• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.299-305
• /
• 2000

Objectives : To investigate the difference in the occurrence of lung cancer between foundry workers and non-foundry workers by comparing the number of workers diagnosed with lung cancer through health insurance data. Methods : The study population was comprised of 28,884 workers who had undergone at least one general or special medical examination between January 1995 and December 1997 at the occupational health center. All of the subjects had health insurance during this period. We combined the medical examination data with the health insurance data to compare the number of foundry workers diagnosed with lung cancer and the number of non-foundry workers diagnosed with lung cancer. Results : Seven workers were diagnosed with lung cancer among the 1,591 foundry workers, compared to twelve workers among the 27,293 non-foundry workers (odds ratio: 10.04, 95% confidence interval: 3.95-25.55). The seven foundry workers diagnosed with lung cancer were all exposed to dust, and six out these seven workers were engaged in finishing or shake-out processes. Conclusions : Although the information for this study was obtained from health insurance data, which has limitations such as accuracy and completeness, the number of foundry workers diagnosed with lung cancer was significantly higher than that of non-foundry workers. Therefore, a well-designed cohort study should be followed to confirm the higher lung cancer rates in foundry workers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.26 no.3 s.43
• /
• pp.371-386
• /
• 1993

This study was carried out to evaluate diagnostic criteria of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among-workers in an iron foundry. Of 1,093 workers under the observation of noise-specific health examination, 184 workers were selected by way of first and second screening audiometric examination. A questionnaire survey, otological examinations, Rinne test and audiometric test were performed and the results were as follows ; The degree of hearing impairment in the left ear was more severe than in the right ear (p<0.05). The difference between hearing threshold of the first and the second hearing test at 1,000 Hz was about 5 dB with a narrow range of deviations while the difference at 4,000 Hz was about -7 dB with a wide range. Of the total study workers, 84.8% were tested within 15 hours away from noise exposure, and the rest after 16 hours. This study has identified that mean hearing loss at 4,000 Hz showed a significant statistical difference among the two study groups while mean hearing loss by 4-divided classification did not. The same phenomena were observed between the group with and without tinnitus and between the group with and without difficulty in hearing (p<0.05). Among 184 workers, 10 workers (5.4%) diagnosed as NIHL by old diagnostic criteria in contrast to 150 workers diagnosed as NIHL by the new diagnostic criteria. There was a significant difference between the two groups in the average hearing loss at 4,000 Hz and 4-divided classification (p<0.01), but there were no significant differences in age, the duration of employment, blood pressure and the duration wearing the personal hearing protector (p>0.05). If we apply Early Loss Index (ELI) method, some workers in younger age group diagnosed as NIHL by the new diagnostic criteria were fallen into within the normal range. In the mean time older age group show reverse results in contrast to the above finding. It is too early to confirm the value of the usage of the new diagnostic criteria in hearing examination. Further study is called for to verify the value of this criteria.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.27 no.2 s.46
• /
• pp.274-285
• /
• 1994

The effects of resin on the respiratory health have been investigated in 309 workers from four iron and steel foundries and the results compared with those from 122 workers who were not significantly exposed to resin gas and silica dust at the same industries. Phenol-formaldehyde resin was used in the core making and molding processes and workers were exposed to their decomposition products as well as to silica dust containing particulates. The subjects were grouped according to formaldehyde, dust and other gas exposures, and smoking habits were considered also in thi analysis. Standardized respiratory symptom questionnaire was administered by trained interviewers. Chest radiograph, pulmonary funtion tests, and methacholine challenge tests were done. Environmental measurements at the breathing zone were carried out to determine levels of formaldehyde, respiable dust and total dust. Foundry workers had a higher prevalence of symptoms of chronic bronchitis with chronic phlegm and chronic cough when exposed to dust. Exposure to gas was significantly associated with lowered $FEV_1$ and obstructive pulmonary function changes. Exposure to formaldehyde and phenol gas was associated with wheezing symptom among workers, but $FEV_1$ changes after methacholine challenge were not significantly different among different exposure groups. When asthma was defined as the presence of bronchial hyperreactivity with more than 20% decrease in $FEV_1$ after methacholine challenge, 17 workers out of 222 tested had asthma. Fewer asthmatic welters were found among groups exposed to formaldehyde, gas and dust, which indicates a healthy worker effects ill a cross-sectional study. The concentration of formaldehyde gas ranged from 0.24 to 0.43 ppm among studied foundries. The authors conclude that formaldehyde and phenol gas from combusted resin is probably the cause of asthmatic symptoms and also a selection force of those with higher bronchial reactivity away from exposures.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.67-80
• /
• 1982

In order to evaluate the psychosomatic health status of metal manufacturing industries workers and their working environments, the present study was conducted from March 1, 1981 to the end of September 1981. The data was obtained from the samples of metal manufacturing industries in Kyung-In Area and their 1, 162 employees. In addition, the 803 urban residents including students, office clerks, and general publics were sampled as control groups to compare with factory employees in psychosomatic analysis. The basic tool employed in the present study was the Todai Health Index (THI) which modified CMI and was developed by Tokyo University Research Team of Japan. The results of the present study were summarized as follows: 1. Working environments of the factories 1) The data shows that fabrication shop produced the highest noise level ranging from 91 to 96 dB (A) and iron and steel shop had the lowest noise level ranging from 81 to 86 dB (A). 2) Dust concentration was the highest in iron foundry shop ($3.8 mg/m^3$) and the lowest in fabrication shop ($1.2 mg/m^3$). 3) WBGT above threshold limit values (T.L.V.) was noted in steel shop (38$\circ$C) and iron foundry shop (34$\circ$C) 4) The concentration of Sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$)was 30.5ppm at steel shop and 12.0ppm at iron foundry shop. 5) The concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) was 140.0ppm at steel shop and 110.5ppm at iron foundry shop. 6) The atmospheric lead concentration was $0.49 mg/m^3$ at soldering shop. 2. The responses of psychosomatic complaints were much higher in steel shops group than in other manu-facturing group, except the response of aggressiveness. 3. The responses of psychosomatic complaints were much higher in industrial workers than in urban residents, except the responses of depression and aggressiveness (p < 0.01 ). 4. The psychosomatic symptoms which industrial workers and urban residents complained frequently were nervousness. agressiveness and lie scale in order. 5. The responses of psychosomatic complaints by sex were much higher in female group than in male group, except the response of aggressiveness. 6. The responses of psychosomatic complaints by age were that both the female and male group showed an increasing tendency in the all items, except the response of depression as age was increasing. 7. The responses of psychosomatic complaints by the length of services were that both the female and male group showed a tendency of increasing in physical symptoms as work years increased. 8. The responses of psychosomatic complaints were higher in unmarried group in the score of nervousness, aggressiveness, mental irritability and irregular life.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 1993.10a
• /
• pp.81-82
• /
• 1993

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.136-148
• /
• 2006

A foundry makes various machinery parts made by iron. For manufacturing machinery parts, they usually uses wooden mold with molding sand and pour the molten iron into wooden mold through inlet. A foundry have many processes including Furan process, In Furan process workers prepares a wooden mold in the molding sand. So they fixes wooden mold in sand housing and then they fill the molding sand in the sand housing. Molding sand should be sticky enough to sustain the shape of wooden mold, so several materials are needed to prepare the suitable molding sand. The first step of Furan process is making the molding sand with molding sand and Voltaic Organic Compounds (VOC) and the second step of Furan process is pour the molding sand into the wooden molding housing. This two step of process generated noxious VOC and various size of dust. So the process is very dirty and dangerous one. Because of these, Workers frequently shrink out of the plant. The company related with foundry usually faced on the difficult situation for engagement and always have shortage of hiring problem. Through this study, we developed a system which removes toxic VOC and dust simultaneously. We design and construct real system and install it at real plant. Before setting up this system, the working surroundings VOC (for formaldehyde) 15 ppm and Dust(for $PM_{10}$) $8,000{\mu}g/m^3$. After setting up this system, working surroundings is improved by VOC (for formaldehyde) 0 ppm, Dust(for $PM_{10}$) $4{\mu}g/m^3$, and the work evasion factor is removed. So we contribute to solve hiring problem of this company and increasing the productivity also.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 1993.10a
• /
• pp.119-120
• /
• 1993

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.112-120
• /
• 2000

We have compared the regulations of hot environment workpaces between Korea and ACGIH, then pointed out some insufficiences of Korean regulations for occupational hygiene and safety. And investigated the heat stress characteristics of laboratory, lathe and foundry working. The metabolic heat loads of those workplaces were obtained as 120, 300 및 660 kcal/hr based on WBGT index. WBGT index could be depended on weather condition, therefore useful for controlling working and rest times etc, but Belding-hatch index was represented by strength of working, definitely this would be convinient result for arranging countermeasures of workers in hot environments by estimating metabolic heat and signs of fatigue.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.144-152
• /
• 2021

Based on the analysis of the current state of the world's foundry industry, we looked at the international competitiveness of Korea's foundry industry for the past 20 years. Korea's total foundry production is 2.52 million tons, and the production per company (so-called productivity) is 2,831 tons, which is the eighth largest in the world and down one position for the case of total foundry production, while productivity remains its position compared to three years ago. Korea is the only one of the top 10 foundry to see a decline in production. Similar to the global situation, Korean products consist of 38% of grey csat iron, 31% of ductile cast iron, 15% of aluminum, and 9% of cast steel. In order to obtain statistics on Korea's foundry industry, the survey conducted a service project for approximately nine months from April 2020. Various statistical surveys and sample in-depth surveys by the Korean standard industry class were evaluated for various contents of the domestic casting industry. We also looked at the number of companies, the distribution by region, the number of workers and the percentage of foreigners, and the distribution of each job, as well as the R&D investment status according to the size of the enterprise. Together, sales, exports, sales and various profit ratios were analyzed to measure the earning power of foundry industry. In addition, the classification by grouping the foundry industry according to the process utilized by focusing on each company, and to determine the sales, exports, and yield status for each process was also investigated on the basis. Based on these data, the domestic foundry industry has presented a variety of offers for the following issues for sustainable growth; global ranking, marginal corporate restructuring, training of domestic technical people, differentiated support policies by company size and process.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.26-33
• /
• 2004

The pressure of the mold flux acting on the meniscus shell was investigated through the coupling analysis of heat transfer in the mold and fluid flow in the flux caused by the mold oscillation. Finite element method was employed to solve the conservation equation associated with appropriate boundary conditions. As reported by previous workers, the axial pressure is positive on the negative strip time and negative on the positive strip time. A maximum pressure is predicted toward the top of the meniscus shell which has the thin shell arid a maximum value is in proportion to the relative mold oscillation velocity. The relative mold oscillation velocity was changed by the effect of meniscus level fluctuation. Therefore the pressure of the mold flux acting on the meniscus shell was different each cycle of the mold oscillation due to the irregularity of relative mold oscillation velocity.