• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.102-110
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the content of N,N-dimethylformamide(DMF) in polyurethane coated gloves(PU-gloves) and to assess the dermal exposure generated by wearing them. Methods: We analyzed the concentrations of DMF in 12 gloves by EN16778 standard. The samples cut into pieces of about 10 by 10 mm and extracted with methanol in flask in an ultrasonic bath at 70℃. An aliquot of the extract is analyzed with GC-MS. The dose of dermal exposure was calculated by ECETOC TRA consumer 3.1 and compared with derived no effect level(DNEL) for systemic effects due to long term exposure by workers. The extracted amount of DMF by saline solution was compared with that by EN16778 standard. Results: The mean concentration of DMF in PU-gloves was 1,377 mg/kg(range 13~3,948 mg/kg). The concentration of DMF showed significantly differences by packing type, manufacturer, and price(p<0.05). The dose of dermal exposure was 0.0007~0.572 mg/kg body weight/day when the DMF content was 10~4,000 mg/kg. The DMF extracted by saline solution was around 11% for 8 hours. Conclusions: The risk of dermal exposure due to the residual DMF in the PU-gloves was not signifiant. But, the limit of 1,000 mg/kg in PU-gloves can be recommended for international standard and trading systems.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.350-358
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• 2022

Objectives: For chemical risk assessment in workplaces, it is necessary to determine a reference value through hazard assessment. In general, OEL (Occupational Exposure Limit) is used for this value. However, since chemicals with OEL were not enough, the concept of DNEL (Derived No Effect Level) was introduced in chemical safety assessment. In this study, the possibility and approach of applying DNEL for chemical risk assessment in domestic workplaces were investigated. Methods: The characteristics of OEL and DNEL were investigated. In addition, ACGIH TLV and GESTIS DNEL were compared and the corresponding scopes were analyzed among the chemical substances notified in South Korea. Results: OEL and DNEL are similar concepts reflecting reference values that should not be exposed based on health effects. While their evaluation and derivation are determined based on similar information and procedures, they may vary depending on the responsible actor, data availability, principles of judgment, and more. As a result of the comparative analysis of ACGIH TLV and GESTIS DNEL, it was confirmed that there is some correlation between TWA and DNEL. The conservatism of DNEL was around 50%. Additionally, it was found that the available range of DNEL among chemicals in South Korea is considerable. Conclusions: This study showed that DNEL can be applied when assessing the risk of chemical substances in domestic workplaces considering several regards. However, since this is not the same level as OEL, we have proposed a proper approach to carry out risk assessment step by step.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.19-33
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to systematically identify situations where exposure levels are expected to be high by structuring domestic lead measurement data according to exposure processes and activities. Methods: Occupational exposure data on lead was collected from the results of the Evaluation of Reliability of Working Environment Measurement conducted by the government from 2019 to 2020. Lead exposure characteristics were analyzed by PROC (process category) and activity. The Risk Characterization Ratios (RCRs) of five PROCs according to ventilation type and lead content were evaluated using the MEASE (Metal's EASE) model. Results: The exposure data on lead (n=250) was classified into 12 PROCs and 12 activities, with an average concentration of 0.040 mg/m³ and about 14% exceeding the occupational exposure limit of 0.05 mg/m³. Processes with high exposure levels were PROC 7 (industrial spraying), 23 (open processing and transfer operations of molten metal), 24 (mechanical treatment), 25 (welding), and 26 (handling of powder containing lead). The results of evaluating RCR for the five PROCs were greater than 1 or close to 1 even if local exhaust ventilation was used. Conclusions: There is a possibility that the concentration of exposure is high in the casting and tapping of molten metal containing lead, mechanical treatment such as fracturing and abrasion, handling of powder, spraying, battery manufacturing, and waste battery recycling processes. It is necessary to implement chemical management policies for workplaces with such processes.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.317-331
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• 2023

Objectives: Construction workers are exposed to various hazardous substances simultaneously. However, little is known about the exposure hazards in construction industry. This study was aimed at identifying the risk of exposure hazards among construction workers. Methods: The expert survey (n=29) was conducted, including construction industry health managers (n=11) and work environment monitoring experts (n=18), on exposure probability, intensity and risk of hazardous substances by construction occupations Results: The exposure hazards of 30 construction occupations were identified and summarized through a literature review and expert survey. The most prevalent hazards were in order of noise, awkward posture, heat/cold, crystalline silica, cement/concrete dust, metal fumes, and volatile organic compounds. The hazards with highest risk score(over seven points) at construction occupations were noise(formwork carpenter, concrete finisher, rebar worker, demolition worker, driller/rock blaster), hazardous rays(welder), heat/cold (earthworks, formwork carpenter, rebar worker, concrete placer, scaffolder), awkward posture(bricklayer, caulker/tile setter, rebar worker) and heavy lifting(bricklayer, rebar worker). Among construction workers, the job types with the highest risk of exposure to carcinogens, and in which occupational cancer has been reported, were in order of stonemason, concrete finisher, rock blaster, welder, insulation installer, painter, scaffolder, plant worker and earthworks in order Conclusions: Systematic research and discussion on occupational disease among construction workers and its various hazardous factors are needed to establish job exposure matrix for facilitating standard for promptly processing the workers' compensation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.317-330
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• 2021

Objectives: By law, companies in Korea must periodically measure workers' exposure to harmful chemicals (the system is called the Work Environment Monitoring Program (WMP)[a]) and report the results to the government. The government also measures exposure to monitor the WMP's reliability (called Reliability Assessment (RA) for WMP[b]). The issue is that measured data from these two sources are so different that the objectivity of WMP needs to be confirmed by comparing the results using the European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals' Targeted Risk Assessment (ECETOC TRA). Methods: Step 1: Data collection from WMP reports submitted by companies (n=586) and RA for WMP written by the government (n=33). Step 2: Data Standardization by key information included. Step 3: Data conversion to input-variables required to run the ECETOC TRA model, and run the model with specific data (n=514) which meet the predetermined exposure scenario. Step 4: Statistical data analysis by process category (PROC) and ventilation type from each source ([A] and [B]). Step 5: Additional analysis of any unexpected results. Results: The process categories of the production and handling of Dichloromethane were classified into 12 PROCs, and ten of them were selected to run ECETOC TRA. Modeled values tended to be higher than measured values from both sources. For the measured values from WMP, RCR distribution by PROC was narrow (0.197-0.267, 95% CI) and did not have a relationship with ventilation type, which differs from the tendency of the modeling result. Meanwhile, the measured values from RA for WMP were relatively widely distributed (0.301-1.177, 95% CI) by PROC. In particular PROCs (13,19) were high enough to exceed 1. Also, they become low with better ventilation types and appear differently depending on the ventilation type, similar to the model result. Conclusions: This study revealed that ECETOC TRA might have the potential to serve as a screening tool for exposure assessment and to be used as assistive method for WMP to estimate exposure. Further empirical study is required to confirm its availability as a screening tool.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2022

Objectives: Fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer which is one of the material extrusion (MEX) technologies is an additive manufacturing (AM) process. 3D printers have been distributed widely in Korea, particularly in school and office, even at home. Several studies have shown that nanoparticles and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were emitted from an FDM 3D printing process. The objective of this study was to identify types of chemicals possibly emitted from FDM 3D printing materials such as PLA (polylactic acid), ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), nylon, PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol), PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), PC (polycarbonate) filaments. Methods: 19 FDM 3D printing filaments which have been distributed in Korea were selected and analyzed VOCs emitted of 3D printing materials by headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry (headspace GC-MS). Subsamples were put into a vial and heated up to 200℃ (500 rpm) during 20 minutes before analyzing FDM 3D printing filaments. Results: In the case of PLA filament, lactide and methyl methacrylate, the monomer components of one, were detected, and the volume ratio ranged 27~93%, 0.5~37% respectively. In the case of ABS filaments, styrene (50.5~59.1%), the monomer components of one, was detected. Several VOCs among acetaldehyde, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, etc were detected from each FDM 3D printing filaments. Conclusions: Several VOCs, semi-VOCs were emitted from FDM 3D printing filaments in this study and previous studies. Users were possibly exposed to ones so that we strongly believe that we recommend to install the ventilation system such as a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) when they operate the FDM 3D printers in a workplace.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.93-102
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• 2023

Objectives: With the evolution of direct reading sensors, it is possible to monitor several substances through telecommunication. However, there are some limitations on the use of direct reading technologies in the Occupational Safety and Health Act in South Korea, which only applies to detector tubes, noise, heat, and carbon monoxides. The number of chemicals and their amount of use have been continuously increasing in South Korea. The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MoEL) has concerns about worker's health because exposure is only covered for about 1.2% of all distributed chemicals. Using a direct reading monitor with photoionization detectors (PID-DRMs), gases and vapors chemicals can be measured. Based on the data, business owners are able to create corrective strategies, provide better working routines, and select correct respiratory equipment. PID-DRMs are less expensive and easier to handle for an owner voluntarily controlling chemicals emitted in the workplace. However, there are several limitations on using these PID-DRMs to the degree that the MoEL has not been able to select a legal monitor. The aim of this study was to review previous studies related to PID-DRMs and identify the characterization and limitation on PID-DRMs. Methods: To search for related studies on PID-DRMs, key words were used including direct reading monitors/instruments and/or photoionization detectors. Through that, four domestic and 15 international studies were reviewed. Results: Studies on PID-DRMs were conducted by chamber (enclosed, dynamic, walk-in) and in the field (experimental environment, actual environment). The concentration of PID-DRMs and charcoal tubes were compared for a single substance or mixture, or within the PID-DRMs. There was a high correlation between the two concentrations, but it did not meet the accuracy criteria (95% confidence interval, within 25%) of the NIOSH technical report (2012). In addition, differences in measured values occurred according to environmental factors (temperature, humidity) and high concentration, and concentration values tended to be underestimated due to contamination of the sensor. As a way to improve the accuracy of PID concentration, it was proposed to use correction factors, charcoal tube-based correction factors, or to calibrate the PID-DRMs in the same environment as the workplace. Conclusions: PID-DRMs can likely be used by business owners for the purpose of voluntarily managing the workplace environment, and it is expected that it will be possible to use them as legal equipment if a PID sensor can be upgraded and the limitations of the sensor (temperature, humidity, high concentration evaluation, sensor pollution) can be overcome in the near future.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.61-67
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• 2023

This study compared, analyzed, and verified the accident rate and accident fatality rate (per 10,000 workers) of workplaces that perform safety management on behalf of a safety management institutions designated and registered in accordance with the OSHAct and workplaces that perform safety management. According to the research results, the significance was confirmed that the group with a low accident rate was the workplaces that self-appointed safety managers, workplaces with self-appointed safety managers in size with less than 300 employees, and workplaces in the industrial accident insurance industry in the manufacturing and transportation, warehouse, and telecommunications industries. The groups with a low accidental death rate were workplaces with less than 300 employees, workplaces where safety management was performed on behalf of safety management institutions, and workplaces with selfappointment for other medical businesses. In this study, it was confirmed that the accident rate in the safety management agency's workplaces was higher than that of its own appointed workplaces, and that there were some differences in the accident fatality rate depending on the size and industry. Therefore, since the current safety management agency system cannot ensure the effect of preventing accidental deaths, there is a need for comprehensive improvement of the agency system and improvement of the system to strengthen expertise in preventing industrial accidents.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Industrial Safety Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.329-338
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• 2002

우리나라의 자동차 대수는 이미 1.300만대를 넘어섰고, 국민 4명당 1대의 비율로 우리나라도 이제 자동차 대중화시대에 접어들었다. 작년 한해동안 교통사고는 290,481건이 발생하여 10,236명이 사망하였고, 426,984명이 부상당하였다. OECD가입국 중에서 인구대비 자동차사고의 사망비율이 1위이며, 음주운전으로 인한 사망자 수는 인구 10만 명당 24.84명으로 OECD가입국 중에서 2위를 차지하였다(도로교통안전관리공단, 200l).(중략)

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.1-14
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to identify the problems of the earthquake disaster safety management in the national industrial complexes and to suggest improvement counter-measure. Literature review for the safety management system of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation and interview with practitioners was conducted. and Seismic design application survey was conducted on 28 national industrial complexes. In order to improve Earthquake Disaster Safety Management, Counter-measures were suggested such as the reinforcement of laws and regulations related Seismic. It is expected that the improvement counter-measures presented in this study can be used as policy-making data for improving the seismic performance of the national industrial complexes in the future.