Objective: The purpose of this study was to contribute to the prevention of occupational diseases through the development of an automatic analysis program for evaluating workers' exposure to hazardous chemical substances. Methods: The authors selected chemical substances that caused occupational disease in Korea and chemical substances that are frequently used in industrial sites as target substances for a GC-MS automatic analysis program. The target substances are organic compounds which can be measured by a passive sampler. The automatic analysis program was studied using various raw data obtained from GC-MS analysis for the target substances. Results: A total of 48 organic compounds that can be measured with a passive sampler were selected as target substances for the GC-MS automatic analysis program. The selected compounds included substances that caused occupational disease, substances related to C1 and D1 in special health examinations, and substances for which work environment measurements have been frequently conducted. The GC-MS automatic analysis program was developed by combining information mainly on retention time and mass spectrum. The GC-MS automatic analysis program is designed to analyze unknown samples by comparing the mass spectrum and retention time of the samples to those of reference materials. To evaluate the stability of the program, samples at about the 30-50% level of OELs were prepared and analyzed with the GC-MS automatic analysis program, resulting in stable results for all 48 organic compounds. Conclusion: An automatic analysis program for a total of 48 organic compounds was developed using a GC-MS system that can analyze organic compounds. Unknown samples that contain the 48 organic compounds can be automatically analyzed by the developed program. It is anticipated that it can contribute to the prevention of occupational diseases through an GC-MS automatic analysis program that can quickly provide workers with information on exposure to chemical substances.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the exposures of cashiers who work at expressway tollbooths. Methods: We measured temperature(temp.), relative humidity(RH), and contaminants with direct reading instruments at ten expressway toll gate in September 2015. Elemental carbon was collected on the quartz filters and analyzed with an OCEC analyzer. Results: The average levels for temp., RH, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, dust(PM10), and black carbon were respectively 24.6~27.8℃, 32.3~65.3%, 0.5~1.2 ppm, 456~559 ppm, 12~111 ㎍/㎥, and 3.1~10.1 ㎍/㎥ at each tollbooth. The concentrations of elemental carbon within the tollbooth(1.8~7.2 ㎍/㎥) were lower than outdoors(2.5~10.0 ㎍/㎥), but exhibited a high correlation(r2=0.855). The exposure levels for carbon monoxide, black carbon, and elemental carbon in the tollbooths were significantly higher than the offices. The concentrations of black carbon and elemental carbon showed a high correlation(r2=0.756). Conclusions: The levels of contaminants were below the occupational exposure limits in the expressway tollbooth. There were ventilation and air conditioning systems in the booths, but it is necessary to maintain and use the systems properly.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to develop a quality control protocol of inorganic acids using ion chromatograph and to evaluate analytical proficiency of the legally designated agencies. Methods: This study prepared inorganic acid samples by injecting three anion certified solutions (chloride, nitrate, and sulfate) on the quartz filters. To investigate the storage stability and concentration consistency of the samples, 240 samples for each anion were tested at weeks 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 while storing at 4℃ and 25℃. To evaluate analytical proficiency, two separate testings were administrated for six skilled analysts and 46 analysts affiliated with legally designated agencies. Results: Average recoveries of the three ions after 16 weeks of storage were fairly high (over 95%). In addition, average recoveries (chloride = 97%, nitrate = 96%, and sulfate = 103%) after 16 weeks of storage at low temperate were relatively higher than those (94%, 93%, and 98%) at room temperature. The coefficients of variation (CV) for the three ions were less than 5% except for the sulfate sample at 5.56 ㎍ (CV = 12.4%). The average ratios of the concentration values analyzed by the legally designated agencies to the injected concentrations were close to 1. However, their CVs were relatively greater (chloride ≤ 49%, nitrate ≤ 14%, and sulfate ≤ 28%), which implies a need for quality control. Conclusions: The quality control protocol used in this study for the three inorganic acids can be utilized in the quality control for ion chromatography.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of workplace violence experienced by taxi drivers and identify the affected factors. Methods: Two hundred twelve taxi drivers were investigated for general characteristics and workplace violence was evaluated using K_WVSⓇ13. The data was collected from July to October 2020 through questionnaires. It was analyzed using t-test and ANOVA with SPSS WIN23.0. Results: Most of the taxi drivers were elderly and suffered from long hours of labor and low wages. After evaluating four sub-factors of workplace violence, 'psychological and sexual violence from customers', 'psychological and sexual violence from customers, supervisors, and coworkers' and 'physical assault from customers/supervisors/coworkers' were judged as risks. For 'psychological and sexual violence from customers, supervisors, and coworkers', the mean score by age was significantly higher for workers in their 70s or older and those with 30 years of experience compared to other age groups. In the case of 'psychological and sexual violence from customers', sales taxis were significantly higher than private taxis. Conclusions: It is necessary to develop a workplace violence prevention program suitable for the characteristics of taxi drivers in order to manage their physical and mental health. When establishing such a program, business type, age, and experience must be considered.

Objectives: This study was conducted to analyze the impact of safety/health managers' experience of trauma case on their post traumatic stress disorder and the mediation effects of job stress and the moderated mediation effects of social support. Method: Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 241 workplace safety/health managers with experience in trauma case. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS(IBM. Ver.26.0) and verified through SPSS PROCESS Macro (Ver. 3.4). Results: The trauma case experience and the job stress, which is a mediation variable, had a statistically significant positive effect on post-traumatic stress disorder, and the job stress had a positive mediation effect in the relationship between the trauma case experience and post-traumatic stress disorder. Social support had a statistically significant negative moderation effect in the relationship between the trauma case experience and job stress; social support had a moderated mediation effect on the indirect effect of a job stress on the post-traumatic effect through a trauma case experience. Conclusion: The above findings suggest that work-related job stress management is important in order to reduce safety/health managers' post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the experience of trauma case, and that social support is essential to reduce the job stress, which can later be used as a basis for further studies.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine factors influencing depressive symptoms among married working women using the dataset of the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Family (KLoWF 7th). There were 1,030 subjects. Methods: A multiple regression model was used to study the factors influencing depressive symptoms among married working women. Results: The authors found a negative relationship between satisfaction with spouse household-labor (b=-0.606, p=0.022) and depressive symptoms among married working women, a negative relationship with spouse (b=-0.237, p<0.001) and a negative spousal perception of working (b=-0.709, p=0.045), a positive relationship with excessive working hours (b=0.397, p=0.027), a positive relationship with temporal oppression on workload (b=0.422, p=0.002), and a positive relationship between workplace discrimination (b=0.053, p=0.046) and depressive symptoms among married working women. Conclusions: This study suggests that family life and working environments are important factors for depressive symptoms in married women workers. The findings of this study will be helpful to policymakers to design plans to decrease depressive symptoms among married working women.

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the level of participation in and satisfaction with training courses at job training institutions and to improve participation and satisfaction through changes in the training method for industrial ventilation subjects. Methods: The results were analyzed for the mean and standard deviation by t-test and ANOVA, (p=0.05). Participation rates were examined for three courses: specialization, job training, and supervisory. The participation inthe education was 428 people, and the result of satisfaction with the change of education method was 878 people. Satisfaction was investigated for the specialized curriculum and job training curriculum,but not the supervisor curriculum. The satisfaction results for six items(contents, quality, skill, level, degree of understanding, degree of practical) were analyzed according to the change in the training medium and the method among people in one occupational ventilation subject. Results: The participation rate was similar in the job training and specialized training courses, but the lowest rate was in supervisory courses(p=0.05). In general, there was the lowest participation on the first day of education, and the participation rate improved after the second day. Satisfaction with the course was high for the specialized education course with a number of practical education assignments(p=0.278). The satisfaction level for the teaching method in the industrial ventilation subjects was high in a mixed group which combined lecture and practice. The industrial ventilation course in the basic job training course showed a difference between lecture and mixed education(p=0.111), but there was no significant difference. However, the industrial ventilation course in the advance job training course showed a clear difference between lecture and the mixed education(p=0.036). Conclusions: Therefore, the first day of training should start in the afternoon so that more trainees can participate, and it is recommended to assign important subjects after two days. In addition, it is suggested that job competency-enhancing education utilize various educational methods and media.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the public cognition and information acquisition route for heavy metals and organic solvents in the general population in order to provide information for the development of public relations materials. Methods: The study was carried out by questionnaire from January to March 2011 by an interview with trained surveyors. There were 700 participants, divided by gender and age. A questionnaire was issued consisting of subjective and objective cognition evaluation items and questions about information acquisition route and preferred information acquisition route for six heavy metals and five organic solvents. Data were expressed as a percentage using the SPSS 23.0 software package. Result: For heavy metals, subjective and objective cognition degrees were higher in the order of lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. They were higher among males than females, and in adults compared to school-age subjects. For organic solvents, both cognition degrees were high in the order of acetone, benzene, and formaldehyde. However, cognition degree by gender and age showed a complex pattern. As a response to information acquisition route, broadcast media had the highest in all ages and genders, followed by word of mouth from neighbors in elementary school children, school education or expert lectures in middle and high school students up to people in their 30s, and print media among those in their 40s to over 60s. There was no difference in the order by gender. As a response to preference for information acquisition route, broadcast media also proved the highest in all ages and genders, followed by school education or professional lectures among those in elementary school and over their 60s, and the internet in other age groups. Females preferred school education or expert lectures and word of mouth from neighbors, while males preferred the internet. In the case of the internet, the ranking was higher for preferred information acquisition route compared with the ranking for information acquisition route. Conclusions: This data on cognition degree, information acquisition route, and preferred information acquisition route according to gender and age can provide basic data for the development of educational and promotional materials for heavy metals and organic solvents exposure management.

Objectives: 'Confined space' was only defined in the Safety and Health Regulations as a place where oxygen deficiency and hydrogen sulfide must be dealt with at the time of the initial enactment (1982). The danger of fire and explosion were added in 2003. We will compare and review the regulations related to confined space work under the current safety and health rules alongside regulations in other countries and prepare a plan to improve the system through enhanced clarity and execution. Methods: In a comparison of systems for the prevention of suffocation in confined spaces in major countries (Germany, United States, Japan) different concepts of the definition of confined spaces in different countries apparently due to differences in each country's legal implementation system, accident analysis methods, the status of safety and health implementation in workplaces, the precautions against actual confined space work, and the definition of confined spaces were found to be not much different between Korea and the other foreign countries. Results: In the case of Germany and the United States, a confined space is defined as a contextual concept rather than a place, so more careful attention is needed from operators or enclosed space managers as it is often necessary to judge the actual workplace. In the case of Korea and Japan, the interior of the place is mainly defined as a place, especially in the case of Japan, which concentrates on oxygen deficiency and hydrogen sulfide poisoning. Conclusions: For measures to improve regulations on the prevention of suffocation accidents in Korea, I would like to propose three major measures to improve the system in the rules on domestic industrial safety and health standards. It is necessary to prepare and provide a guide to ensure that the 18 types of confined spaces currently defined as confined spaces are clearly understood by field management supervisors or workers.

Objectives: A number of medical institutions have been conducting fit tests to perform seal checks on masks. This study aimed to compare the differences fit factor before and after domestic N95 mask-wearing training through a fit-test. Methods: A survey of 59 healthcare workers was conducted regarding whether they had undergone a fit test or received training on mask-wearing. Further, the fit of two types of domestic N95 masks was measured before and after the training using a QNFT(Quantitative Fit test). The average fit factors before and after training were compared using a paired t-test. Additionally the differences in the fit test pass rate were analyzed using a McNemar test. Results: A statistically significant difference was seen between the fit factors in the fit tests conducted before and after the training (p=0.0015), as well as in the fit of the two types of masks tested (p<0.01). Thus, an improvement in mask fitting was seen after the training, even with differently fitted masks. Conclusions: Upon using a QNFT, a significant increase in the fit factors for N95 masks was observed after training compared with masks that were fitted as usual. This highlights the importance of training in mask-wearing, with the conclusion that training healthcare providers will improve the fit of masks.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop a new sterilization plasma device that would be proficient at sterilizing and removing pathogenic bacteria and viruses, and applicable to air purification systems. Methods: In order to understand the performance characteristics, the discharge characteristics of a packed bed DBD reactor and the ozone reduction characteristics of an ozone filter installed at the outlet of the reactor were investigated. Results: The novel packed-bed DBD reactor was proposed, and it was confirmed that the plasma discharge was uniformly and stably discharged throughout the entire layer, and sufficient ozone was generated for sterilization. The ozone filter was tested for three methods: adsorption, adsorption-decomposition, and catalytic decomposition. When the filter thickness was 30 mm, the ozone concentrations were 0.03 ppm, 0.01 ppm, and 0.21 ppm, respectively. The adsorption and adsorption-decomposition methods satisfied the EPA standard of less than 0.05ppm, but the catalytic decomposition method did not. Conclusions: It was confirmed that the adsorption-decomposition method has relatively excellent ozone filter performance and can provide the best ozone filter.