealed in the grape farmers (19.8±3.3%) in comparison to the onion farmers (26.4±3.1%) and the rose farmers (26.9±2.5%), whereas cytotoxic T lymphocyte proportion was lower in the grape and the onion farmers than the rose farmers. The proportion of NKT cell, an immune cell implicated with allergic response, was significantly higher in the grape (2.3±0.3%) and the onion (1.6±0.8%) farmers compared with the rose farmers (1.0±0.4%). A significantly decreased interferon-gamma:interleukin-13 ratio was observed from ex vivo stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells of grape farmers compared with the other two groups. The grape farmers revealed the lowest levels of plasma IgG1 and IgG4, and their plasma IgE level was not significantly different from that of the onion or the rose farmers. Conclusion: Our finding suggests the high vulnerability of workplace-mediated allergic immunity in grape orchard farmers followed by open-field onion farmers and then the rose greenhouse farmers.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.279-291
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• 2015

Objective: The purpose of the study is to evaluate appropriate weight for aged farmers in manually handling livestock feed in bags using ergonomic methods. Background: In the livestock industry in South Korea, despite the trend of aging of labor manpower, heavy items are still manually handled in many farms. In particular, among stockbreeding works, the handling of feed in bags weighing 25~30kg is reported as a cause of frequent injuries and musculoskeletal system diseases. However, studies on the standard for recommended weight allowed considering the physical characteristics of aged farmers older than 60 years with greatly decreased physical strength and muscle strength are insufficient. Method: To evaluate appropriate weight for handling of heavy livestock feed in bags, physical techniques for measuring recognized levels of physical work loads, the NLE (NIOSH lifting equation) a method that is an observation type technique, and an ergonomic modeling technique to predict compressive force imposed on L5/S1 were used. Subjects who participated in the experiment were organized into two groups of males/females with mean age exceeding 60 years, and lifting tasks were evaluated for nine weight levels. Results: Based on the results of psychophysical measurement, females showed a tendency of more drastic increases compared to males when weight was over 19kg. The results of estimation of regression models for the weight, 18.0 kg ($r^2=0.97$) and 15.3kg ($r^2=0.97$) were evaluated as stable load for males and females, respectively. In addition, both the observation type evaluation and ergonomic model evaluation showed stable loads in a range of 15~18kg. Conclusion: Given the results of the study, the weight of the feed in bags currently distributed to farms can become a cause of not only overexertion but also farm work related disasters such as musculoskeletal disorders and safety accidents. Providing livestock feed in bags weighing not more than 19kg for aged farmers is judged desirable, and managerial improvement for this matter is considered necessary. Application: The results of the present study can be utilized as useful data for institutional improvement of the weight of livestock feed in bags.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.90-93
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• 2019

Brucellosis is one of the zoonoses, and it is a disease that is almost eliminated in South Korea. This disease is also known as a representative disease of one health. We would like to introduce brucellosis found by one health in this study. One Health means an approach in which multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better public health outcomes. The Gyeongbuk Agricultural Safety and Health Center established a cooperation system between a Veterinary Service Laboratory and a Public Health Center, and found a case of human brucellosis in a farm with cattle brucellosis. Through this case, to be effective control of zoonoses as above case, epidemiological investigation for cattle and human should be concurrently conducted. And we once again recognized the need for multi-sectoral cooperation in prevention and management of zoonoses.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.303-314
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• 2004

Objectives: This study was carried out to assess exposure levels of organic dusts and ammonia in poultry farms in Korea. Methods: A total of six poultry farms were investigated. The farms were located in Namwon, Chonlabuk-do and in Kae-San, Chungchongbuk-do. This study consisted of a questionnaire and measuring organic dusts and ammonia. The questionnaire included the characteristics of the farms, work patterns and the tasks of the poultry farms. Results and Conclusions: The farmers raised the chickens 45 times a year and the average number of years in the poultry farm were eight years ranging from 2 to 12 years. They worked for seven days per week and the average hours spent caring the chickens are 6.3 hours per day. The duration of staying in the confinement buildings was 3.3 hours per day. The work time in summer was longest. The feed and the water supply systems were automatic and the control of ventilation windows used "winch curtain" was semiautomatic. They used mechanical ventilation system in winter and used dilution ventilation system in the other seasons. The geometric mean concentration of total and respirable dust sampled in the poultry confinement buildings was 4.0 mg/$m^3$and 0.9 mg/$m^3$ respectively. The ratio of respirable to total dusts range from 9 to 49 percent. There was no sample exceeding the criteria 10 mg/$m^3$ for total dust and 3 mg/$m^3$ for respirable dust in farms. The criteria have been recommended by Korean Ministry of Labor and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist. The personal respirable dusts measured during a circle work averaged geometric mean concentration 1.4 mg/$m^3$ Two personal samples were exceeded the threshold 3 mg/$m^3$. There was a positive relation between an index and the personal samples of respirable dusts($R^2$=0.98). The index is calculated by multipling the total number of chickens in the farm by the age of the chickens and then dividing by the volume of the confinement building. The geometric mean concentration of area and personal ammonia samples was 23.3 ppm and 22.2 ppm, respectively. Some of the ammonia samples, both area and personal samples, exceeded the short term exposure limit value 35 ppm.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.44 no.9
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• pp.765-776
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• 2011

Flood discharge capacity in a dam downstream reach has been decreased after dam construction because of the river cross section reduction impacted by farm lands, sand-bars and parking lots, etc. in river flood plains. Those obstacles being in the river inside areas have caused negative influences to the dam operation policy. Therefore, the dam downstream river improvement work associated with the dam operation improvement plan is under construction for removing reduction factors on the dam effective storage, assuring flood safety in the dam downstream river and incrementing dam operation benefits. But the project has issued some problems such as project feasibility, economic evaluation, cost allocation and benefit share, etc. Since a dam enterpriser has not committed such kind of project before, it is necessary to set up an objective analysis process and a quantitative financial valuation. This study examines the measurable economic benefits and the cost allocation of the project for the fairness between benefit owners (central government and water electricity enterprisers). As a result, the total economic benefit from 3 dams (Imha, Daechung and Youngdam Dam) accounts for 14.41 Billion Won/year. The financial valuation of K-water as a project enterpriser is approximately estimated at 40% of the total value and the government is 60%.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2018

It is ten years since the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification system was implemented in Korea, and the government aims to acquire GAP certification up to 25% of the total agricultural areas by 2022. As of the end of 2017, 6.3% of the total cultivated area and 8.1% of the total farm households were certified, which is slower than expected. The purpose of this study was to investigate the causes of the GAP accreditation through the surveys and on site inspections of the GAP certified farmers and to propose the development plans according to the problems analysis of the current system in order to expand the GAP certification. Certified farmers recognized the need for agricultural safety and hygiene, but there were a lot of nonconformities regarding practical practices. This is due to the ambiguity of the certification standards and the wrong ways in the training method for the producers. GAP certification is slow to expand to farmers and low consumer awareness is considered a structural problem of GAP certification system, and improvement measures are needed accordingly. It is necessary to convert the state-led GAP certification system into a state-led private certification system. It is necessary for the government to focus on policy, research and follow-up management. In addition, it is necessary to establish a separate organization in the form of a contribution organization for the certification, education, and public relations. In addition, long-term plan must be established and systematically carried out. It is necessary to integrate too many certification agencies compared to the farming scale of Korea, and it is necessary to realize the application fee for realizing the financial independence of the certification body and correct certification work. In addition, inspector qualification standards should be strengthened and training system should be improved to nurture high quality inspectors. Simplified certification standards based on statutes need to be subdivided into practical action plans. In order to improve the GAP certification system, it is necessary to have a discussion through a committee composed of specialists from industry and academia, and it will be possible to contribute to the safety of the food of the people through the production of safe by drawing concrete development plans.