• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.43-52
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• 2014

Because information on biological agents in the workplace is lacking, biological hazard analyses at the workplace to securely recognize the harmful factors with biological basis are desperately needed. This review concentrates on literatures published after 2010 that attempted to detect biological hazards to humans, especially workers, and the efforts to protect them against these factors. It is important to improve the current understanding of the health hazards caused by biological factors at the workplace. In addition, this review briefly describes these factors and provides some examples of their adverse health effects. It also reviews risk assessments, protection with personal protective equipment, prevention with training of workers, regulations, as well as vaccinations.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.125-129
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• 2019

The ultimate goal of the quality control program for special periodic health examination agencies is to diagnose the health condition of a worker correctly, based on accurate examination and analysis skills, leading to protect the worker's health. The quality control program on three areas, chemical analysis for biological monitoring since 1995, and pneumoconiosis, audiometric testing since 1996, has contributed to improve the reliability of occupational health screenings by improving the issues including standardization of testing methods, tools, diagnostic opinions, and reliability of analysis for biological monitoring. It has contributed to improving the reliability of occupational health monitoring by rectifying the following issues associated with previous monitoring: absence of standardized testing methods, testing tools that are not upgraded, mismatching diagnostic opinions, and unreliable results of biological specimen analysis. Nevertheless, there are issues in need of further improvement such as lack of expertise or the use of inappropriate method for health examination, and passive and unwilling participation in the quality control. We suggested solutions to these problems for each area of quality control program. Above all, it is essential to provide active support for health examiners to develop their expertise, while encouraging all the health screening agencies, employers, and workers to develop the desire to improve the system and to maintain the relevance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.102-109
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• 2007

A bioterrorism attack is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs(agents) used to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plant. These agents are found in nature, but it is possible that they could be changed to increase their ability to cause disease, make them resistant to current medicines, or to increase their ability to be spread into the environment. Terrorists may use biological agents because these agents can be extremely difficult to detect and do not cause illness for several days. Some bioterrorism agents, like smallpox virus, can spread from person to person, like anthrax, can not. From these agents, we discussed the characteristics of biological agents and national safety regulation on the weapons of mass destruction including bioterrorism.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.89-90
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• 2003

Biological products are composed of vaccines, antitoxin, blood products, DNA recombinant protein drugs, monoclonal antibody, cell therapy and gene therapy. Biological products are divided into traditional (i.e. recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies) and novel biological products (gene and cell therapy) and will require a similar re-evaluation of the approaches taken during each development program.(omitted)

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.207-211
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• 2017

It is introduced an outstanding book about an important topic in occupational and environmental sciences i.e., the opportunities and challenges that may be connected with increasing the use and distribution of rare earth elements. These chemically similar elements, comprising the lanthanides, scandium, and yttrium, are involved in a number of essential technological applications, and their effects raise a number of human health issues of relevance to the occupational and environmental sciences. The book that I introduced here, "Rare Earth Elements in Human and Environmental Health; At the Crossroads between Toxicity and Safety" edited by Giovanni Pagano (Pan Stanford Publishing Pte. Ltd., Temasek Boulevard, Singapore) represents a break from that situation. It is essential to increase our knowledge about the environmental fate and biological effects of these technologically important metals in order to prevent unforeseen long-term man-made consequences to human health. This book is likely to become an important resource for scientists, engineers, and decision makers who understand the need for sensible exploitation of this resource.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.393-397
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• 2017

Background: It has been suggested that engaging technology can empower individuals to be more proactive about their health and reduce their health risks. The aim of the present intervention was to study the effects of technology-aided testing and feedback on physical activity and biological age of employees in a middle-sized enterprise. Methods: In all, 121 employees (mean age $42{\pm}10$ years) participated in the 12-month three-arm cluster randomized trial. The fitness measurement process (Body Age) determined the participants' biological age in years. Physical activity was measured with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form. Results: Physical activity did not change during the intervention. Biological age (better fitness) improved in all groups statistically significantly (p < 0.001), but with no interaction effects. The mean changes (years) in the groups were -2.20 for the controls, e2.83 for the group receiving their biological age and feedback, and -2.31 for the group receiving their biological age, feedback, and a training computer. Conclusion: Technology-aided testing with feedback does not seem to change the amount of physical activity but may enhance physical fitness measured by biological age.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 2011

Objectives: In this study, we summarized the External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS) for the biological monitoring of occupational exposure to toxic chemicals which started in 1995 and continued until a $31^{st}$ round robin in the spring of 2010. The program was performed twice per year until 2009, and this was changed to once a year since 2010. The objective of the program is to ensure the reliability of the data related to biological monitoring from analytical laboratories. Methods: One hundred and eighteen laboratories participated in the $31^{st}$ round robin. The program offers 5 items for inorganic analysis: lead in blood, cadmium in blood, manganese in blood, cadmium in urine, and mercury in urine. It also offers 10 items for organic analysis, including hippuric acid, methylhippuric acid, mandelic acid, phenylglyoxylic acid, N-methylformamide, N-methylacetamide, trichloroacetic acid, total trichloro-compounds, trans,trans-muconic acid, and 2,5-hexanedione in urine. Target values were determined by statistical analysis using consensus values. All the data, such as chromatograms and calibration curves, were reviewed by the committee. Results: The proficiency rate was below 70% prior to the first round robin and improved to over 90% for common items, such as PbB and HA, while those for other items still remained in the range of 60-90% and need to be improved up to 90%. Conclusion: The EQAS has taken a primary role in improving the reliability of analytical data. A total quality assurance scheme is suggested, including the validation of technical documentation for the whole analytical procedure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.25-28
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• 1998

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.333-340
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was designed to establish an accurate analytical method for asbestos in a biological sample for determining occupational asbestos-related diseases and relief of the health effects of environmental asbestos. Methods: Biological samples were obtained from lungs of rats following intratracheal instillation of asbestos(Chrysotile, anthophyllite) and were prepared according to digestion method(Wet digestion, high temperature ashing, low temperature ashing). The samples were then analyzed for asbestos fibers using a transmission electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Results: Low temperature plasma ashing removed more of the organic components and reduced fiber loss compared to the wet digestion method, making specimens so prepared more suitable for transmission electron microsocpy. Conclusions: The low temperature ashing technique is the most accurate method for analyzing asbestos in biological samples.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.1-6
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• 2008

The safety management of the LNG industry which shows huge growth recently, become an essential element. So the necessity of development for the pre-existing LNG storage/transport facility has been shown up and the improvement of information technology (IT) of these days make it possible to synthesize several models for integrated LNG facilitiy safety management system. This system will contains risk analysis/assessment technology, explosion, leakage and diffusion model construction technology, real-time monitoring and fault diagnosis technology, and reliability progression technology of process information through data reconciliation. The final integrated safety management system will contribute the increase of LNG industry's safety and exportation of technique.