• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.201-212
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• 2022

Prior to the emergence of Covid-19, Saudi Arabia (SA) had never faced the challenge of dealing with a global pandemic. Significantly, the current crisis has impacted all industries and sectors in the country, including the healthcare system, and has led to an emphasis on human life being more precious and valuable than economic profit. This study focuses on the impact of Covid-19 on the health of nurses, including their quality of life, during 2020. Understanding the position of the nursing profession during the pandemic, including the most effective methods of preventing work-related stress is important. Information was acquired through an online survey method (i.e. self-completion), known as the Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (ENSS), which was distributed to nurses in all regions of SA. It was found that the main aspects impacting nurses' work-related stress include gender, employment type, training, and dealing with infected patients. In addition, they highlight that such stress plays a substantial role in patient safety and nurses' satisfaction at work, as well as the future survival of organizations. The emergence of Covid-19 as a novel infectious disease has increased nurses' uncertainty and work-related stress. The results of this research will provide insights into the views of both nurses and their managers, in order to identify the main indicators of stress.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.57-65
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• 2023

The public safety management guidelines were introduced in 2019 and continue to be dedicated to advancing comprehensive measures for public safety management, with a primary focus on prioritizing the safety and well-being of the public within governmental institutions. To achieve this goal, our previous study developed a establishment procedure of risk assessment-based safety inspection system for public institutions that order construction projects and applied it to highway construction projects to evaluate its effectiveness. To enhance the practicality of the establishment procedure, it is essential to collect and analyze feedback from stakeholders regarding its performance and suitability. This study conducted a survey involving 200 participants who had experience with the establishment procedure, and performed statistical analyses to evaluate its performance and applicability. The survey results indicated that the participants reported a high level of satisfaction (scoring 4 and above on a 5-point Likert scale) in several areas: specialization of safety inspection items for different types of work (with a satisfaction rate of 65%), the evaluation process for safety ratings (64.5%), and their willingness to recommend the procedure to other institutions (75.5%). In the factor analysis with Varimax rotation, two factors emerged: (1) a specialization factor related to safety inspection items, and (2) a grading factor associated with safety evaluation results. Regression analyses of these factors unveiled significant positive relationships with improvements in safety and health performance, including the prevention of fatal accidents, heightened safety responsibility, and raised safety inspection standards. The establishment procedure of safety inspection system developed in our previous study can play a crucial role in reducing accidents resulting in fatalities and injuries at construction sites, ultimately contributing to a safer working environment for all involved parties.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.140-145
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• 2012

Objectives: To understand the personal experiences of mine workers that have experienced job relocation due to silicosis at the Andina Division of Corporaci$\acute{o}$n Nacional del Cobre (CODELCO), Chile. The purpose of the study was to provide useful information for the development of new local, business and public policies for the care of workers with silicosis. Methods: A qualitative study based on a practical case study of 5 workers. The information was collected by means of structured individual interviews. The method of analysis was phenomenology. Results: The corporal axis was the most commented upon. It included awareness of the illness, body pains, fatigue, and antagonistic mood disorders (sadness, or the difficulty in finding meaning in life). As far as personal relationships, there was evidence of strong relationships with family, coworkers and friends, as well as extended family. Over all, the experience of relocation was positive with periods of impatience and uncertainty. The job reassignment provided a new and pleasant context for the relocated workers and in the process improved their perception of their quality of life. Conclusions: A multidisciplinary team should attend mine workers relocated because of silicosis by addressing the mental and physical aspects of their disease, along with the integral participation of close family members. It is suggested that this investigation be maintain over time to record the personal experiences in the medium-term, adding new cases with the intention of shedding more light on the phenomenon being studied. As a preventive measure, continual workshops are needed on the proper use of respiratory protection in addition, a group of monitors is required.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.171-187
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• 2023

Objectives: Aircraft cabin cleaning work is characterized by being performed within a limited time in a narrow and enclosed space. The objective of this study was to evaluate the exposure levels to dust, ultra fine dust(PM2.5) and black carbon(BC) among aircraft cabin cleaners. Methods: Active personal air sampling for respirable dust(n=73) and BC(n=47) was conducted during quick transit cleaning(cabin general and vacuum-specific) and seat cover replacement and total dust and PM2.5 were area-air-sampled as well. Also, size distribution of particle was identified with the cleaning workers targeted. Dusts were collected with PVC filters using gravimetric analysis. The concentration of PM2.5 and the particle size distribution were measured with real-time direct reading portable equipment using light scattering analysis. The concentration of BC was measured by aethalometer(filter-based real-time light absorption analysis instrument). Results: The geometric mean of respirable dust was the highest at vacuum cleaning as 74.4 ㎍/m³, following by replacing seat covers as 49.3 ㎍/m³ and cabin general cleaning as 47.8 ㎍/m³ . The arithmetic mean of PM2.5 was 4.83 ~ 9.89 ㎍/m³ inside the cabin, and 28.5~44.5 ㎍/m³ outside the cabin(from bus and outdoor waiting space). From size distribution, PM_2.5/PM₁₀ ratio was 0.54 at quick transit cleaning and 0.41 at replacing seat covers. The average concentration of BC was 2~7 ㎍/m³, showing a high correlation with the PM2.5 concentration. Conclusions: The hazards concentration levels of aircraft cabin cleaners were very similar to those of roadside outdoor workers. As the main source of pollution is estimated to be diesel vehicles operating at airports, and it is necessary to replace older vehicles, strengthen pollutant emission control regulations, and introduce electric vehicles. In addition, it is necessary to provide as part of airport-inftastructure a stable standby waiting space for aircraft cabin cleaners and introduce a systematic safety and health management system for all workers in the aviation industry.

• 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.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.262-268
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• 1996

In Korea, the health authorities and food industry emphasize the need of sanitary food production, which in mainly resulted from the recent growing of consumer's interest in the safety of food. For the reason, development of a new alternative technology to chemicals, currently used for decontamination and disinfestation, has become and urgent task in the domestic and worldwide food industry. Furthermore, the improvement of quality and manufacturing process of processed food is a requisite for winning the competition in export fields. Irradiation technology being practically applicable in the food industry has been well established on the basis of more than 40 years of R&D work in the fields of the increasing availability of food-stuffs, sanitary food production and quarantine treatment in the food trade. The wholesomeness of irradiation foods has been officially approved in 38 countries, of which 30 countries are commercially utilizing food irradiation technology. The first commercial irradiator in Korea(18.5PBq:500k{TEX}$Ci^{60}${/TEX} Co, max. cap; 4MCi) was established at Yeoju-gur, Kyung Ki-do with the technical assistance of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in June 1987. As of 1996, thirteen irradiated food groups (over 25 items)have been domestically approved for human consumption and an industrial irradiation facility is also available. However, the domestically approved for human consumption and an industrial irradiation facility is also available. However, the promotion of consumer acceptance to toward ir-radiated foods is considered as a confronted subject to be studied for a commercial utilization.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.9 no.spc
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• pp.107-122
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• 2003

The object of this study is to evaluate the prevailing physical and psychosocial conditions regarding occupational low back injury. This study consists of two parts. In the first part of the study, analytic biomechanical model and NIOSH guidelines are applied to evaluate risk levels of low back injury for automobile assembly jobs. Total of 246 workers are analysed. There are 20 jobs having greater back compressive forces than 300kg at L5/S1. Also, there are 44 jobs over Action Limit with respect to 1981 NIOSH guidelines. The relationship between psychosocial factors and low back injury was examined in the second part of the study. A battery of questionnaires concerning the psychosocial stress based on PWI (Psychosocial Well-being Index) and musculoskeletal pain symptoms at low back was completed by 246 workers at the same plant. Results showed that 207 out 246 workers experienced the symptoms and 27 workers were diagnosed as patients. Two groups(low stressed, high stressed) based on PWI score had no significant relationships with both symptoms and results of diagnosis. The relationships between physical work load and psychosocial stress were also analysed. Specifically, some postural factors(vertical deviation angle of forearm, horizontal deviation angle of upperarm, vertical deviation angle of thigh, etc) were highly correlated with psychosocial stress. The results illustrated that PWI scores were associated with some physical workloads. However, psychosocial stress levels couldn't be well related with the pain symptom as well as the actual incidence of low back injury since pain or discomfort regarding low back injury were more complex than that of other musculoskeletal disorders.