• Title/Summary/Keyword: Health protection

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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.

Evaluation of Respiratory Protection Program in Petrochemical Industries: Application of Analytic Hierarchy Process

  • Kolahi, Hadi;Jahangiri, Mehdi;Ghaem, Haleh;Rostamabadi, Akbar;Aghabeigi, Mandana;Farhadi, Payam;Kamalinia, Mojtaba
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.9 no.1
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    • pp.95-100
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    • 2018
  • Background: Respiratory protection equipment (RPE) is the last resort to control exposure to workplace air pollutants. A comprehensive respiratory protection program (RPP) ensures that RPE is selected, used, and cared properly. Therefore, RPP must be well integrated into the occupational health and safety requirements. In this study, we evaluated the implementation of RPP in Iranian petrochemical industries to identify the required solutions to improve the current status of respiratory protection. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 24 petrochemical industries in Iran. The survey instrument was a checklist extracted from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration respiratory protection standard. An index, Respiratory Protection Program Index (RPPI), was developed and weighted by analytic hierarchy process to determine the compliance rate (CR) of provided respiratory protection measures with the RPP standard. Data analysis was performed using Excel 2010. Results: The most important element of RPP, according to experts, was respiratory hazard evaluation. The average value of RPPI in the petrochemical plants was $49{\pm}15%$. The highest and lowest of CR among RPP elements were RPE selection and medical evaluation, respectively. Conclusion: None of studied petrochemical industries implemented RPP completely. This can lead to employees' overexposure to hazardous workplace air contaminants. Increasing awareness of employees and employers through training is suggested by this study to improve such conditions.

Outdoor Workers' Use of Sun Protection at Work and Leisure

  • Peters, Cheryl E.;Koehoorn, Mieke W.;Demers, Paul A.;Nicol, Anne-Marie;Kalia, Sunil
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.7 no.3
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    • pp.208-212
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    • 2016
  • Background: Outdoor workers are at risk of high ultraviolet radiation exposure, and may have difficulty using sun protection. The objectives were to determine the prevalence of sun protection behaviors in a sample of outdoor construction workers, and to assess which factors predict better sun protection practices. Methods: Participants were recruited via construction unions. Workers answered a questionnaire on demographics, skin cancer risk, sun protection behaviors, and job. Sun protection behavior scores (from questions on sunscreen use, sleeved shirt, hat, shade seeking, sunglasses) were calculated by converting Likert-scale answers to scores from 0 to 4, and taking the mean (separately for work and leisure). Determinants of sun protection behavior scores were examined for work and leisure using generalized linear models. Results: Seventy-seven workers had complete questionnaire data (participation 98%). Sun protection behaviors used most often were hats (79% often/always) and sleeved shirts (82% often/always); least prevalent were shade-seeking (8% often/always) and sunscreen (29% often/always). For both work and leisure scores, the strongest predictor was skin type, with fairer-skinned individuals having higher sun protection behavior scores. Workers had higher scores at work than on weekends. Workplaces that required hats and sleeved shirts for safety purposes had higher protection behavior scores. Conclusion: This high-participation rate cohort helps characterize sun protection behaviors among outdoor workers. Workers practiced better sun protection at work than on weekends, suggesting that workplace policies supportive of sun protection could be useful for skin cancer prevention in the construction industry.

Relationship between Information Security Education and Information Protection Practice of Hospital (의료기관의 정보보호교육과 정보보안생활과의 관련성)

  • Kim, Jongdeok;Hong, Hwayong;Kim, Jae-Hyun
    • Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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    • v.24 no.2
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    • pp.56-66
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    • 2019
  • PURPOSE: To demonstrate that the training of information protection for members at medical institutions increases the information protection activities of employees. METHODS: We used the chi-square test and the logistic regression model to analyze the data of the "Healthcare Information and Communication Status Survey in 2017" (n = 2002) conducted by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute RESULTS: As a result of the analysis, the information protection activity increased when the education was received and the number of received more than the education was not received. Especially, when the management receives education, it affects the information protection activities of the employees. CONCLUSION: In order to protect medical information, medical institutions need to provide education on information protection for management and employees.

Perception and Performance of Emergency-room Nurse's Protection Behavior for the Consumer Health Information (응급실 간호사의 환자 의료 정보 보호행위에 대한 인식 및 실천 정도)

  • Jung, Sun-Young;Ju, Hyeon-Ok
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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    • v.15 no.3
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    • pp.403-414
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    • 2009
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the emergency-room nurse's perception and performance about the protection behavior of the consumer health information. Method: The participants were 191 emergency-room nurses in secondary, tertiary medical center nationally. The data were analyzed by SPSS 12.0 program. Result: First, the total average scores of the degree of the perception and performance by emergencyroom nurses on protection behavior of the consumer health information were $4.24{\pm}0.30$ and $3.51{\pm}0.26$. Second, the degree of the perception and performance on protection behavior of the consumer health information was heavily dependent on the following general characteristics of the participants: age, nurse position, career, and education experience on protection behavior of the consumer health information. Third, there was a positive correlation between the degree of perception and performance about the protection behavior of the consumer health information. Conclusions: The results showed the statistically significant partial correlation between the degree of perception and performance. Therefore, it is suggested to apply the concrete education program to enhance the perception in order to improve the performance.

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Need Assessment to Develop the Maternity Protection Education Database for Occupational Health Nurses (사업장 모성보호 실태 및 교육자료 요구도)

  • June, Kyung-Ja;Choi, Eun-Sook;Kim, So-Yeon;Yun, Soon-Nyoung;Jung, Hye-Sun;Lee, Bok-Im
    • Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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    • v.12 no.1
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    • pp.71-79
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    • 2003
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the status of maternity protection in the industries for the development of educational database used by occupational health nurses (OHNs). Method: 100 OHNs were purposively sampled and they were charged in the occupational health manager of their own industries. Data were collected by the postal mail, the response rate was 53.0%, and analysis rate was 43.0%. Result: The results were as follows; 1. Most of subjects responded there was the institutionalization of a special holiday for woman workers (97.7%) and 90 days maternity leave (95.4%). Otherwise, the numbers of industry were smaller in the case of providing the breast-feeding time, temporary rest from office for child raring, restriction of hazard job, night job, and over time. The application rates were lower than the rate of institutionalization of all maternity protection items. 2. There were significant differences in institutionalization of maternity protection by the activity of the trade union. And the numbers of the industry applying the maternity protection were significantly different by the area and the types of industry. 3. Most OHNs responded 17 subjects were needed to the maternity protection education for women workers. Conclusion: It would be needed to develop the maternity protection education database in base of the status of maternity protection in the industries and the need of maternity protection education. The role of OHNs for maternity protection was expected to activate.

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A Study of Health Promotion Activity in Community Health Nursine Areas (지역사회 간호분야에서의 건강증진행위분석)

  • Kim, Young-Im
    • Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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    • v.4 no.2
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    • pp.158-169
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    • 1993
  • Health promotions have been identified as foundamental concepts for nursing practice, especially in community health nursing. Nurses have been regarded as having important role's in health promotion activities. According to a review of literature, the concepts of health promotion consist of prevention services, health protection. Health prevention services have three levels : Primary secondary and tertiary. The objectives of this study are (1) to analyze the health promotion activities in school nursing. (2) to analyze health promotion activities in community health nursing posts. (3) to analyze the health promotion activities in industrial nursing while suggesting future direction for health promotion in community health nursing areas. The major results are first, Prevention services are most actively performed rather than health protection, and health education in three areas: School, industries, and community. Health nursing, secondary prevention services follow emergency care, and ordinary diseases control are especially active. Health promotion can ultimately from changing life be accomplished styles, and health behavior. As a consequence, future directions promoting health in community health nursing are desirable areas. Focusing on health protection, and health education that is not activated presently.

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Sun Protection Use Behaviour among University Students from 25 Low, Middle Income and Emerging Economy Countries

  • Pengpid, Supa;Peltzer, Karl
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.16 no.4
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    • pp.1385-1389
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    • 2015
  • The aim of this study was to investigate the sun protection use behaviour among university students from 25 low, middle income and emerging economy countries. Using anonymous questionnaires, data were collected from 18,687 undergraduate university students aged 18-30 years (mean age 20.8, SD=2.8) from 26 universities in 25 countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas. Overall, 57.2% of university students reported liking to sunbathe and of those only 48.1% used sun protection when sunbathing. In multivariate logistic regression, younger age, being female, coming from a wealthy or quite well off economic family background, living in an upper middle or high income country, lighter skin tone, and other health behaviours were found to be associated with sun protection use behaviour. Low sun protection use calls for health promotion programmes to prevent unprotected sun exposure.

Current Evidence on the Association between rs3757318 of C6orf97 and Breast Cancer Risk: a Meta-Analysis

  • Hong, Yuan;Chen, Xue-Qin;Li, Jiao-Yuan;Liu, Cheng;Shen, Na;Zhu, Bei-Bei;Gong, Jing;Chen, Wei
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.15 no.19
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    • pp.8051-8055
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    • 2014
  • Background: A common genetic variant rs3757318, located in intron of C6orf97, was firstly identified to be associated with breast cancer (BC) risk by a genome-wide association (GWA) study. However, subsequent validation studies with different ethnicities have yielded conflicting results. Materials and Methods: We performed a meta-analysis to synthesize all available data for evaluating the precise effect of this variant on BC susceptibility. Results: A total of 8 articles containing 11 studies with 62,891 cases and 65,635 controls were included in this meta-analysis. When compared to the G allele, the rs3757318-A allele was significantly associated with BC risk with the pooled OR of 1.21 (95% CI=1.15 - 1.29, P<0.001) but with obvious between-study heterogeneity (P=0.040). Stratified analysis suggested that diversity of ethnicity along with control source may explain part of the heterogeneity. Similarly, significant associations were also identified in heterozygote, homozygote, dominant and recessive genetic models. Sensitivity and publication bias analyses indicated robust stability of our results. Conclusions: Our present meta-analysis demonstrated that the variant rs3757318 is associated with increased BC risk. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to clarify the underlying biological mechanisms.

Study on the Liquid Rocket Engine Health Monitoring and Emergency Protection System (액체로켓엔진 상태진단/비상보호시스템 연구)

  • Kim, Seung-Han;Nam, Chang-Ho;Seol, Woo-Seok
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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    • 2007.11a
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    • pp.178-182
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    • 2007
  • This paper reviews on the LRE health monitoring and emergency protection system to protect test object engine system and engine test facility, in case of various fault occurrence at LRE testing. General composition and major technical consideration of LRE health monitoring system and emergency protection system are reviewed. Moreover, some application of LRE health monitoring/emergency protection system to development test of major LRE component such as turbopump testing, gas generator and combustion chamber test are reviewed.

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