• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.1 s.41
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• pp.20-36
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• 1993

Work-related low back pain is one of the major factors that cause the loss of working power especially in actively working age, therefore controlling the work-related low back pain is one of the major issues in the field of industrial safety and health. This study was performed for detecting the risk factors and proposing the efficient control program of the work-related low back pain. The subjects were male workers employed at the manufacturing industry in Pusan with longer than 6 months' working duration. The data was collected by self-reported questionnaire and interview from May 1 to October 31,1992. The contents of questionnaire were as follows:. the experience of low back pain within the recent one month, general characteristics(age, marital status, education level, religion, regular exercise), physical characteristics(height, weight), employment status(working duration, daily working hours, rest during work, satis(action fur the job), type of work and working environments(posture, forward bending, lifting and movement, satisfaction for table and chair). The result was analyzed for 608 entire respondents by case-control comparative method. The number of cases was 152 with a history of work-related low back pain, so the relative frequency of self-reported work-related low back pain was 25.0%, and the number of controls was 344 without any history of low back pain. As a result, two characteristics of the employment status(working duration, satisfaction fur the job) and all characteristics of type of work and working environments showed a statistical significance between the case and control groups(p<0.01). The Oddb ratios of these variables for Work-related low back pain were calculated. They were 7.88 for the satisfaction fur chair, 7.86 for lifting and movement,3.31 for satisfaction for table, and 2.22 fur bending forward(p<0.01). And for the multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that unsatisfaction for table was independent risk factor for Work-related low back pain. In summary, though this study was based upon the self-reported questionnaire and the subjective complaints, the satisfaction for chair, lifting and movement, satisfaction for table, and bending forward concerned with the type of work and working environments were considered as the main factors causing the work-related low back pain, and the work-related low back pain may be preventable by the ergonomic control of these factors.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.81-90
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• 2006

The Strain Index(SI) has been commonly used to evaluate the musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) of upper extremities. Recently, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists(ACGIH) adopted the Threshold Limit Value for hand activity level (HAL TLV) focused on the hand, wrist, and forearm. The MSDs risks of 37 repetitive works conducted at an automobile climate control system manufacturing factory were evaluated using both the HAL TLV and the SI, and the results by two methods were compared. Also, measured repetitive frequencies of upper limbs joint were mesured using electromyogram and electrogoniometer. The evaluation results of the HAL were related with the repetitive frequency data of upper limbs joint by electrogoniometer, and the NPF was related with %MVC of ECU. The evaluation result of HAL TLV was highly related with the SI score(r=0.66, p<0.01). Of total 37 tasks, 25 tasks(67.6%) were exceeded the TLV and 34 tasks(91.9%) exceeded the SI limit. Although there was a high relationship between the HAL TLV and SI score, the HAL TLV underestimated the risk in comparison with the SI. The correlation coefficients(r) between the HAL TLV data and the repetitive frequency of upper limbs joint were 0.45~0.55(p<0.01). The MSD symptoms was significantly different between high risk groups and low risk groups evaluated by HAL TLV(p<0.01), but was not different between two groups by SI. In conclusion, the HAL TLV is a proper tool for repetitive works.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.6 no.1_2
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• pp.150-160
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• 1999

Background : Because hospitals had to faced with financial hardship, we have to have more effective hospital management. In this study, we tried to improve job performance and to reduce cost maintaining safety in fields of patients care. Methods : Central Supply Room(CSR) staffs taught strategy of material cost reduction to middle level managers and staffs 14 times. All staffs and voluntary service workers, working in 33 nursing units, participated in this activity. We developed questionnaire to check the degree of participate in cost reduction activity and job performance in CSR, and quality improvement in the wards. Two hundred questionnaires were distributed and 197 returned. Results : Because CSR staffs developed new items and every item was managed at each department, stocks of each department were reduced. Overall, by comparing before and after cost reduction activity, almost 1.2 billion won reduced for one year. Staffs' loyalty and spirits of cost reduction were improved by changing clothes and duty environment. Furthermore, these activity improved patients' satisfaction. Conclusion : We suggest that CSR activity in a university hospital contributes to improve job performance and to reduce cost without any problem in patient care.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 1999

To investigate industrial fatigue and low back pain, the questionaire survey for subjective symptoms of fatigue and low back pain was carried out 305 nurses in general hospital in Korea. Nurses participated to this study were divided into low back pain group(LBP) and control group, according to the self-reports by written questionaires. The subjective sysptoms of fatigue comprised three groups of 10 items each, representing dullness and sleepiness(level of cerebral activation), difficulty in concentration(level of motivation) and bodily projection of fatigue. The resultant data were processed for $x^2$-test, t-test to confirm the associations. The results were as follows: 1. 28 items of fatigue subjective symptoms exept two item, 'feel thirsty and 'feel ill', were directly associated with low back pain. 2. The percentage of fatigue complaint were significantly higher in LBP group than control. 3. Of the 30 items of fatigue subjective symptoms, the highest percentage was accounted for 'legs feel heavy', 'eye strain', 'feel stiffness in the neck or the shoulders' followed by 'feel like lying', 'whole body feels tired', 'feel a pain in the low back', 'feel drowsy' and in the order of sequence. 4. The average weighted score for the first group of fatigue items(dullness and sleepiness) was the largest among three groups and was followed by the second group(difficulty in concentration) and the third group (bodily projection of fatigue) in the order of sequence, suggesting the heavier mental and shift work stress of the female workers.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.139-149
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• 1999

This study was performed to investigate components of organic solvents and present statues of environmental measurements with official records of working environmental measurements of 4,181 workplaces in 3,280 workshops used airborne organic solvents. 1. The mean working hour of 4,181 workplace producing airborne organic solvents in 3,280 workshops was 437±28.7min, but the mean sampling time for measurement of airborne organic solvents was identified to be 254±28.8min. In 73.0% of 4,181 samples the sampling frequencys were Full-period, single sample measurement. 2. The total 54 components of organic solvents were measured in total airborne samples of 4,181 workplace in 3,280 workshops in both of first and second half-year. These were divided into 38 components, Group 1 substances (5 components), Group 2 substances (31 components) and Group 3 substances (2 components), regulated by the Industrial Safety and Health Law, and other 16 components without legal duty of working environment measurement. The most common component in each half-year was Toluene (84.8%, 88.2%), which was followed by Xylene (464.4%, 51.7%), Methyl ethyl ketone (31.1%, 34.4%), n-Hexane (22.7%, 27.8%) and Benzene (20.4%, 21.5%) in frequency. Of legal duty free components, Ethyl benzen, Trimethyl benzene and Pentane were frequently detected. In conclusion, these results show that the present legal classification system of organic solvents needs to revise. Also these results suggest that it must be necessary to analyze the component of airborne organic solvents mixture and to evaluate their effects on workers' health for the effective management of working environment in workshops treating with organic solvents.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.3704-3714
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• 2013

This work was intended to investigate types and characteristics of job stress in general hospitals and special hospitals, and thereby suggest the direction to perform stable employee management and stress alleviation program through the ways of overcoming stress depending on each characteristic of hospitals. In this study, 109 of professionals working in general hospitals and 117 working in specialized hospitals participated, and, as a measuring instrument, the 'Measuring Instrument of Korean Job Stressors' according to 'Standardization and Development of Korean Job Stress Questionnaire' made by Occupational Safety & Health Research Institute as part of a policy research project in 2004 was used. As a result, this work looked into stress characteristics appearing differently according to the environment and organizational system of general hospitals and special hospitals. Based on the study result, it is expected that this work will be used as a fundamental material to develop the program of overcoming stress on the basis of each hospital characteristic.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.289-295
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• 1998

Used gasoline engine oils(UGEO) are carcinogenic in long term studies and capable of increasing the number of carcinogen-DNA adducts in short term studies when dermally applied to mice. The carcinogenic risk of UGEO has been attributed to the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAH) which accumulate in the lubricating system during the combustion of gasoline. When dermally exposed to UGEO, the use of hand cleanser was commonly recommended for removing it. But generally workers who dermally exposed oils, use kerosene as cleaner which make skin trouble. During this study, female mice aged 4-6 weeks were utilized to evaluate the efficiency of kerosene, as solvent-based cleanser, following dermal exposure to UGEO. DNA adduct were detected at skin and lung tissues by using the $^{32}P$-postlabeling method. Washing with cleansers were done at two different interval times following dermal application of UGEO. The total DNA adducts in skin and lung tissues were statistically significantly increased in positive control groups, and of which the total adduct level in skin tissues was statistically significant higher than those in lung tissues(p=0.005). When washing kerosene, the DNA adduct level in skin tissues was statistically significantly decreased(p=0.0001). But DNA adducts in lung tissue was statistically increased(p=0.0039), and that washed at 8hr post exposure was more severly increase(p<0.05). The slope of regression between DNA adducts of lung between skin tissues was 1.0802. In conclusion, skin cleaning with kerosene facilitates passage of carcinogens to the lungs of animals dermally treated with used gasoline engine oils(UGEO).

• Smart Media Journal
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.30-38
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• 2022

It is important to grasp biometric data in real time for prompt action in the event of a safety accident at a work site where the risk of safety accidents exists. Among them, blood oxygen saturation is the most important factor in maintaining human life, so real-time oxygen saturation measurement and monitoring is necessary according to the situation as a preemptive response for worker safety management. By receiving real-time bio-signals from workers wearing health and life-risk protective clothing, and sharing and analyzing the worker's risk status in an external system, it is possible to diagnose the worker's current condition and efficiently respond to emergencies that may occur to the worker. In this paper, we propose a wearable oxygen saturation measurement platform technology that can monitor the risk of harmful gases and oxygen saturation of the wearer in real time and ensure the wearer's activity and safety in order to cope with emergency situations at the scene of an accident. If we overcome the limitations identified through the results of the proposed system later and apply improved biodata such as motion correction to the platform, we expect that it will be usable not only in hazardous gas environments, but also in hospitals and homes for emergency patients.

• 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.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.391-401
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• 2010

A reduction in risk of occupational exposure to chemical hazards within the workplace has been the focus of attention both through industry initiatives and legislation. The aims of this study were to develop an exposure matrix by industry and process, and to apply this matrix to control the risk of occupational exposure to Dichloromethane (DCM). The exposure matrix is a tool to convert information on industry and process into information on occupational risk. The exposure matrix comprised industries and processes involving DCM, based on an exposure database provided by KOSHA (the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency), which was gathered from a workplace hazards evaluation program in Korea. The risk assessment of the exposure matrix was performed using Hallmark risk assessment tool. The results of the risk assessment were indicated by a Danger Value (DV) calculated from the combination of hazard rating (HR), duration of use rating (DUR), and risk probability rating (RPR) of exposure to the chemical, and were divided into four control bands which were related to control measures. The applicability of the risk assessment of the exposure matrix was evaluated by a field study, and survey of the employees of the exposure matrix groups. Among 45 industries examined, this study found that greater attention should be paid to two industries: the manufacture of other optical instruments and photographic equipment, and the manufacture of printing ink, and to one process among 47 examined, the packing process in the manufacture of printing ink, because these were regarded as carrying the highest risk. This tool of a risk assessment for the exposure matrix can be applied as a general exposure information system for hazard control, risk quantification, setting the occupational exposure limit, and hazard surveillance. The exposure matrix includes workforce data, and it provides information on the numbers of exposed workers in Korea by agent, occupation, and level of exposure and risk.