• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.63-67
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to develop more effective dental health education program and to reduce the occurrence of dental diseases among industrial men-workers in Korea. The questionaire and dental examination were given to 782 industrial men-workers who visited Asan Medical Center for the purpose of health examinations in 2000. The obtained results were as follows; 1. According to the results of logistic regression analysis, both ages (especially under 30's: P=0.027) and monthly incomes (especially under 1,000,000 won: P=0.000) show negative relationships with the occurrence of dental caries. 2. As the results of logistic regression analysis, ages shows positive relationship and monthly incomes shows negative relationship (only under 1,000,000 won: P=0.059) with the occurrence of missing teeth. 3. According to the results of logistic regression analysis of periodontal disease, the model shows no significance (P=0.117). 4. As the results of logistic regression analysis, both monthly incomes and ages show positive relationships with the occurrence of abrasion.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.134-139
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• 2010

Objectives: The lung cancer mortality in Korea has increased remarkably during the last 20 years, and has been the first leading cause of cancer-related deaths since 2000. The aim of the current study was to examine the time trends of occupational lung cancer and carcinogens exposure during the period 2006-2009 in South Korea, by assessing the proportion of occupational burden. Methods: We defined occupational lung cancer for surveillance, and developed a reporting protocol and reporting website for the surveillance of occupational lung cancer. The study patients were chosen from 9 participating university hospitals in the following 7 areas: Seoul, Incheon, Wonju, Daejeon, Daegu, Busan, and Gwangju. Results: The combined proportion of definite and probable occupational lung cancer among all lung cancers investigated in this study was 10.0%, 8.6%, 10.7%, and 15.8% in the years 2006 to 2009, respectively, with an average of 11.7% over the four-year study period. The main carcinogens were asbestos, crystalline silica, radon, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), diesel exhaust particles, chromium, and nickel. Conclusion: We estimated that about 11.7% of the incident lung cancer was preventable. This reveals the potential to considerably reduce lung cancer by intervention in occupational fields.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.183-191
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• 2010

Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate the distribution patterns and exposure concentrations of bioaerosols in industries suspected to have high levels of bioaerosol exposure. Methods: We selected 11 plants including 3 livestock feed plants (LF industry), 3 metal working fluids handling plants (MWFs industry), and 5 sawmills and measured total airborne bacteria, fungi, endotoxins, as well as dust. Airborne bacteria and fungi were measured with one stage impactor, six stage cascade impactor, and gelatin filters. Endotoxins were measured with polycarbonate filters. Results: The geometric means (GM) of the airborne concentrations of bacteria, fungi, and endotoxins were 1,864, $2,252\;CFU/m^3$, and $31.5\;EU/m^3$, respectively at the sawmills, followed by the LF industry (535, $585\;CFU/m^3$, and $22.0\;EU/m^3$) and MWFs industry (258, $331\;CFU/m^3$, and $8.7\;EU/m^3$). These concentrations by industry type were significantly statistically different (p < 0.01). The ratio of indoor to outdoor concentration was 6.2, 1.9, 3.2, and 3.2 for bacteria, fungi, endotoxins, and dust in the LF industry, 5.0, 0.9, 2.3, and 12.5 in the MWFs industry, and 3.7, 4.1, 3.3, and 9.7 in sawmills. The respiratory fractions of bioaerosols were differentiated by bioaerosol types and industry types: the respiratory fraction of bacteria in the LF industry, MWF industry, and sawmills was 59.4%, 72.0%, and 57.7%, respectively, and that of fungi was 77.3%, 89.5%, and 83.7% in the same order. Conclusion: We found that bioaerosol concentration was the highest in sawmills, followed by LF industry facilities and MWFs industry facilities. The indoor/outdoor ratio of microorganisms was larger than 1 and respiratory fraction of microorganisms was more than 50% of the total microorganism concentrations which might penetrate respiratory tract easily. All these findings suggest that bioaerosol in the surveyed industries should be controlled to prevent worker respiratory diseases.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.99-104
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• 2017

Background: Workers laboring in steel industries in tropical settings with high ambient temperatures are subjected to thermally stressful environments that can create well-known risks of heat-related illnesses and limit workers' productivity. Methods: A cross-sectional study undertaken in a steel industry in a city nicknamed "Steel City" in Southern India assessed thermal stress by wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and level of dehydration from urine color and urine specific gravity. A structured questionnaire captured self-reported heat-related health symptoms of workers. Results: Some 90% WBGT measurements were higher than recommended threshold limit values ($27.2-41.7^{\circ}C$) for heavy and moderate workloads and radiational heat from processes were very high in blooming-mill/coke-oven ($67.6^{\circ}C$ globe temperature). Widespread heat-related health concerns were prevalent among workers, including excessive sweating, fatigue, and tiredness reported by 50% workers. Productivity loss was significantly reported high in workers with direct heat exposures compared to those with indirect heat exposures ($x^2=26.1258$, degrees of freedom = 1, p < 0.001). Change in urine color was 7.4 times higher among workers exposed to WBGTs above threshold limit values (TLVs). Conclusion: Preliminary evidence shows that high heat exposures and heavy workload adversely affect the workers' health and reduce their work capacities. Health and productivity risks in developing tropical country work settings can be further aggravated by the predicted temperature rise due to climate change, without appropriate interventions. Apart from industries enhancing welfare facilities and designing control interventions, further physiological studies with a seasonal approach and interventional studies are needed to strengthen evidence for developing comprehensive policies to protect workers employed in high heat industries.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 2017

Background: Police work is generally sedentary although there may be situations that require physical endurance and strength, such as foot chases and arresting suspects. Factors such as excessive body fat can impede an officer's physical ability to deal with such occurrences. Our objective was to examine associations between officers' body fat percentage (BF%) and performance on a standardized fitness protocol. Methods: Data were obtained from fitness screening among 1,826 male and 115 female officers in a large US police agency. The screening consisted of a 2.4-km run, push-ups, sit-ups, and sit-and-reach test. Sex-specific body fat percentages were estimated from skinfold thickness measured using calipers. Linear regression models were used to examine unadjusted and adjusted mean scores of fitness tests across BF% tertiles. Results: The prevalence of overall fitness was 4.3 times greater in male officers and 3.6 times greater in female officers having the lowest BF% tertile compared with the highest tertile (30.3% vs 7.1% and 46.0% vs 12.8%, respectively). BF% was linearly and positively associated with the time of 2.4-km run (p < 0.001), and linearly and inversely associated with the number of push-ups (p < 0.001), sit-ups (p < 0.001), and the distance of sit-and-reach (p < 0.001) in men. Similar associations were observed in women with the exception of sit-and-reach (p = 0.122). Associations were independent of age, race/ethnicity, rank, and duty station. Conclusion: Overall, BF% was inversely associated with fitness levels in male and female officers. Future longitudinal studies should be initiated to explore the potentially causal relationship between BF% and fitness in law enforcement officers.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.58-63
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• 2006

There was cross-sectional study on investigating the factors related asbestos-related disease on chest radiograph of workers exposed to asbestos in ship repair. According to Occupational Safety & Health Administration asbestos standard, medical surveillance, chest radiologic study, pulmonary function test and medical questionnaire are performed in 118 subjects exposed to asbestos for 10 years or more in ship repair. The sixteen out of 118 subjects $(13.6\%)$ were observed asbestos-related disease finding on chest radiography. Significant factors related to those finding on chest radiography were abnormal pulmonary function test, cough, sputum, past history of respiratory disease, work duration. Workers with Significant factors related asbestos-related disease finding on chest radiography should be managed on a strict program. Further, factors unrelated with asbestos-related disease finding on this study should be evaluated prospectively for medical surveillance program of workers exposed to asbestos.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.634-647
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• 2019

Purpose: Currently, many chemicals are used in industrial and real life, and many substances are used in the form of a single substance, but most of them are used in the form of a mixture, and there is a need for a criterion for judging the danger of these substances. Method: Therefore, this study aims to confirm the risk criteria of the mixture through experimental studies on flammable mixtures in order to secure the effectiveness of the details of the existing Dangerous Goods Safety Management Act angerous Goods Judgment Criteria and to ensure the reliability and reproducibility of the dangerous goods judgment. Result: Experimental results show that alcohol flash point is mixed with water, which is a non-flammable liquid. Similar flash point trends occurred around 60% on an alcohol basis. In addition, in the case of flammable-combustible mixtures, there was little change in flash point if the flash point difference of the two materials was not large, and if the flash point difference of the two materials was low, the flash point tended to increase with the increase of the high flash point material. Conclusion: In the future, the test results may provide reference data on the experimental criteria for the flammable liquids that are cracked at the fire site.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.1146-1152
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• 2010

The Korean healthcare industry is rapidly changing along with the competition among hospitals. In the past, hospitals could make profit without designing competitive management strategies. Thus, they did not find importance in listening to customers' voices and identifying their wants. However, nowadays, the increasingly intense competition is encouraging hospitals to seriously consider competitive management strategies and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) activities to gain a competitive advantage and prosper. It tries to compare the expected satisfaction with the satisfaction of out-patient and in-patient and analysis of VOC(Voice of Customer). This survey was done from 27th, April, 2009 to 8th May and each 100 in-patients and out-patients. The paired t-test and descriptive analysis was used to analysis between before and after satisfaction. The result, the replied out-patients were the highest of I.M department, 43% and in-patients, surgery and other department are the highest each 22.0%. Nurses kindness is statistical significant in out-patients. Doctor, Nurse and staff's kindness and rounding service was statistical significant in in-patients. Totally, the satisfaction was lower than expected satisfaction, so the medical care institutions should analyst detailed the patient's satisfaction by VOC.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.767-776
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• 2014

This study estimated productivity change and RTS using Parametric and Non-Parametric approach with 5 year annual data from 2006 to 2010 of 20 public general hospitals in Vietnam collected from Ho Chi Min City Health Department of Health Database. The results could be summarized as follows; First, by the Non-Parametric approach. cumulated productivity growth of 5 years was increased by 2.8% due to regress 5.2% of technical efficiency, 0.3% of pure technical efficiency, but scale efficiency was decreased 5.1% Second, by the Non-Parametric approach, cumulated productivity growth was decreased by 12.8% to due to drop of 17.1% of technical change, 9.1% of scale efficiency. In conclusion, the common result of both approaches was that scale inefficiencies occurs in public hospitals in Vietnam, and they affected productivity change of public hospitals in Vietnam. Namely, 70% to 80% of the analyzed Vietnam public hospitals were at the status of DRS(decreased returns to scale), which suggested that they had oversupply beds relative to the number of occupied patients, it was meaningful that this study was the first study in Korea to measure efficiency and productivity change of Vietnamese public general hospitals and so it could be utilized as the basic information needed to enter hospital industry of Vietnam in the future.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.387-394
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• 2010

In the field of healthcare, the conventional sterilization treatments have been replaced by irradiation methods which are in accordance with internationally well established quality standards. The quality control in radiation sterilization assures that the absorbed dose of the irradiated material is in agreement with its requirements and standards. The electron beam irradiation requires technical assessments of more process parameters than gamma irradiation does. Korea has witnessed wide uses of electron accelerators since early 2000 but there hasn't been research experiences relating to quality system in accordance with international standards. The new large scale e-beam irradiation system with the specification of 10 MeV, 8 kW was installed and operated in 2008 by Seoul Radiology Services Co. It consists of the electron accelerator, product handling system, safety, documentation and control subsystems into an integrated system to meet the requirement of the Good Manufacturing Practice such as process quality assurance and management of product tracking records. To implement the international standard such as EN ISO11137, it is necessary to understand the purposes aimed in the standard and carry out the tests following the procedures required. This study presented the specification of the e-beam facility and showed what its design requirements and features are. The test results on a variety of process parameters were presented and validated it they are within the required limits.