• Title/Summary/Keyword: Health hazard

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A Review on Mutagenicity Testing for Hazard Classification of Chemicals at Work: Focusing on in vivo Micronucleus Test for Allyl Chloride

  • Rim, Kyung-Taek;Kim, Soo-Jin
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.6 no.3
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    • pp.184-191
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    • 2015
  • Chemical mutagenicity is a major hazard that is important to workers' health. Despite the use of large amounts of allyl chloride, the available mutagenicity data for this chemical remains controversial. To clarify the mutagenicity of allyl chloride and because a micronucleus (MN) test had not yet been conducted, we screened for MN induction by using male ICR mice bone marrow cells. The test results indicated that this chemical is not mutagenic under the test conditions. In this paper, the regulatory test battery and several assay combinations used to determine the genotoxic potential of chemicals in the workplace have been described. Further application of these assays may prove useful in future development strategies of hazard evaluations of industrial chemicals. This study also should help to improve the testing of this chemical by commonly used mutagenicity testing methods and investigations on the underlying mechanisms and could be applicable for workers' health.

Improving the Reliability of the National Database for Chemical Hazard Information (국가 화학물질 유해성정보 데이터베이스 구축 과정의 신뢰도 제고 방안에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, Somin;Lee, Minhyeok;Kang, Mijin;Kwon, Soon-Kwang;Ra, Jin-Sung;Park, Beaksoo
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.46 no.4
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    • pp.410-422
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    • 2020
  • Objectives: According to the Act on Registration, Evaluation, Etc. of Chemicals, new and existing chemicals must be registered by 2030. In addition, industries need to submit hazard data as an attachment during the registration process. Therefore, we constructed a nationwide chemical database to support small industry by providing hazard data and original sources. During the process, we developed a new standard procedure for minimizing errors and increasing reliability. Methods: We analyzed the categories of errors and the cause of the errors through the verification results of the 2019 project. We present an improved database construction methodology and system. Results: Errors are categorized according to their causative factors into simple, technical, and structural type errors. Simple errors arise simply because of decreased concentration or negligence in following the instructions. Technical errors are caused by a discrepancy between the professional field and the type of data. Structural errors indicate systemic errors such as incomplete forms on the excel database or ambiguity in the guidelines. Lessons from the errors collected in the 2019 project are used to update the procedures for database authorization and technical guidelines. The main update points are as follows; 'supplementation of review process', 'giving regular training to external reviewers', 'giving additional information to authors, like physico-chemical properties of substances, degradability, etc.', 'amendment of excel form', and 'guideline upgrades'. Conclusions: We conducted this study with the aim of improving the accuracy and reliability of the database of hazard information for chemical substances. The new procedures and guidelines are now being used in the 2020 project for construction of a hazard information database for Korea.

An Empirical Study on Firefighters' Health Hazard Factors -Focused on Fire Fighters, Rescue Workers and Emergency Medical Technicians Perception in Busan Fire Fighters- (소방공무원 건강장해 유해인자에 대한 실증연구 -화재진압대원, 구조대원, 구급대원의 인식조사를 중심으로-)

  • Kwon, Seol A;Lee, Min-Kyu;Park, Sang Ho;Kim, Da Young;Ryu, Sang Il
    • The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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    • v.19 no.3
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    • pp.520-529
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    • 2019
  • This study is intended to provide basic data for health management of firefighters in the future by empirically looking into health hazard factors of firefighters in Busan City. It was revealed that firstly, the danger of harmful chemicals in a fire was perceived the most by firefighters, who extinguish a fire in person on the scene of a fire, and it was followed by the danger of falling while putting out a fire. This study is intended to provide basic data for health management of firefighters in the future by empirically looking into health hazard factors of firefighters in Busan City. It was revealed that firstly, the danger of harmful chemicals in a fire was perceived the most by firefighters, who extinguish a fire in person on the scene of a fire, and it was followed by the danger of falling while putting out a fire. Moreover, the danger of shift work was perceived the most by paramedics. This corresponds to the existing studies arguing that shift work is harmful to health. Next, the overload of patient transport was recognized as the second biggest hazard factor. This demonstrates they are worried about various second accidents that may happen due to a lot of patient transport works. In addition, the possibility of causing a traffic accident was perceived as a hazard factor too, since they must drive ambulance cars quickly to transport patients. Lastly, rescue workers regarded these hazard factors to be most dangerous. This is associated with their occupational characteristics, because rescue workers are the closest to diverse risks including a fire.

Study on Theoretical Models of Regional Humanity Lung Cancer Hazards Assessment

  • Zhang, Chuan;Gao, Xing
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.16 no.5
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    • pp.1759-1764
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    • 2015
  • Purpose: To establish the concept of lung cancer hazard assessment theoretical models, evaluating the degree of lung cancer risk of Beijing for regional population lung cancer hazard assessment to provide a basis for technical support. Materials and Methods: ISO standards were used to classify stratified analysis for the entire population, life cycle, processes and socioeconomic management. Associated risk factors were evaluated as lung cancer hazard risk assessment first class indicators. Study design: Using the above materials, indicators were given the weight coefficients, building lung cancer risk assessment theoretical models. Regional data for Beijing were entered into the theoretical model to calculate the parameters of each indicator and evaluate the degree of local lung cancer risk. Results: Adopting the concept of lung cancer hazard assessment and theoretical models for regional populations, we established a lung cancer hazard risk assessment system, including 2 first indicators, 8 secondary indicators and 18 third indicators. All indicators were given weight coefficients and used as information sources. Score of hazard for lung cancer was 84.4 in Beijing. Conclusions: Comprehensively and systematically building a lung cancer risk assessment theoretical model for regional populations in conceivable, evaluating the degree of lung cancer risk of Beijing, providing technical support and scientific basis for interventions for prevention.

The Effect of Executive Safety Leadership on Workplace Hazard Levels: Focusing on the Mediating Effect of the Supervisor Role (경영진의 안전리더십이 작업장 유해위험수준에 미치는 영향: 관리감독자 안전보건 역할의 매개효과를 중심으로)

  • Gyuduk Lee;Changkwon Park;Gilsang Jang
    • Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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    • v.26 no.2
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    • pp.33-42
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    • 2024
  • Executive safety leadership is essential to prevent accidents in the workplace. However, will safety be secured by emphasizing only executive safety leadership to workers? In this study, the impact of executive safety leadership on the workplace hazard level was analyzed by adding the supervisor's safety role as a mediating variable. This paper shows that executive safety leadership has no direct effect on workplace hazard levels. However, executive safety leadership was found to have a significant impact on the supervisor safety role, and the supervisor safety role was found to lower the hazard levels in the workplace. In summary, executive safety leadership was found to reduce the hazard levels in the workplace through the full mediating effect of the supervisor safety role. Based on these research results, this study seeks to present the following recommendations to the government and management: The government should ensure that a workplace safety and health system is established by strengthening the effects of other mediating factors, such as strengthening the role of supervisors who are actually responsible for workplace safety and health. Executives must grant supervisors actual authority and responsibility to properly perform their safety roles and establish personnel and performance evaluation systems.

Hazard Communication of Dental Materials for Dental Hygienists in Daegu or Gyeongsangbuk-do Province Area (대구경북 치과위생사들의 치과재료에 대한 유해정보 소통 실태)

  • Kim, Haekyoung;Choi, Sangjun
    • Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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    • v.25 no.4
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    • pp.506-515
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    • 2015
  • Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the status of hazard communication regarding dental materials among dental hygienists in the Daegu Metropolitan City and the North Gyeongsang-do Province area. Materials: A total of 310 dental hygienists were surveyed using self-administered questionnaires to investigate the status of hazard communication on dental materials and information needs. We collected instructions for use and material safety data sheets(MSDSs) for 67 dental materials frequently used at dental hospitals located in the Daegu Metropolitan City and the North Gyeongsang-do Province area. Results: The questionnaire surveys showed that only 11% of the 310 dental hygienists had knowledge of MSDS and 46.8% of respondents never read instructions for use before using materials. Just 7.4% of dental hygienists have undergone training on hazard information for dental materials. In particular, dental hygienists working at dental clinics had significantly lower response rates on knowledge of MSDS(p<0.001), reading of instructions for use(p=0.042) and training on the hazard information of dental materials(p=0.004) than those in dental hospitals or general hospitals. The essential information most desired by dental hygienists was hazard identification(82.3%) followed by first-aid measures(53.9%), handling and storage(51%), disposal considerations (49%) and toxicological information(47.1%). All dental materials were on foreign products which came from Japan(59.7%), the USA(26.9%) and Liechtenstein(13.7%). In terms of usage, 56.7% of dental materials were prosthetic, followed by conservation(31.3%), orthodontics(9%), and prevention(3%). We found that dental hygienists had accessed MSDSs for only five dental products among the 67 dental materials. The instructions for the use of the 67 dental materials provided hazard identification(64.2%), first-aid measures(83.6%), handling and storage(97%), disposal considerations(20.9%) and toxicological information(26.9%). Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, the hazard communication system for dental hygienists working at dental clinics should be improved.

A Study on the Hazard Identification of Laboratory using 4M & HAZOP (4M 및 HAZOP 기법을 활용한 연구실 위험요소 분석 연구)

  • Kim, T.H.;Rhie, K.W.;Seo, D.H.;Lee, I.M.;Yoon, C.S.;Lee, Y.K.;Park, J.I.
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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    • v.28 no.3
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    • pp.88-94
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    • 2013
  • In university laboratories, areas of studies are becoming diverse and complicated according to the development of the industry. New forms of potential risk factors are increasing and they are unlike existing ones. In addition, many students are conducting various experiments in the laboratory. Therefore, they could be exposed to risk more often. Despite these risks, people do not recognize university lab safety activities properly and observe safety precautions. They are exposed to various laboratory accidents continually. In this study, we do not apply the present diagnosis method, checklist, but the safety assessment that is widely used in industry. Then we can find lots of hazard that checklist method could miss. This study will use the 4M and Hazard & Operability to design a new Laboratory safety assessments method.