• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.80-84
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• 2015

The industrial accidents in the construction business have decreased on the basis of the accreditation of KOSHA 18001, one of the occupational health and safety management system. However, the interest and investment into the KOSHA 18001 has grown down because of the worsened construction business so that the construction companies that maintain the system as a mere formality has begun to be displayed. In this regard, this study performed the interview with the internal and external review board as well as the question investigation from the persons concerned in order to apprehend the current problems in the KOSHA 18001. First of all, the internal reviewers in the KOSHA are lack in the comparison with the number of new and renew accreditation. Secondly, many persons concerned with the KOSHA has required the quantitative criteria for the accreditation. Consequently, the manpower supplement associated with the external reviewers, the grading evaluation would be strong solutions to improve the effectiveness of KOSHA 18001.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2016

The past five years, industrial accidents due to food processing machinery have been occurred 725 cases, injury by the food cutter occurred 390 cases in its. On this study, to prevent food cutter injury, an attempt is made to present the improved documentation of fundamental safety of the food cutter workplace through the injury analysis of food cutter injury and surveys on band saw machine business field. Analyzing the result of 390 cases on food cutter injury, amputation, cut, puncture occupied 75.1 percent (293 cases), compressed occupied 23.3% (91 cases), also it showed constant component without reference to gender, age, scale of work place, service period. In the survey, lack of concentration for workers have been pointed out as the biggest factor in the cause of band saw machine injury. Meanwhile, such as the EU and Japan, whereas presents safety standards about band saw machines that are tailored to each country, on the other hand, South Korea doesn't provide the standards. To prevent the food cutter injury, safety standards need to be established in consideration of amputation, cut, puncture, compressed injury and financial support is required to procure protective equipment at each place of business.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.79-90
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• 2003

The purposes of this study are to compare data for work-related musculoskeletal disorders(WMSDs) between Korea and USA, and to investigate status of WMSDs for industrial safety managers. The first part of this study was based on statistical data annually published by Minister of Labor of Korea and Bureau of Labor Statistics of USA. The latter was performed by using questionnaire survey for industrial safety managers in two regions. The results showed that the WMSDs incidence rate was significantly lower in Korea than in USA, and that there is big difference in the distribution of occupational illness by category of illness between Korea and USA. The questionnaire survey revealed that knowledge level about WMSDs was significantly affected depending upon corresponding companies' location and size, and that the low back pain was the most prevalent illness among varying WMSDs symptoms, followed by tendonitis/tenosynovitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tennis elbow. Based on this study, it is recommended that the future education/training for WMSDs focus on their preventative measures, methods/tools for identifying their risk factors, and diagnostic criteria for judging suspicious symptoms for industrial accidents, and that the governmental policy for WMSDs be changed towards financial supporting for preventive facilities, establishing objective diagnostic criteria and training for WMSDs.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.85-95
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the burn characteristics of female patients hospitalized in a burn center. Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study. The subjects were 222 female patients aged over 19 years old having burn injuries from work sites between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014. Data were collected using electronic medical records about the burn-related characteristics. The data were analyzed descriptively. Results: Many of the subjects were in their forties and fifties. Most subjects showed burns with an area of less than 10% of the body surface with a severity of second degree. Scalding burns were the most frequent. Contact burns were usually of third-degree severity and occurred on hands and wrists. Flame burns affected the largest body surface area and frequently occurred on the face and mainly caused by explosion of a stove or kitchen gas. Chemical burns frequently occurred on the lower limbs. Conclusion: Female workers are exposed to the hazards of burn injuries in industrial accidents. Types of burn differ depending on the workplace conditions. Therefore, preventative measures for burn injuries should be established in accordance with the characteristics of each industry to which female workers belong.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2006

Purpose: To compare of health inequalities between rural and urban areas in term of health status, health behaviors and medical care utilization by using national-wide data. Method: The data came from the 2000 and 2005 census data, 2004 death certification statistics and 2001 national health and nutrition survey. The health indicators used in this study were mortality, perceived health status, health related behaviors, morbidity, accidents and suicides, mental health-related factors, health care accessibility. Korean rural areas have been experiencing a rapid aging process and there are demographic differences between rural and urban populations. Thus, both of crude rates and age-adjusted rates were compared. Result: Although the degrees decreased after adjustment for age, health inequalities between areas still existed. The people who lived in rural areas suffer from higher mortality, morbidity and unhealthy behavior compared to people in urban areas. Especially, regional health inequalities for women were significant. Health care accessibility in rural areas was also lower and medical indirect costs for rural residents were higher than those of urban residents. Conclusion: To reduce health inequalities between geographical areas, political efforts to tackle health inequalities in the rural areas are required.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.46-55
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• 2015

Background: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are often the main pillar of an economy. Minor accidents, ergonomics problems, old and outdated machinery, and lack of awareness have created a need for implementation of safety practices in SMEs. Implementation of healthy working conditions creates positive impacts on economic and social development. Methods: In this study, a questionnaire was developed and administered to 30 randomly chosen SMEs in and around Mumbai, Maharashtra, and other states in India to evaluate safety practices implemented in their facilities. The study also looked into the barriers and drivers for technology innovation and suggestions were also received from the respondent SMEs for best practices on safety issues. Results: In some SMEs, risks associated with safety issues were increased whereas risks were decreased in others. Safety management practices are inadequate in most SMEs. Market competitiveness, better efficiency, less risk, and stringent laws were found to be most significant drivers; and financial constraints, lack of awareness, resistance to change, and lack of training for employees were found to be main barriers. Conclusion: Competition between SMEs was found to be major reason for implementation of safety practices in the SMEs. The major contribution of the study has been awareness building on safety issues in the SMEs that participated in the project.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2015

Background: Health and safety (H&S) on a construction site can either make or break a contractor, if not properly managed. The usage of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for H&S on construction execution has the potential to augment practitioner understanding of their sites, and by so doing reduce the probability of accidents. This research explores BIM usage within the construction industry in relation to H&S communication. Methods: In addition to an extensive literature review, a questionnaire survey was conducted to gather information on the embedment of H&S planning with the BIM environment for site practitioners. Results: The analysis of responses indicated that BIM will enhance the current approach of H&S planning for construction site personnel. Conclusion: From the survey, toolbox talk will have to be integrated with the BIM environment, because it is the predominantly used procedure for enhancing H&S issues within construction sites. The advantage is that personnel can visually understand H&S issues as work progresses during the toolbox talk onsite.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.37-40
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• 2014

Article 29(3) of Occupational Safety And Health Act, which states a contractor can request a design change to an employer of businesses under the risk condition of construction of temporary structure, was established. Accordingly, in this study, recent fatal accidents caused by temporary structures were analyzed, and the level of inclusion of temporary structures in the design document were examined, and high risk temporary structures were classified. In addition, the requirements of design change of temporary structures were presented, and the qualifications of expert to certify the design change were proposed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.41-48
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• 2019

In October 2018, a large fire occurred after an explosion in an internal floating roof tank (IFRT) that stores gasoline by wind lantern in Goyang city, Gyeonggi-do. Although there was no casualty damage, the fire inside the tank lasted for 17 hours, and caused a great wave socially, and it was a chance to review the safety of the atmospheric storage tank. In this study, the necessity of installing a flame arrester at peripheral vents was examined through the calculation of the size of ventilation pipe and ventilation rate of internal floating roof tanks in terms of the function of the peripheral vent. Next, the necessity of the emergency shut-off valve linked with the high-level alarm to prevent the overflow of the atmospheric storage tank was confirmed by LOPA. Finally, safety measures to prevent overpressure, flame propagation and overflow which cause major accidents in atmospheric storage tank are suggested.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.138-142
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• 2016

Background: Household waste collectors (HWCs) are exposed to hazardous conditions. This study investigates the patterns of workplace injuries and work-related illnesses of HWCs. Methods: This study uses cases of workplace injuries and work-related illnesses of HWCs that occurred between 2010 and 2011. We analyzed 325 cases of injuries and 36 cases of illnesses according to the workers' age, length of employment, size of workplace, injured part of body, day and month of injury, type of accident, agency of accident, and collection process. Results: There were significant differences in the effect of workers' length of employment, injured part of body, type of accident, agency of accident, and collection process. Results show that most injuries occur in workers in their 50s and older. This study also shows that 51.4% of injuries occur at businesses with 49 employees or fewer. Injuries to waste collectors happen most often when workers are electrocuted after slipping on the ground. The second most prevalent form of injury is falling, which usually happens when workers hang from the rear of the truck during transportation or otherwise slip and fall from the truck. Work-related illnesses amongst waste collectors are mostly musculoskeletal conditions due to damaging postures. Conclusion: These findings will be instructive in devising policies and guidelines for preventing workplace injuries and work-related illnesses of HWCs.