• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.249-254
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• 2008

Objectives: To investigate whether smoking and the smoking status are predictors of the incident impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or type 2 diabetes in Korean men. Methods: A cohort of 1,717 Korean men without IFG or diabetes, who underwent annual periodic health examinations for 4 years (2002-2006), were retrospectively investigated. IFG and diabetes were defined as a serum fasting glucose concentration of 100-125 mg/dL and more than 126 mg/dL, respectively. Cox's proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the association between smoking and development of IFG or type 2 diabetes. Results: A total of 558 cases (32.5%) of incident IFG and 50 cases (2.9%) of diabetes occurred. After controlling for the potential predictors of diabetes, the relative risk for IFG, compared with the never smokers, was 1.02 (95% CI=0.88 to 1.19) for the ever-smokers, 0.96 (95% CI=0.79-1.16) for those who smoked 1-9 cigarettes/d, 1.15 (95% CI=1.01 to 1.30) for those who smoked 10-19 cigarettes/d, and 1.31 (95% CI=1.10 to 1.57) for those who smoked 20 or more cigarettes/d (the P value for the current smokers was only p<0.002). The respective multivariate adjusted relative risks for type 2 diabetes, compared with the never-smokers, were 1.07 (95% CI=0.64 to 1.92), 1.47 (95% CI=0.71 to 3.04), 1.84 (95% CI=0.92-3.04), and 1.87 (95% CI=1.13-3.67), respectively (the P value for the current smokers was only p=0.004). Conclusions: The smoking status and the number of cigarettes smoked daily are associated with an increased risk for developing IFG or type 2 diabetes in Korean men.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-23
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• 1998

Work-related Low Back Pain(LBP) is one of tile most important Issues in the field of industrial safety and health. Particularly, manual lifting is known as a major cause of work-related LBP and impairment. Total number of 163 manual lifting tasks in motor assembly processes were investigated. The 1981 and the 1994 equations developed by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH) were applied to evaluate potential hazards of lifting-related LBP. Comparisons between the 19R I and 1994 NIOSH criteria were made. The relationships between the NIOSH criteria and lifting-related LBP were also analyzed. The results of this study are as follows: 1. The values of Action Limit(AL) by the NIOSH 1981 lifting equation. Recommended Weight Limit(RWL) by the 1994 equation and the weight of the load handled at each manual lifting task were shown log-normal distributions. 2. LI'(the weight of tile load/AL) and LI(the weight of the load/RWL) were calculated estimate the physical stress imposed by each individual lifting task. As a result. 76.7% of the total LI' value exceeded 1 and 12.9% exceeded 3, and 84.7% of the total LI values exceeded 1 and 20.9% exceeded 3. 3. Bus 2 Department showed the highest rate of LI'>1 and LI>1 and Bus 1 Department showed the highest rate of LI'>3 and LI>3 4. In general, the RWLs by the 1994 equation were found lower than the ALs by the 1981 equation. It is assumed to he resulted from the fact that the 1994 equation includes methods evaluating asymmetrical lifting tasks and lifts of objects with less then optimal hand-container couplings, and also covers a larger range of work durations and lifting frequencies than the 1981 equation. 5. Significant correlations were found between LI' and incidence of LBP (R=0.734, p<0.05). LI and incidence of LBP(R=0.671. p<0.10) and load-weights and incidence of LBP(R=0.797, p<0.05). 6. Control measures are required to achieve the value of LI less than 1 for some tasks having high LI values. Engineering control is highly recommended for some tasks having the value of LI above 3.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.35-42
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• 2016

Formamide is a colorless fluid with ammonia odor, and irritable when inhaled. It has $LD_{50}$ value of > 5,577 mg/kg in rats for acute oral toxicity and NOAEL of 113 mg/kg/day for target organ (liver) of whole body toxicity. It is also known as reproductive toxicant (1B) and TWA(Time Weighted Average) for it is 10 ppm. Workplace measurements of work places dealing with formamide showed the ppm of all 25 samples was very lower than WEL. However, the exposure concentration can change, depending on workplace condition such as the intensity of work, operating local ventilation system, and wearing protection equipment (Respirators). Therefore, considering it with the risk of whole body toxicity and reproductive toxicity, exposure quantity of each imaginary scenario was calculated at 5.16, 1.72, and $0.43mg/m^3$. The average value was calculated at 0.02-0.58, 0.02-0.66 at 90 percent of cumulative distribution, 0.02-0.69 at 95 percent of cumulative distribution. Therefore, it was generally evaluated to be safe because all values were below 1. However, caution is required to prevent health hazard because it has hepatotoxicity and reproductive toxicity and risk of a high level momentary exposure, depending on the condition of workplace.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.4 s.59
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• pp.815-829
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• 1997

This study was performed to assist the employer to establish the effective program for hearing conservation of noisy industry. The study subjects were health care managers of an industry and the study industries were devided into two groups(Group I, 37 industries; have the workers diagnosed as noise-induced hearing loss, Group II, 41 industries; not have the workers diagnosed as noise-induced hearing loss) and the question method carried out through the face to face interview. The contents of questionnaire for OSHA's hearing conservation program(HCP) consisted of seven components: 5 questions of monitoring of employee noise exposures(component 1), 6 questions of the institution of engineering, work practice, and administrative controls for excessive noise(component 2), 8 questions of the provision of each overexposed employee with an individually fitted hearing protector with an adequate noise reduction rating(component 3), 14 questions of employee training and education regarding noise hazards and protection measures(component 4), 9 questions of baseline and annual audiometry(component 5), 3 questions of procedures for preventing further occupational hearning loss by an employee whenever such an event has been identified(component 6), and 1 question of recording keeping(component 7), thus total numbers of questions was 46. The numbers of statistially significant difference(p<0.05) between two groups were 2(25.0%) among 8 questions of component 3, 10(71.4%) among 14 questions of component 4, 3(33.3%) among 8 questions of component 5, 2(6.7%) among 3 questions of component 6, and 17(37.0%) among total 46 questions of questionnaire. Above results showed that the level of HCP acceptance in group I was lower than in group II. Thus employer's understanding about HCP should be precede for the effective hearing conservation program of employee and the adequate hearing protector, training and education, baseline and annual audiometry, and procedures for preventing further occupational hearning loss for hearing conservation would be more emphasized.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.18-25
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• 2013

It may occur health hazards or death by suffocation or acute poisoning in case of oxygen deficiency in ambient or exposure to harmful gas. As a part of accident prevention, we studied the change of activity and lethal dose by changing the concentration of several hazardous gas with inhalation exposure chamber and laboratory animals. We investigated the lethality and motility change during either the 4 hrs whole body exposure to oxygen, nitrogen, toluene, $H_2S$, CO and 48 recovery. As results, it is estimated that 5% oxygen concentration as lethal concentration and 5.5% as $LC_{50}$ (rat, 4 hrs) with statistics for dose-response. The results of lethality in oxygen deficient condition (approximately 6%), the lethalities were 40%, 20% with 20 ppm $H_2S$, 600 ppm CO respectively, and was not increased the lethality with 8% CO. Thus, it was confirmed that the $H_2S$, CO had influence to lethal dose, while toluene had low fluence.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.22-31
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• 2019

The flammable liquid conductivity is an important factor in determining the generation of electrostatic in fire and explosion hazardous areas, so it is necessary to study the physical properties of flammable liquids. In particular, the relevant liquid conductivity in the process of handling flammable liquids in relation to the risk assessment and risk control in fire and explosion hazard areas, such as chemical plants, is classified as a main evaluation item according to the IEC standard, and it is necessary to have flammable liquid conductivity measuring devices and related data are required depending on the handling conditions of the material, such as temperature and mixing ratio for preventing the fire and explosion related to electrostatic. In addition, IEC 60079-32-2 [Explosive Atmospheres-Part 32-2 (Electrostatic hazards-Tests)] refers to the measuring device standard and the conductivity of a single substance. It was concluded that there is no measurement data according to the handling conditions such as mixing ratio of flammable liquid and temperature together with the use and measurement examples. We have developed the measurement reliability by improving the structure, material and measurement method of measuring device by referring to the IEC standard. We have developed a measurement device that is developed and manufactured by itself. The test results of flammable liquid conductivity measurement and the data of the NFPA 77 (Recommended Practice on Static Electricity) Annex B Table B.2 Static Electric Characteristic of Liquids were compared and verified by conducting the conductivity measurement of the flammable liquid handled in the fire and explosion hazardous place by using Measuring / Data Acquisition / Processing / PC Communication. It will contribute to the prevention of static electricity related disaster by taking preliminary measures for fire and explosion prevention by providing technical guidance for static electricity risk assessment and risk control through flammable liquid conductivity measurement experiment. In addition, based on the experimental results, it is possible to create a big data base by constructing electrostatic physical characteristic data of flammable liquids by process and material. Also, it is analyzed that it will contribute to the foundation composition for adding the specific information of conductivity of flammable liquid to the physical and chemical characteristics of MSDS.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.67-72
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• 2013

The flash point is the lowest temperature at which there is enough concentration of flammable vapor to form an ignitable mixture with air. The flash point is a major physical property used to analyse the fire and explosion hazards of a flammable liquid solution. The flash point data for pure components are easily available in several literature. But the flash points of the flammable binary solutions appear to be scarce in the literature. The objective of this study is to measure and estimate the flash point of acetic acid-formic acid system. Cleveland open cup tester was used to measure the flash point. The experimental data were compared with the values estimated by the Raoult's law and the optimization methods based on van Laar and Wilson equations. As a result, the estmated values by optimization methods were found to be better than those based on the Raoult's law.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.629-637
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• 2017

Severe dust explosions occurred frequently in food processing industries and explosion damage increase by flame propagation in pipes or plants. However there are few fire explosion data available due to various powder characteristics. We investigated the characteristics of ignition and explosion on sugar, cornstarch and flour dust with high frequency accidents and high social demand. The measurements showed the median diameter of 27.56, 14.76, $138.5{\mu}m$ and ignition temperature has been investigated using by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The maximum explosion pressure ($P_m$) and dust explosion index ($K_{st}$) of sugar, cornstarch and flour are 7.6, 7.6, 6.1 bar and 153, 133, 61 [$m{\cdot}bar/s$], respectively. The flame propagation time in duct was calculated in order to evaluate the damage increase due to flame propagation during dust explosion. The explosion hazard increase due to flame propagation was higher in the order of sugar, flour and cornstarch dust.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.254-263
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• 1998

A worker employed in a serpentine mine was found developed mesothelioma as the first case of Korea in 1997. Asbestos was known as a causative agent for mesothelioma. Thus, asbestos contamination in mines could be a big health threat to those workers who were unknowingly exposed. However, there was no report that any minerals found in Korea contained asbestos. This study was carried out to find the presence of any asbestiform fibers in minerals which could be obtained in Korean mines. We examined fifteen minerals from 44 mines which were suspected contaminated with asbestiform fibers. Asbestiform analysis was done with high resolution transmission electron microscope(TEM), with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope(EDX) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) analyses. Among asbestiform fibers, chrysotile was found in chrysotile, serpentine, talc and pyrophylite specimens from 11 mines. Tremolite was found in tremolite and talc specimens from three mines. Mordenite was found in zeolite specimens from two mines. Wallastonite and sepiolite were found in wallastonite and sepiolite specimens respectively. Crocidolite, antigorite and actinolite were found from talc specimens. But no asbestiform fiber contaminants were found in doromite, vermiculite, limestone, marble, gypsum, kaolin, and clary specimens. Thus, these asbestiform fibers such as such as chrysotile, tremolite, mordenite, crocidolite, antigorite and actinolite could be the responsible agents for the health hazards such as mesothelioma and other cancers.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.35
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• pp.181-210
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• 2006

This frame analysis attempts to shed light on the process by which the Korean press constructs crisis as social reality through a series of risk reporting on food safety. Based on the FSSI(Food Safety Sentiment Index) developed by KIHASA(Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs), 11 cases of food safety reports from 1989 to 2005 were collected from the Korean Integrated News Database System(KINDS) and analyzed to yield the following salient features: risk diffusion frame; attribution of responsibility frame; conflict frame. It was observed that the press exhibited a tendency to approach the food safety incidents from a bi-polarized perspective, amplifying dichotomy between the victim and the perpetrator rather than treating them as scientific, or environmental hazards that require precise and synthesized information for resolution. This occupational habit of attributing status to agents of news was also found to contribute towards construction of crisis as social reality.