Facilitating Factors of and Barriers to Performance Improvement of Small Scale Enterprise Occupational Health Personnel in Korea

소규모 사업장 산업보건인력의 업무수행 분석

In Korea, based on the Revised Law of Occupational Safety and Health a new entity of institution was set up in 1990 to provide occupational health services to SSE in which three sorts of personnel as a team have to be involved. These institutions, in charge of scores to hundreds of workplace area-wide, have been providing occupational health services without payment from employers or employees, and government reimburses through the Occupational Injury Prevention Insurance since 1993. As a service provider, a team is composed of doctors, nurses and industrial hygienists. Undergraduate and postgraduate educations for the SSE occupational health are not specified and the question on the performance of the personnel has been raised. This study was designed to analyze the facilitating factors of and barriers to the performance and its improvement of these personnel. In 1997, the survey was conducted with all 58 institutions. Structured questionnaires were mailed to 200 personnel who were providing the occupational health service for SSE. The response rate was 51.7% for doctors, 58.6% for nurses, and 60.3% for industrial hygienist, respectively. Results are as follows : 1) There is a guideline for occupational service mandated by the government. Under the guideline, the minimum frequency of visiting workplace is assured with six times of doctors, 17 times for nurse and industrial hygienist in a year. There are one doctor for every 200 factories, one nurse and one hygienist for every 100 factories. 2) All respondents have basic qualification for occupational health service. About 16.7%. of doctors are certified in industrial medicine or preventive medicine, and 64.7% of industrial hygienists had first grade certification. Totally 66.7% of personnel have been involved in occupational health for more than one year. 3) As a support system for the performance improvement, 66.3% respond that they have been provided with educational materials, advice related to industrial environment and guidance of MSDS from Korea Industrial Safety Corporation. Most respondents indicate the lack of concern of employers and employees as a main barrier to the improvement of the service. Also they are in the need of the training opportunity more focused on SSE. The Governments policy for SSE is a principal facilitating factor. Training program focused on SSE situation, manpower, technical support, etc. are areas to be improved to have a better occupational health service for SSE in Korea.