• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.86-92
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• 2022

Background: A laboratory where chemicals are handled can be considered a hazardous environment, and hence, prudent practices should be strictly enforced. If not, deadly accidents and incidents could occur due to a lack of safety practices and poor safety culture. The purpose of this study is to analyze the existing safety culture and propose potential recommendations to enhance the level of safety education in the chemical laboratories in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. Methods: A survey questionnaire was administered among the laboratory supervisors of the chemical laboratories in the Western Province of Sri Lanka in 2019. Results: Even though 80 surveys were distributed among prospective participants, only 46 surveys were submitted, which is 58% of the response rate. Most of the individuals who participated in the survey were females below 35 years old, and approximately 96% of the participants had at least one year of working experience in the same laboratory setting. The majority considered safety as an important factor that requires further improvements with third-party safety inspections; however, 54% of the respondents mentioned that those inspections were conducted by the employees from their laboratory. Conclusion: From the study, it has been discovered that employees have knowledge of safety culture to a certain extent. A significant percentage (83%) of participants believed that further safety measures are required for a safer laboratory. However, the study revealed that the attitudes of some employees should be changed to have a better safety culture. Hence the authors would like to suggest having annual training sessions and well-formulated safety policies to improve the safety culture.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.235-239
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• 2022

Background: The purpose of present study was to determine the effectiveness of training program based on job stress management in NEDSA and line staff. Methods: The study method of this study was quantitative and quasi-experimental research Methods: From the statistical population (all employees of the NEDSA and line staff in 2020-2021), 30 of these people were selected by judgmental sampling method and considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The participants were first matched based on age and education and were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. First, pre-test was taken from both groups (Job Stress Questionnaire). The experimental group was presented with a job stress management training package and no protocol was presented in the control group. After the sessions, post-test was received from both groups (experimental and control). After two months, a follow-up test was performed. Results: The results were entered into SPSS-24 software and analyzed. The results of repeated measure showed high effectiveness of the job stress management package (researcher-made). The results showed that the job stress management training package showed 67.5% effectiveness and also the training effect of job stress management training was stable for two months (follow-up). Conclusion: Based on these results, Training program based on stress management can be effective in military staff.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.187-192
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• 2020

Background: This study investigated the relationship between verbal aggression against school teachers and upper extremity (neck, shoulder, upper limb, and/or upper back) musculoskeletal pain. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 525 elementary school teachers from Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Northeast Brazil. Results: The prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain among teachers who reported verbal aggression in the past six months (67.7%) was higher than that among those who did not report verbal aggression (51.7%): (prevalence ratio = 1.21; 95% confidence interval = 1.04-1.40). The prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain was associated with verbal aggression, sex, and common mental disorders, controlled by skin color, age, monthly income, teachers' education, years working as a teacher, workload, and obesity. Furthermore, the measure of the association between verbal aggression and upper extremity musculoskeletal pain was modified by sex and common mental disorders, considered altogether. Teachers who suffered verbal aggression, of the feminine sex, and also having common mental disorders reported high prevalence (85.4%) of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain. Conclusion: The association between verbal violence in the school and complaints of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain was strong and modified by teachers' sex and common mental disorders.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.93-99
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• 2023

Background: Effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and overcommitment at work have been associated poorer mental health. However, nonlinear and nonadditive effects have not been investigated previously. Methods: The association between effort, reward, and overcommitment with odds of poorer mental health was examined among a sample of 68 formal United States waste workers (87% male). Traditional, logistic regression and Bayesian Kernel machine regression (BKMR) modeling was conducted. Models controlled for age, education level, race, gender, union status, and physical health status. Results: The traditional, logistic regression found only overcommitment was significantly associated with poorer mental health (IQR increase: OR = 6.7; 95% CI: 1.7 to 25.5) when controlling for effort and reward (or ERI alone). Results from the BKMR showed that a simultaneous IQR increase in higher effort, lower reward, and higher overcommitment was associated with 6.6 (95% CI: 1.7 to 33.4) times significantly higher odds of poorer mental health. An IQR increase in overcommitment was associated with 5.6 (95% CI: 1.6 to 24.9) times significantly higher odds of poorer mental health when controlling for effort and reward. Higher effort and lower reward at work may not always be associated with poorer mental health but rather they may have an inverse, U-shaped relationship with mental health. No interaction between effort, reward, or overcommitment was observed. Conclusion: When taking into the consideration the relationship between effort, reward, and overcommitment, overcommitment may be most indicative of poorer mental health. Organizations should assess their workers' perceptions of overcommitment to target potential areas of improvement to enhance mental health outcomes.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.59-70
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• 2012

This study compared data regarding industrial accidents and awareness level for beauty product safety for four main parts of beauty industry such as hair-care, nail-care, skin-care, and make-up. Major risk factors in beauty industry are dust, musculoskeletal disorders, and organic solvent of beauty product in order of percentage. The specific types of industrial accidents in beauty industry are mainly associated with musculoskeletal system such as cuts, sprain, and varicose vein. They are mainly compensated by personal budget. The awareness levels of chemical and heavy metal containment for beauty product by beauty industry employee were 77.2% and 59.1% respectively. Most employee confirmed only important items of labelling requirement of beauty product. Also, most employee did not understand MSDS(Materila Safety Data) for chemicals used in beauty industry. Only 38.1% of beauty industry employee has had safety education while most employee (73.6%) realized that they needed safety education. Also, safety education supervised by KOSHA(Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency) was the most preferred. This study would be good basis for safe and healthy working environment of beauty industry employee.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.137-141
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• 2011

This study was conducted to assess the exposure risk through inhalation to baby powder for babies and adults under simulated conditions. Baby powder was applied to a baby doll and the amount of baby powder consumed per application was estimated. The airborne exposure to baby powder during application was then evaluated by sampling the airborne baby powder near the breathing zones of both the baby doll and the person applying the powder (the applicator). The average amount of baby powder consumed was 100 mg/application, and the average exposure concentration of airborne baby powder for the applicator and baby doll was 0.00527 mg/$m^3$ (range 0.00157~0.01579 mg/$m^3$) and 0.02207 mg/$m^3$ (range 0.00780~0.04173 mg/$m^3$), respectively. When compared with the Occupational Exposure Limit of 2 mg/$m^3$ set by the Korean Ministry of Labor and the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) of 2 mg/$m^3$ set by the ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists), the exposure concentrations were much lower. Next, the exposure to asbestos-containing baby powder was estimated and the exposure risk was assessed based on the lung asbestos contents in normal humans. As a result, the estimated lung asbestos content resulting from exposure to asbestos-containing baby powder was found to be much lower than that of a normal Korean with no asbestos-related occupational history.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.331-341
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• 2020

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate perceptions of safety and risk among Korean industrial hygienists and the change between before and after the Sewol Ferry Disaster in 2014. Two surveys with questionnaires composed of 51 questions were completed by attendees of the Korea Industrial Hygiene Association(KIHA) conference. Methods: One was conducted at the 2013 KIHA Fall Conference(N=181) and the other was from the 2014 KIHA Summer Conference(N=123). Between these two surveys was the Sewol Ferry Disaster on April 14, 2014, which was believed to seriously affect safety and risk perceptions in Korea. Results: It was revealed that industrial hygienists' awareness of safety rules strengthened after the Sewol Ferry Disaster(p<0.05). It was apparent that people over the age of 30 were more sensitive to social safety. There was no significant difference in the evaluation and attitude regarding governmental safety policy between the years of 2013 and 2014. The credibility of public organizations responsible for the disaster management system decreased. The self-evaluation of respondents' safety level also decreased. This trend shows mainly in the younger generation. It was evaluated that the overall social safety level decreased and the anxiety level increased. The score on social safety on a ±5 Likert scale was 0.68 in the 2013 survey and -0.33 in the 2014 survey(p<0.05). It was reported that the most serious threat factors for accident or disaster were 'building collapse > illegalities and corruption > side effects of radiation therapy >accidents in normal activity > occupational disease,' in order. They picked 'safety ignorance > hurry-up habits and culture > focusing on short-term benefit > easy-going attitude > insufficient safety education' for the causes of low social safety levels in 2013. In 2014, they were 'safety ignorance > easy-going attitude > focusing on short-term benefit > insufficient safety education > hurry-up habits and culture'. Conclusions: This study has some limitations because it was originally not designed to survey attitudes prior to the Sewol Ferry disaster in 2013. In addition, the survey targets are industrial hygienists who are familiar with occupational disease and injury.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.79-85
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• 2022

The annual statistics on fall fatality consistently show the dangers of working at height. The "Occupational Safety and Health Act" specifies legal restrictions on work at height using a scaffold. However, there are different classes of work at height, and some rely only on ropes. This study proposes education, training, and institutionalization of the "rope access work system." In brief, it was concluded that accurate instruction on the knot method and the setting of some standards were important. For this, the use of an integrated work chair harness equipment was suggested.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.25-37
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• 1993

This study was designed to identify the performance of occupational health services of 37 industries located in Kyung in area. The data was collected by a structured questionnaire developed by the Academic society of Community Nursing. This analysis had two factors, one was related to six of the industries, and the other was the actual assignment procedures of the health team members. This study was undertaken from December 4, 1992 to January 21, 1993. The results of the study were as follows: 1. The study group was primarily manufacturing industries which employed 300-1,000 employees. 2. The actual assignment state of occupation health team members with the exception of nurses was not kept to the regulations of the industrial safety health law. 3. The following was the analysis of the performance of occupational health services with two factors: 1). The larger the size of the six industries, the more the performance of health education, health assessment, and health screening. 2) The actual. practice of occupational health team members working environmental measurement, was more frequently performed by a nurse other than health team members together. 4. 1) The subscription rate of the laborers for primary health screening was 94%, and of these 10% had the need of secondary health screening. As a results of the secondary health screening the degrees were 'A' 45%, 'C' 92%, 'R' 21%. Of these degrees 'C', 'R' 4% were follow up cases. 2) 43% of laborers needed special health screening and .of these the subscription rate was 99%. The main item of the special health screening was physical factors. After the special health screening 46% required .follow up, 30% required medical treatment, only reporting 18%, change work 8%, suspension from work place 2%.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.110-115
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• 2017

Currently, the Ministry of Employment and Labor is strengthening monitor programs in regards to occupational industrial safety and health act compliance in business operations. However, industrial accidents occur persistently. Therefore, the study strives to diagnose and understand the issues in its educational stature, targeting managing supervisors in large scale shipbuilding industry whose completed the regular safety and health act sessions. This research considered a total of 3,252 employees whose completed theory-based cluster sessions for three months since February, 2016. The group is divided into two categories; 551 participants whose completed 8 hours of training and 2,701 participants whose completed 4 hours of training. Technical statistics were used to measure the knowledge of safety and health, educational environment, curriculum and educational effects on managing supervisors. A t-test was used to analyze the difference between the training hours. The result indicated that the target participants' knowledge on safety and health before the session was 50.24 points average (100 point scale), showing low standards in general. In depth analysis indicated that both 8 hours and 4 hours groups scored lowest in educational methods and communications between the lecturer and participants factors within the educational curriculum category. Meanwhile, transition in knowledge acquirement, work attitude, and work behaviors scored the highest in the analysis, showing a high satisfaction factors in educational effects. Therefore, the improvement in educational time and period can increase the efficacy of the educational programs. Also, theory-based cluster programs based on lectures suggests positive influence in knowledge acquirement and behavioral transitions.