• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.247-254
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• 2020

Purpose: This was a descriptive observational study examining the reasons for, frequency of, and factors affecting work interruption among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. Methods: Convenience sampling was used to recruit 46 regular nurses who had been working in an ICU at D tertiary hospital in B metropolitan city for at least six months. To measure the degree of work interruption, this study revised a tool used by Brixey et al. (2007) for analyzing the type of work interruption. Results: A total of 1,787 work interruptions occurred during 368 hours of observation, i.e., at an average of 4.85 times per hour. Communication-related factors caused work interruption most frequently, followed by environmental, work-related, and personal factors. As for the work-related characteristics of nurses, participants experienced work interruption more frequently while working on weekdays, when the medical staff were stationed, than on weekends. Conclusion: ICU nurses experienced work interruption frequently. With the health care system expected to become more complicated in the future, efforts should be made to reduce unnecessary work interruptions to improve the operation efficiency of ICUs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.211-221
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify work-related risk factors associated with upper extremity symptoms among construction workers using the fourth Korean Working Condition Survey(KWCS). Methods: Subjects were 2,724 construction workers selected from 50,007 respondents in the 2014 KWCS. The presence or absence of upper extremity symptoms and work-related risk factors, including individual, physical, and psychosocial factors, were used as variables. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed in order to evaluate the relationship of the upper extremity symptoms with work-related risk factors. Results: Upper extremity symptoms were significantly associated with: employment type(OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.18~2.09); job satisfaction(OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.33~3.18); verbal abuse(OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.33~3.18); tiring or painful posture(OR: 2.33, 95% CI: 1.73~3.15); carrying or moving heavy loads(OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.23~2.24); repetitive hand or arm movement(OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.06~1.91) Conclusions: In order to prevent the upper extremity musculoskeletal disease in the construction industry, it is necessary to stabilize employment, enhance job satisfaction, and eliminate violence in the workplace and improve physical work environment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.325-339
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• 2022

Objective: This study was to perform to identify the distribution characteristics and related factors of work-related low back pain among manufacturing workers in Korea. Methods: We analyzed the third(2011) through sixth(2020) Korean Working Conditions Survey. This study examined changes in the prevalence of work-related low back pain among manufacturing workers and related factors, including demographic characteristics and working conditions. Results: The prevalence of work-related low back pain showed a general tendency to increase during the study periods except for the 5th wave. The prevalence of work-related low back pain was higher in women than in men. The prevalence increased with increasing age and decreased with higher educational attainment. This trend was observed in all survey waves. The prevalence ratios for work-related low back pain according to working conditions varied over the survey period. In general, workers with manual jobs, long working hours, and exposure to tired or painful postures showed relatively higher prevalence ratios than did their counterparts. Providing Information on health and safety, perception that work affects health, and experience of presenteeism were identified as influencing factors for work-related low back pain. Although the working environment is improving, work-related back pain is on the rise. A multifaceted study on risk factors for work-related low back pain is needed. Conclusion: Work-related low back pain is a significant factor affecting the working population's quality of life. The prevalence of work-related low back pain showed a tendency to increase during the study periods. A multifaceted study on risk factors for work-related low back pain is needed.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.213-221
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• 2022

Defects are the risk factors in the construction process of buildings. They cause damage, delaying the construction duration. They especially cause adverse effects on the top-down construction method. This study analyzed the degree of construction delay induced by each work type, focusing on defects in the top-down method. Then, we derived construction delay induction coefficient from different work types in order by using the severity of construction delay per defect and the occurrence probability of defect; this assessment model measures the impact of defects on construction delay for each work type. Furthermore, by comparing each work type based on the defect frequency and the construction delay induction coefficient, we found work types that need to be administered attentively. We identified that plastering work was easy to overlook, requiring caution in defect management. This study provides an efficient defect management system suitable for the buildings that are built using the top-down construction method.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.133-143
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived job stress and work environmental factors related with socioeconomics factors and physical burden in the golf caddies. Methods: Job stress in golf caddies was estimated by using the Karasek's job content questionnaire (JCQ) and work environmental factors were estimated by self-reported questionnaire and interview. Results: The subjects were 316 woman caddies who had never been occupationally exposed to hazardous chemicals, was mean age 31.1 years. Mean work duration was 6.44 years and working hours per day on low- and high-demand season were 6.16 and 10.51, respectively. The golf caddies displayed higher scores of job stress due to multiple factors such as working hours and frequency of rounding per week, physical burden, confliction, income satisfaction and employment stability. We found that high strain group was positive correlation with age, career, working hour (including frequency of rounding) and job demand, however, showed negative correlation with job decision latitude and support of supervisor and coworker. Conclusion: In conclusion, we suggest that the golf caddies be regard divided into high strain group as appropriate. Thus, stress management and health promotion program for golf caddies should be developed.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.20-27
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• 2020

EPC contractors have made continuous efforts to develop integrated project execution methods to improve the performance of industrial plant project. In particular, the concept of Advanced Work Packaging (AWP) has been recently presented by readjusting the existing "Work Packaging" concept as part of the integrated project execution method from the project life-cycle perspective. However, Korean EPC contractors are still unfamiliar with the AWP implementation. Thus, this study aims to identify the organizational competency factor for effective implementation of AWP. For this purpose, first, this study identified the expected risks in AWP project and the 29 organizational competency factors to manage risks. Second, five experts verified the suitability of factors and supplemented the factors. Finally, 37 factors were identified as organizational competency factors for implementing AWP.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.353-363
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• 2020

Objectives: Occupational diseases that occur due to or aggravated by work have commonly been recognized in the manufacturing industry, but there are now more incidences happening in the service industry due to changes in the industrial structure. Health workers are exposed to direct factors and various other causes of occupational disease at work, such as physical, chemical, biological, and psyco-social factors. This study aims to identify work-related diseases affecting health workers that are recognized as occupational diseases. Methods: The research is based on the data of workers whose diseases were accepted as work-related by the Industrial Accidents Compensation Insurance, and filed by the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency. Amongst the approved claims during 2011 to 2015, we focused on healthcare workers and health-related workers of the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations. Descriptive statistics were performed. Results: The number of health workers(HWs) with approved work-related disease was 1,707 over 5 years. The number of healthcare workers(HCWs) excluding caregivers was 370 (21.7%) and of health-related workers (HRWs) it was 736 (43.1%). Out of HWs who were approved for their illnesses, females were 80% of HCWs and 88% of HRWs. The most common occupational disease in HWs was musculoskeletal diseases, while that of nurses was infectious disease. Conclusions: HWs are exposed to various risks from their profession and are affected by occupational diseases. It is necessary to focus on this issue and provide preventive measures.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.426-435
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• 2016

Objectives: The major objective of this study was to analyze stress response after a change to consecutive day shifts from day and night shifts in a motor assembly factory. Methods: Using a survey conducted by a labor union, we collected data on stress response index(SRI), lifestyle factors, work-family conflict and job stress before and after a shift system change. We analyzed the transition on the SRI among 222 workers. The cut-off point for the SRI was a T-score over 60. Results: The high risk stress response group was 20.3% of the population before the shift system change. After the shift system change it decreased to 11.3%. After the shift system change, social support improved, leisure time became more sufficient, work-family conflict declined, and sleep quality in the night shift week improved. In multivariable linear regression, among workers under 40 years old sleep quality on night shift, leisure time sufficiency, social support and work-family conflict contributed to the improvement of stress response. Among workers over 40, work-family conflict contributed to the improvement of stress response. Conclusions: The change to consecutive day shifts improved stress response and mediated with improved nighttime sleep, decreased work-family conflict, increased leisure time and improved work-family conflict.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.122-132
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to present the basic materials of a developmental counterplan by assessing prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and characteristics of work-related ergonomic risk factors. The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms of 64 vineyard workers was investigated by using a self-reported questionnaire. And the vineyard workers' tasks were also collected and analyzed during 9-month period by observing and videotaping methods to identify the ergonomic risk factors. The prevalence rate of musculoskeletal symptoms of female(84.4%) was much higher than that of male(62.5%) and a total prevalence rate was 73.4%. There was no different prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms between age over 60 years and under 60 years. The prevalence rates of musculoskeletal complaints for each body part were 48.4%, 42.2%, and 35.9% for the wrist, legs/knee, and shoulder, respectively. In postural risk analysis, 7 works(REBA score) represented the high risk tasks such as delivering harvest boxed(12), picking cluster(11) and so on. The main works(exposure score) were orderly ranked as picking cluster(1590), pruning branch(388), and cluster thinning(327). The risk factors of vineyard work were identified as follows: shoulder flexion(${\geq}45^{\circ}$), wrist Flex./Ext.(${\geq}15^{\circ}$), hand force(power/pinch-grip), and prolonged standing(${\geq}4hr$). The engineering solutions including an improvement of hand tools, working process, and working environment should be applied to the high risky tasks in order to resolve the ergonomic problems. The administrative solutions such as improving a distribution of resting time, an exercise cure, an early recognition of symptoms and rehabilitation might be another solution for reducing musculoskeletal symptoms in vineyard workers.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.867-877
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to examine the levels of depression experienced by Korean hospital nurses (N=198) and to identify discriminating factors of their depression experience among personal and environmental characteristics. Method: A cross-sectional survey design was used to answer the research questions. A sample consisted of 198 hospital nurses in Korea. The data were collected from May 1999 to March 2000. Descriptive and discriminant analyses were utilized. Result: Korean nurses experienced low levels of depression. Twenty nine percent of nurses in the study experienced depression based on the cut-point suggested by Radloff. Role ambiguity, working in the tertiary hospital, work satisfaction in autonomy, professional status and interaction within nurses were significant discriminating factors for nurses' depression. These factors correctly