• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• 제11권3호
• /
• pp.314-321
• /
• 2020

Background: Occupational accidents occur for a variety of reasons, such as unsafe behaviors of workers and insufficient safety equipment at the workplace, but there are also various economic and social factors that can impact working conditions and working environment. This study analyzed the relationship between changes in economic factors and the occurrence of occupational accidents in Korea. Methods: Multilinear regression analysis was used as the analysis model. The general to specific method was also used, which consecutively removes statistically insignificant variables from a general model that includes dependent variables and lagged variables of dependent variables. Results: The frequency of occupational accidents was found to have a statistically significant relationship to economic indicators. The monthly number of cases of occupational injury and disease and fatal occupational injuries were found to be closely related to manufacturing capacity utilization, differences in the production index in the services sector, and commencements of building construction. The increase in equipment investment indicators was found to reduce fatal occupational injuries. Conclusion: The results of this study may be used to develop occupational accident trends or leading indicators, which in turn can be used by organizations that manage and monitor occupational accidents toward taking administrative action designed to reduce occupational accidents. The results also imply that short-term and mid- to long-term economic and social changes that can impact workers, workplaces and working conditions, and workplace organizations must be taken into account if more effective government policies are to be established and implemented toward further prevention of occupational accidents.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• 제2권2호
• /
• pp.148-157
• /
• 2011

Objectives: Although compensation for occupational injuries and diseases is guaranteed in almost all nations, countries vary greatly with respect to how they organize workers' compensation systems. In this paper, we focus on three aspects of workers' compensation insurance in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries - types of systems, employers' funding mechanisms, and coverage for injured workers - and their impacts on the actual frequencies of occupational injuries and diseases. Methods: We estimated a panel data fixed effect model with cross-country OECD and International Labor Organization data. We controlled for country fixed effects, relevant aggregate variables, and dummy variables representing the occupational accidents data source. Results: First, the use of a private insurance system is found to lower the occupational accidents. Second, the use of risk-based pricing for the payment of employer raises the occupational injuries and diseases. Finally, the wider the coverage of injured workers is, the less frequent the workplace accidents are. Conclusion: Private insurance system, fixed flat rate employers' funding mechanism, and higher coverage of compensation scheme are significantly and positively correlated with lower level of occupational accidents compared with the public insurance system, risk-based funding system, and lower coverage of compensation scheme.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• 제8권3호
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2006

Recently data mining techniques have been used for analysis and classification of data related to industrial accidents. The main objective of this study is to compare algorithms for data analysis of industrial accidents and this paper provides an optimal predicting model of 5 kinds of algorithms including CHAID, CART, C4.5, LR (Logistic Regression) and NN (Neural Network) with ROC chart, lift chart and response threshold. Also, this paper provides an approximation model for an optimal predicting model based on NN. The approximation model provided in this study can be utilized for easy interpretation of data analysis using NN. This study uses selected ten independent variables to group injured people according to a dependent variable in a way that reduces variation. In order to find an optimal predicting model among 5 algorithms, a retrospective analysis was performed in 67,278 subjects. The sample for this work chosen from data related to industrial accidents during three years ($2002\;{\sim}\;2004$) in korea. According to the result analysis, NN has excellent performance for data analysis and classification of industrial accidents.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• 제3권3호
• /
• pp.181-191
• /
• 2012

Objectives: Small enterprises have higher exposure to occupational hazards compared to larger enterprises and further, they have fewer resources to control the risks. In order to improve the working environment, development of efficient measures is therefore a major challenge for regulators and other stakeholders. The aim of this paper is to develop a systematic model for the design of tailored intervention programmes meeting the needs of small enterprises. Methods: An important challenge for the design process is the transfer of knowledge from one context to another. The concept of realist analysis can provide insight into mechanisms by which intervention knowledge can be transferred from one context to another. We use this theoretical approach to develop a design model. Results: The model consist of five steps: 1) Defining occupational health and safety challenges of the target group, 2) selecting methods to improve the working environment, 3) developing theories about mechanisms which motivate the target group, 4) analysing the specific context of the target group for small enterprise programmes including owner-management role, social relations, and the perception of the working environment, and 5) designing the intervention based on the preceding steps. We demonstrate how the design model can be applied in practice by the development of an intervention programme for small enterprises in the construction industry. Conclusion: The model provides a useful tool for a systematic design process. The model makes it transparent for both researchers and practitioners as to how existing knowledge can be used in the design of new intervention programmes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• 제38권3호
• /
• pp.85-92
• /
• 2023

A safety helmet is considered the last gear to protect workers from harmful and dangerous events occurring on industrial sites. Recently, interest in the importance of personal protective equipment design reflecting individual characteristics has been emphasized to improve usability and convenience. However, it has been found that if it is inconvenient to wear or has poor work efficiency, it will not be used well or will be used incorrectly. In this study, an investigation was performed with 35 questions, direct observation, and intensive interviews of construction workers to determine the inconvenience and problems of wearing safety helmets. Moreover, managers of 9 construction sites in 6 cities were asked about the performance and design of safety helmets. As a positive answer, it was found that the brim (awning) of the safety helmet was shortened to give the safety glasses a light-shielding function. In addition, an upward adjustment all-in-one type safety helmet was requested. On the other hand, it was revealed that negative answers felt uncomfortable due to the brim (awning) on the front of the helmet. Based on the survey results, a new helmet model suitable for construction site activities was presented, and wearability improvement determinants were discovered through performance and design improvement.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• 제22권1호
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2020

Maintenance of power distribution facilities is a significant subject in the power supplies. Fault caused by deterioration in power distribution facilities may damage the entire power distribution system. However, current methods of diagnosing power distribution facilities have been manually diagnosed by the human inspector, resulting in continuous pole accidents. In order to improve the existing diagnostic methods, a thermal image analysis model is proposed in this work. Using a thermal image technique in diagnosis field is emerging in the various engineering field due to its non-contact, safe, and highly reliable energy detection technology. Deep learning object detection algorithms are trained with thermal images of a power distribution facility in order to automatically analyze its irregular energy status, hereby efficiently preventing fault of the system. The detected object is diagnosed through a thermal intensity area analysis. The proposed model in this work resulted 82% of accuracy of detecting an actual distribution system by analyzing more than 16,000 images of its thermal images.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• 제25권2호
• /
• pp.167-174
• /
• 2023

Currently, the budget for vocational competency development training has been expanded, but the number of participants has decreased. As the budget for the Vocational Competency Development Project increases, the participation of a large number of people becomes necessary. This study aims to derive factors that affect satisfaction by selecting factors related to respondent characteristics, training institutions, training types, and job performance for satisfaction with vocational competency development training, and to study ways to improve satisfaction. Data were collected through focus group interviews (FGI), and logistic regression analysis was conducted through feasibility review and reliability analysis. As a result, in the case of the model, it was confirmed that the degree of agreement between the case actually measured and the case predicted by the model was low in the Hosmer and Lemeshow test, but the overall classification accuracy was classified as 96.0% in the classification accuracy table. As for the influence of the factors, the result was derived that the application of knowledge technology, training institution facility equipment, Business Collaboration, long-term work plan, and satisfaction with work performed have an influence in the order.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• 제6권4호
• /
• pp.295-304
• /
• 2015

Background: While attention has been paid to physical risks in the work environment and the promotion of individual employee health, mental health protection and promotion have received much less focus. Psychosocial risk management has not yet been fully incorporated in such efforts. This paper presents good practices in promoting mental health in the workplace in line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidance by identifying barriers, opportunities, and the way forward in this area. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 17 experts who were selected on the basis of their knowledge and expertise in relation to good practice identified tools. Interviewees were asked to evaluate the approaches on the basis of the WHO model for healthy workplaces. Results: The examples of good practice for Workplace Mental Health Promotion (WMHP) are in line with the principles and the five keys of the WHO model. They support the third objective of the WHO comprehensive mental health action plan 2013-2020 for multisectoral implementation of WMHP strategies. Examples of good practice include the engagement of all stakeholders and representatives, science-driven practice, dissemination of good practice, continual improvement, and evaluation. Actions to inform policies/legislation, promote education on psychosocial risks, and provide better evidence were suggested for higher WMHP success. Conclusion: The study identified commonalities in good practice approaches in different countries and stressed the importance of a strong policy and enforcement framework as well as organizational responsibility for WMHP. For progress to be achieved in this area, a holistic and multidisciplinary approach was unanimously suggested as a way to successful implementation.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• 제7권2호
• /
• pp.161-165
• /
• 2016

Background: Despite the declining trend of workplace accidents in Republic of Korea, its level is still quite high compared with that in other developed countries. Factors that are responsible for high workplace accidents have not been well documented in Republic of Korea. The main purpose of this paper is to estimate the effects of unions and health and safety committees on workplace accidents in Korean manufacturing firms. We also allow for the interactions between unions and health and safety committees in the analysis. The results obtained in this paper will not only contribute to the literature in this field, but might also be useful for employers and worker representatives who are trying to find an effective way to reduce workplace accidents. Methods: This paper utilizes the 2012 Occupational Safety and Health Trend Survey data, which is a unique data set providing information on workplace injuries and illness as well as other characteristics of participatory firms, representative of the manufacturing industry in Republic of Korea. Results: In estimating the effects of unions and health and safety committees, we build a negative binomial regression model in which the interactions between unions and health and safety committees are permissible in reducing workplace accidents. Conclusion: Health and safety committees were found to reduce the incidence of accidents whereas unionized establishments have higher incidence of accidents than nonunionized establishments. We also found that health and safety committees can more effectively reduce accidents in nonunionized establishments. By contrast, nonexclusive joint committees can more effectively reduce accidents in unionized establishments.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
• /
• 제25권4호
• /
• pp.303-310
• /
• 2020

Estimating the accurate internal state of lithium ion batteries to increase their safety and efficiency is crucial. Various algorithms are used to estimate the internal state of a lithium ion battery, such as the extended Kalman filter and sliding mode observer. A state-space model is essential in using algorithms to estimate the internal state of a battery. Two principal methods are used to express the state-space model, namely, continuous time and discrete time. In this work, the extended Kalman filter is employed to estimate the internal state of a battery. Moreover, this work presents and analyzes the estimation performance of algorithms consisting of a continuous time state-space model and a discrete time state-space model through static and dynamic profiles.