• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2016

Severity and frequency of industrial accidents are typically used to assess the "absolute" risk associated with the industrial machines and devices ("items") which are subject to safety certification or self-declaration of conformity. However, the "relative" risk associated with a particular item can further be assessed based on unit severity and unit frequency where the total number of item in use is taken into account. This study first attempts to estimate the total number of each item in use which was recently selected for safety certification or self-declaration of conformity. The appropriateness of such selection is recapitulated based on the relative risk involved. Analysis results indicate that depending on items, the relative risk is differentiated from the absolute risk. Recent selection of items for safety certification or self-declaration of conformity is then revisited for its validity. The relative risk based on unit severity and unit frequency of industrial accidents, together with the absolute risk, may be used to further categorize items for safety certification or self-declaration of conformity in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.26-33
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• 2015

This study suggests systematic procedures to improve safety policies on prevention of industrial accidents associated with industrial machines and devices. Specifically, new method of cause analysis of industrial accidents associated with industrial machines and devices is suggested and the related accident data are re-analyzed. Effectiveness of direct safety regulations such as safety certification, self-declaration of conformity, safety device regulation and safety inspection of industrial machines and devices are also analyzed. Based on those analysis results, transition from the current user-oriented safety device regulation to more balanced direct regulations on both manufacturer and user is suggested. Together with severity and frequency of industrial accidents, unit severity and unit frequency need to be taken into account to further assess the risk associated with a particular industrial machine or device. Balance between safety regulations will be realized by proper adjustment of lists of safety certification and inspection, and certification and inspection standards. This will also guarantee the maximum benefit over cost in such safety regulations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.108-113
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• 2015

Plastic injection moulding machine is widely used for many industrial field. It is classified into mandatory safety certification machinery in Industrial Safety and Health Act because of its high hazard. In order to prevent industrial accidents by plastic injection moulding machine, it is necessary for designer to identify hazardous factors and assess the failure modes to mitigate them. This study tabulates the failure modes of main parts of plastic injection moulding machine and how their failure has affect on the machine being considered. Failure Mode & Effect Analysis(FMEA) method has been used to assess the hazard on plastic injection moulding machine. Risk and risk priority number(RPN) has been calculated in order to estimate the hazard of failures using severity, probability and detection. Accidents caused by plastic injection moulding machine is compared with the RPN which was estimated by main regions such as injection unit, clamping unit, hydraulic and system units to find out the most dangerous region. As the results, the order of RPN is injection unit, clamping unit, hydraulic unit and system units. Barrel is the most dangerous part in the plastic injection moulding machine.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.130-134
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• 2013

Background: Rib fractures are the most common type of thoracic trauma and cause other complications. We explored the risk factors for pneumonia in patients with multiple rib fractures. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and eighteen patients who visited our hospital with multiple rib fractures between January 2002 and December 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Chest X-rays and chest computed tomography were used to identify injury severity. Patients with only a single rib fracture or who were transferred to another hospital within 2 days were excluded. Results: There were 327 male patients (78%), and the median age was 53 years. The etiologies of the patients' trauma included traffic accidents in 164 cases (39%), falls in 78 cases (19%), slipping and falling in 90 (22%), pedestrian accidents in 30 (7%), industrial accidents in 41 (10%), and assault in 15 (4%). The median number of rib fractures was 4.8. Pulmonary complications including flail chest (2.3%), lung contusion (22%), hemothorax (62%), pneumothorax (31%), and hemopneumothorax (20%) occurred. Chest tubes were inserted into the thoracic cavity in 216 cases (52%), and the median duration of chest tube insertion was 10.26 days. The Injury Severity Score (ISS) and rib score had a median of 15.27 and 6.9, respectively. Pneumonia occurred in 18 cases (4.3%). Of the total cases, 33% of the cases were managed in the intensive care unit (ICU), and the median duration of stay in the ICU was 7.74 days. Antibiotics were administered in 399 patients (95%) for a median of 10.53 days. Antibiotics were used for more than 6 days in 284 patients (68%). The factors affecting pneumonia in patients with multiple rib fractures in multivariate analysis included age (p=0.004), ISS (p<0.001), and rib score (p=0.038). The use of antibiotics was not associated with the occurrence of pneumonia (p=0.28). In-hospital mortality was 5.3% (n=22). Conclusion: The factors affecting risk of pneumonia in patients with multiple rib fractures included age (p=0.004), ISS (p<0.001), and rib score (p=0.038). Elderly patients with multiple traumas have a high risk of pneumonia and should be treated accordingly.