• Title/Summary/Keyword: Health Protection of Workers

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A Study on Awareness Levels of Personal Information Protection in Health Care Workers (개인정보 보호에 대한 의료기관 종사자들의 인식수준에 관한 연구)

  • Hong, Ju-Youn;Kim, Hwan-Hui
    • Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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    • v.13 no.8
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    • pp.647-659
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    • 2019
  • The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the awareness of health care workers on the protection of patient health information and their practice of it in an attempt to provide some information on the policy setting of health care institutions about medical information protection. As a result, the awareness of the health care workers on the protection of patient health information and their practice of it were both the best in the communication area, followed by the patient health information management area and the area of direct contact with health information. As for the variables linked to their awareness and practice of patient health information protection, the type of the health care institutions, job satisfaction, religion and the departments in which they worked were significantly related. To determine what factors affected the patient health information management area, a multiple regression analysis was carried out by selecting the area of direct contact with patient health information and the communication area as independent variables and by selecting the patient health information management area as a dependent variable. And it's found that the patient health information management area became better when the area of direct contact with the information and the communication area were better.

Health Status and Improvement Measures for Irregular Plant Construction Workers at Yeosu National Industrial Complex (여수지역 비정규직 플랜트 건설 근로자의 안전보건 실태와 개선방안)

  • Choi, Sangjun;Kim, Shin-Bum
    • Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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    • v.19 no.3
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    • pp.182-194
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    • 2009
  • This study was conducted to evaluate health status and to propose health protection measures of irregular plant construction workers in Yoesu National Industrial Complex (YNIC). The status of safety and health management was examined in five areas including safety and health education, work environment monitoring, health examination, health management record, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for plant construction workers. The safety training rate for plant construction workers was reached high at 91%, The training was mostly consisted of safety accident related things, but training on hazardous materials was found to be insufficient. Workplace monitoring results showed that the compliance rate for work environment for irregular construction workers was 54% and workplace monitoring during turnaround (TA) period with high risk of exposure to hazardous agents has not been implemented. While 61.4% of irregular workers received the general health examination but only 36.8% received the special health examination. The special health examination was found to be conducted only upon welders from 2-3 years ago. The issue of health management record upon irregular construction workers was not being implemented. In case of PPE, basic safety protective equipments such as safety shoes, safety belt, safety helmet were being supplied well while the supply rate of respirator for organic vapor was relatively low at 40%. Based on this study, two suggestions to maximize the utilization of the current safety and health program were made while boosting its effectiveness in protecting workers' health. First, the role of owners (petrochemical plant) related to safety and health should be strengthened. Second, in consideration of the characteristics of construction workers who usually engage in short term employment and frequent movement, community based health management organization is suggested that can overcome such structural problem and carry out the implementation of health examination and sustained health management.

Occupational Characteristics of Semiconductor Workers with Cancer and Rare Diseases Registered with a Workers' Compensation Program in Korea

  • Park, Dong-Uk;Choi, Sangjun;Lee, Seunghee;Koh, Dong-Hee;Kim, Hyoung-Ryoul;Lee, Kyong-Hui;Park, Jihoon
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.10 no.3
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    • pp.347-354
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    • 2019
  • Background: The aim of this study was to describe the types of diseases that developed in semiconductor workers who have registered with the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (KWCWS) and to identify potential common occupational characteristics by the type of claimed disease. Methods: A total of 55 semiconductor workers with cancer or rare diseases who claimed to the KWCWS were compared based on their work characteristics and types of claimed diseases. Leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and aplastic anemia were grouped into lymphohematopoietic (LHP) disorder. Results: Leukemia (n = 14) and breast cancer (n = 10) were the most common complaints, followed by brain cancer (n = 6), aplastic anemia (n = 6), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 4). LHP disorders (n = 24) accounted for 43%. Sixty percent (n = 33) of registered workers (n = 55) were found to have been employed before 2000. Seventy-six percent (n = 42) of registered workers and 79% (n = 19) among the registered workers with LHP (n = 24) were found to be diagnosed at a relatively young age, ${\leq}40years$. A total of 18 workers among the registered semiconductor workers were finally determined to deserve compensation for occupational disease by either the KWCWS (n = 10) or the administrative court (n = 8). Eleven fabrication workers who were compensated responded as having handled wafers smaller than eight inches in size. Eight among the 18 workers compensated (44 %) were found to have ever worked at etching operations. Conclusion: The distribution of cancer and rare diseases among registered semiconductor workers was closely related to the manufacturing era before 2005, ${\leq}8$ inches of wafer size handled, exposure to clean rooms of fabrication and chip assembly operations, and etching operations.

The Subcontract Workers Protection Plan Research against a Dangerous Work (위험 작업에 대한 하도급 근로자 보호방안 연구)

  • Kim, Dae-Ho;Kim, Byung-Suk
    • Proceedings of the Safety Management and Science Conference
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    • 2007.11a
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    • pp.85-95
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    • 2007
  • It compared subcontractor with contractor that are wages, the labor hour and labor condition of the work environment back are inferior relative. The subcontractor which basically the contract workers evade the dangerous process or the difficult work, the dirty work back what is called 3D the case which does to keep a business is many. so With life it will be threatened consequent health directly. The possibility where the subcontractor will be exposed to danger work came to be high. Together the reason of subcontract at managing the big business the case which becomes accomplished in objective, about lower the immediacy safety&health problem, subcontractor assigned workers is the actual condition only it could not be deteriorated more in public finance of the supply and enterprise and technical ability insufficiency. Consequently it prevents the subcontract which danger work is insensitive from this research and immediacy of the subcontract workers who is weak hygiene circumstance complement the plan it will be able to secure the immediacy safety&health subcontract workers, substantially to prepare in the hazard subcontract proprietor.

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A Study on the Knowledge, Attitude and the Preventive Behavior of Noise of Workers Exposed to the Harmful Noise (일 소음작업장 근로자들의 소음에 대한 인식 및 태도, 예방행위에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Eun-Hee;Kim, Tae-Kyung;Jung, Hee-Young;Kwon, Su-Ja
    • Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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    • v.16 no.1
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    • pp.59-67
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    • 2005
  • This study was to investigate knowledge, attitude and the preventive behaviour of noise of workers exposed to harmful noise and to provide primary data for noise-exposed workers' hearing conservation and the prevention of noise induced hearing loss. Method: The subjects were 104 workers who participated voluntarily in the questionnaire. The instrument used in this study was knowledge, attitude and practice on noise-induced hearing loss tool by Rhee & Yi (1996). The data were collected from August to September, 2002 with a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS 10.0 win program for finding frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, and ANOVA. Results: The average age of workers was 35.9 and the current average year of working at the noise place was $5{\sim}$10 years. In the group of previous noise-exposed workers, they showed significant difference in preventive behaviors (t=4.087, p=.048). In the group of current noise-exposed workers, they showed significant difference in recognition and attitude of noise(F=4.707, p=.004). Also, the duration of wearing ear protection equipment(t=2.383, p=.019), the feeling of wearing ear protection equipment(F=3.602, p=.031) and comfortable sense of wearing ear protection (F=3.919, p=.023) was significant in the preventive behaviour of noise. Conclusion: Considering the results above, we can recognize that there are close relations among the knowledge, attitude and the preventive behaviour of noise. Therefore, it is necessary to develop education - programs for noise-exposed workers' better understanding of noise and preventive behaviors

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Preventing Shift Work Disorder in Shift Health-care Workers

  • d'Ettorre, Gabriele;Pellicani, Vincenza
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.11 no.2
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    • pp.244-247
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    • 2020
  • The occurrence of the shift work disorder (SWD) in health-care workers (HCWs) employed in 24/7 hospital wards is a major concern through the world. In accordance with literature, SWD is the most frequent work-related disturb in HCWs working on shift schedules including night shift. In agreement with the Luxembourg Declaration on workplace health promotion (WHP) in the European Union, a WHP program has been developed in a large Hospital, involving both individual-oriented and organizational-oriented measures, with the aim to prevent the occurrence of SWD in nurses working on shifts including night shift. The objective assessment of rotating shift work risk and the excessive sleepiness were detected before and after the implementation of the WHP program, by using the Rotating Shiftwork-questionnaire and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The findings of this study showed the effectiveness of the implemented WHP program in minimizing the impact of shift work on workers' health and in preventing the misalignment between sleep-wake rhythm and shift working.

Nested Case-control Study of Occupational Radiation Exposure and Breast and Esophagus Cancer Risk among Medical Diagnostic X Ray Workers in Jiangsu of China

  • Wang, Fu-Ru;Fang, Qiao-Qiao;Tang, Wei-Ming;Xu, Xiao-San;Mahapatra, Tanmay;Mahapatra, Sanchita;Liu, Yu-Fei;Yu, Ning-Le;Sun, Quan-Fu
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.16 no.11
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    • pp.4699-4704
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    • 2015
  • Medical diagnostic X-ray workers are one occupational group that expose to the long-term low-dose external radiation over their working lifetime, and they may under risk of different cancers. This study aims to determine the relationship between the occupational X-ray radiation exposure and cancer risk among these workers in Jiangsu, China. We conducted Nested case-control study to investigate the occupational X-ray radiation exposure and cancer risk. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaire, which includes but not limits to demographic data, personal behaviors and family history of cancer. Retrospective dose reconstruction was conducted to estimate the cumulative doses of the x-ray workers. Inferential statistics, t-test and 2 tests were used to compare the differences between each group. We used the logistic regression model to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of cancer by adjusting the age, gender. All 34 breast cancer cases and 45 esophageal cancer cases that detected in a cohort conducted among health workers between 1950~2011 were included in this presented study, and 158 cancer-free controls were selected by frequency-matched (1:2). Our study found that the occupational radiation exposure was associated with a significantly increased cancer risk compared with the control, especially in breast cancer and esophageal cancer (adjusted OR=2.90, 95% CI: 1.19-7.04 for breast cancer; OR=4.19, 95% CI: 1.87-9.38 for esophageal cancer, and OR=3.43, 95% CI: 1.92-6.12 for total cancer, respectively). The occupational X-ray radiation exposure was associated with increasing cancer risk, which indicates that proper intervention and prevention strategies may be needed in order to bring down the occupational cancer risk.

Infection Risks Faced by Public Health Laboratory Services Teams When Handling Specimens Associated With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

  • Wong, Chun-Kwan;Tsang, Dominic N.C.;Chan, Rickjason C.W.;Lam, Edman T.K.;Jong, Kwok-Kwan
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.11 no.3
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    • pp.372-377
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    • 2020
  • Infection risks of handling specimens associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by public health laboratory services teams were assessed to scrutinize the potential hazards arising from the work procedures. Through risk assessments of all work sequences, laboratory equipment, and workplace environments, no aerosol-generating procedures could be identified except the procedures (mixing and transfer steps) inside biological safety cabinets. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as surgical masks, protective gowns, face shields/safety goggles, and disposable gloves, together with pertinent safety training, was provided for laboratory work. Proper disinfection and good hand hygiene practices could minimize the probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection at work. All residual risk levels of the potential hazards identified were within the acceptable level. Contamination by gloved hands was considered as a major exposure route for SARS-CoV-2 when compared with eye protection equipment. Competence in proper donning and doffing of PPE accompanied by hand washing techniques was of utmost importance for infection control.

CHEST WALL THICKNESS MEASUREMENTS AND THE DOSIMETRIC IMPLICATIONS FOR MALE RADIATION WORKERS AT THE KAERI

  • Lee, Tae-Young;Lee, Jong-Il;Chang, Si-Young;Kim, Jong-Kyung
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.26 no.3
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    • pp.299-303
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    • 2001
  • Using ultrasound techniques, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has measured chest wall thicknesses of a group of male workers at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. A site-specific biometric equation has been developed for these workers. Chest wall thickness is an important modifier on lung counting efficiency. These data have been put into the perspective of the ICRP recommended dose limits for occupationally exposed workers: 100 mSv in a 5-year period with a maximum of 50 mSv in anyone year. For measured chest wall thicknesses of 1.9 cm to 4.1 cm and a 30 min counting time, the achievable MDAs for natural uranium in the KAERI lung counter vary from 5.75 mg to 11.28 mg. These values are close to, or even exceed, the predicted amounts of natural uranium that will remain in the lung (absorption type M and S) after an intake equal to the Annual Limit on Intake corresponding to a committed dose of 20 mSv. This paper shows that the KAERI lung counter probably cannot detect an intake of Type S natural uranium in a worker with a chest wall thickness equal to the average value (2.7 cm) under routine counting conditions.

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The Interplay Between Supervisor Safety Support and Occupational Health and Safety Vulnerability on Work Injury

  • Yanar, Basak;Lay, Morgan;Smith, Peter M.
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.10 no.2
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    • pp.172-179
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    • 2019
  • Background: Workers exposed to hazards without adequate protections are at greater risk of injury and illness. Supervisor activities have also been associated with injury risk. We examined the interplay between supervisor safety support and occupational health and safety (OHS) vulnerability on workplace injury and illness. Methods: A survey was administered to 2,390 workers employed for more than 15 hrs/week in workplaces with at least five employees who had a direct supervisor. We examined the combined effects of hazard exposure with inadequate protection (OHS vulnerability) and supervisor support on workplace injury and illness, using additive interactions in log-binomial regression models. Results: OHS vulnerability and lack of supervisor support independently increased the likelihood of physical injuries at work. Crude and adjusted models showed that the risk of physical injury was at least 3.5 times higher among those experiencing both OHS vulnerability and a lack of supervisor support than individuals without OHS vulnerability and with a supportive direct supervisor. Workers who experienced vulnerability were at less risk if they had a supervisor who was supportive. Conclusion: In workplaces where workers experience one or more types of OHS vulnerability, having a supportive supervisor may play an important role in reducing the risk of injury and protecting workers.