• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.173-174
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• 2023

In this paper, we introduce a model for detecting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) using YOLO (You Only Look Once), an object detection neural network. PPE is used to maintain a safe working environment, and proper use of PPE protects workers' safety and health. However, failure to wear PPE or wearing it improperly can cause serious safety issues. Therefore, a PPE detection system is crucial in industrial settings.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.180-186
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• 2022

Background: In occupational studies, it is a known situation that technical and organizational attempts are used to prevent occupational accidents. Especially in the mining sector, if these attempts cannot prevent occupational accidents, personal protective equipment (PPE) becomes a necessity. Thus, in this study, the main objective is to examine the effects of the variables on the use of PPE and identify important factors. Methods: A questionnaire was implemented and structural equation modeling was conducted to ascertain the significant factors affecting the PPE use of mining employees. The model includes the factors that ergonomics, the efficiency of PPE and employee training, and PPE usage habit. Results: The results indicate that ergonomics and employee training have no significant effect (p > 0.05) on the use of PPE. The efficiency of PPE has a statistically meaningful effect (p < 0.05) on the use of PPE. Various variables have been evaluated in previous studies. However, none of them examined the variables simultaneously. Conclusion: The developed model in the study enables to better focus on ergonomics and employee training in the PPE usage. The effectiveness of a PPE makes its use unavoidable. Emphasizing PPE effectiveness in OHS training and even showing them in practice will increase employees' PPE usage. The fact that a PPE with high effectiveness is also ergonomic means that it will be used at high rates by the employee.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

Firefighters wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for protection from environmental hazards. However, due to the layers of protective functions, the PPE inevitably adds excessive weight, bulkiness, and thermal stress to firefighters. This study investigated the adverse impact of wearing PPE as an occupational stressor on the firefighter's cognitive functioning. Twenty-three firefighters who had been involved in firefighting at least for 1 year were recruited. The overall changing trend in the firefighter's cognitive functioning (short-term memory, long-term memory, and inductive reasoning) was measured by the scores of three standardized cognitive tests at the baseline and the follow-up, after participating in a moderate-intensity physical activity, wearing a full ensemble of the PPE. The study findings evinced the negative impact of the PPE on the firefighter's cognitive functioning, especially in short-term memory and inductive reasoning. No significant influence was found on the firefighter's long-term memory. The results were consistent when the participant's age and BMI were controlled. The outcomes of the present study will not only fill the gap in the literature, but also provide critical justification to stakeholders, including governments, policymakers, academic communities, and industry, for such efforts to improve human factors of the firefighter's PPE by realizing the negative consequences of the added layers and protective functions on their occupational safety. Study limitations and future directions were also discussed.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.402-410
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• 2016

Purpose: Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical to protect healthcare workers from pandemic outbreaks. This study was designed to identify nurses' knowledge, attitude and perceptions on PPE. Methods: Data were collected from 154 nurses working at a tertiary general hospital, where positively diagnosed and suspected patients were accepted and admitted during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus outbreak in 2015. The PPE tool consists of 20 items for knowledge, and 5 each for attitudes and perceptions. Results: Overall, knowledge for PPE was higher than moderate (76.95/100), but there was a lack for items related to powered air purifying respirator (PAPR). For attitudes, willingness to work in pandemic outbreaks was the most positive (4.04/5.00). Goggles and PAPR were perceived as the most uncomfortable barriers to work. There was no correlation between knowledge, attitude and perceptions, despite a strong positive correlation between attitude and perceptions. PPE training was identified as a factor to improve knowledge and attitudes on PPE. Conclusion: To respond to pandemic influenza, nurses need to expand their knowledge on PPE up to Level C, and be updated through regular training. Study findings suggest that repetitive studies targeting nurses and other healthcare workers at various hospital settings are necessary.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.156-170
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• 2023

Objectives: This study conducted practical training to improve the proper usage of personal protective equipment(PPE), which greatly impacts workplace safety and health management. Personal protective equipment education was conducted through active participation, without theoretical modules, and aimed to identify the effects of repeated practical education and determine ways to increase participant satisfaction. Methods: Study data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics ver.29 software. First, participants' general characteristics were analyzed with frequency analysis. Second, the normality and equality of variances (Leven's test) were tested for the dependent variables prior to statistical analyses to determine the use of parametric tests. In general, normality is assumed when the sample size is 30 or more per the central limit theorem (Park et al., 2014). As our sample size of health management workers was 43, normality can be assumed. However, to ensure rigor of the study, we examined skewness and kurtosis. The results confirmed that the data were normally distributed. Third, the effects of repeated PPE training were analyzed using paired t-tests. Fourth, differences in satisfaction with PPE training according to the safety and health job position and safety and health certification were analyzed with t-test and Welch's t-test. For parameters that did not meet the assumption of equal variances, the Welch's t-test was performed. Results: Repeated PPE training improved the educational outcomes, and the improvements were significant in the 1st and 2nd respiratory PPE and safety and hygiene PPE training evaluations (p<.001). In terms of safety and health job position, repeated training led to improvements in educational outcomes, with significant improvements observed among supervisors and specialized health management institution workers in the 1st and 2nd training evaluations (p<.005). In terms of safety certification, repeated training led to improvements in educational outcomes, with significant improvements observed among both certified and non-certified individuals (p<.005). Regarding satisfaction with PPE training according to safety and health job positions, specialized health management institution workers showed greater satisfaction than supervisors, with significant differences in the satisfaction for expertise of lecture, work relevance, and lecturer's attitude (p<.001). Regarding satisfaction with PPE training according to safety and health certification, satisfaction was higher among certified individuals, with significant differences in satisfaction for work relevance and lecture attitude (p<.05) Conclusions: PPE education should be recommended to be provided as practical training. Repeated training can enhance educational outcomes for individuals with inadequate knowledge and understanding of PPE prior to education. For individuals with high levels of pre-existing knowledge and understanding of PPE, the results show that various training experiences should be provided to enhance their satisfaction. Therefore, it suggests that the workplace should actively seek educational media and methods to acquire expertise and skills in wearing personal protective equipment and improve the ability to use

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.42-52
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the factors affecting compliance with personal protective equipment (PPE) use among medical device reprocessing staff. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 163 cleaning staff members from ten general hospitals in Seoul and Gyeonggi. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires administered between July and September 2023. Analysis included t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, Bonferroni correction, and multiple regression, conducted using SAS ver.9.4. Results: Statistically significant differences in compliance with PPE were found based on department and exposure to contamination within six months (t=-2.82, p=.007). Attitudes toward PPE (r=.22, p=.006) and awareness of the safety climate (r=.22, p=.006) showed a statistically significant positive correlation with PPE compliance. Factors influencing use of personal protective equipment by cleaning staff during medical device reprocessing were department, compliance with PPE, and awareness of the safety climate. The explanatory power of these factors was 58.0%. Conclusion: Improving PPE compliance and creating a safe cleaning environment entails fostering a supportive safety climate. Additionally, regular training that takes into consideration the characteristics of the cleaning staff, alongside continuous monitoring, is required.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.431-437
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• 2017

Objectives: To protect the health and safety of residents during chemical accidents, the governmental authorities need to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to citizens who desire it. This study aims to investigate residents'awareness of PPE and perform an economic analysis on providing PPE to residents near chemical plants prior to the establishment of a related law. Methods: This study was carried out through a questionnaire completed by 600 residents composed of items such as residents'awareness of PPE, what type of PPE they need, and how to purchase PPE. Economic analysis (cost-benefit analysis) was conducted on providing PPE to residents near chemical plants on basis of the Gumi City hydrogen fluoride accident of 2012. Results: The results of the questionnaire showed that most residents recognized the need for PPE preparedness for chemical accidents, in particular, for respirators. The level of expense that respondents were prepared to shoulder to share the burden was $25. Except for chemicals of hazard level 2, the benefit of all kinds of chemical accident preparedness considerably exceeded costs in the cost-benefit analysis on providing PPE. An estimated government budget of $20 million per year would be required to provide PPE (hood-type mask) for all residents within a one-kilometer radius of chemical plants in Korea, but only $5.8 million when residents share the expenses. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that programs for providing PPE for residents near chemical plants should be established by law.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.647-659
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• 2015

This study analyzes current technologies in personal protective equipment (PPE) and mechanisms that can be used in the agricultural field to provide data for research and development on PPE for farmers. There is growing awareness of the importance of PPE as part of efforts to reduce agricultural accidents, but data remain rare for developing PPE tailored to the farm work environment. In this regard, patent data on PPE can provide useful insights for facilitating relevant technologies and research. This study examines patents and utility models classified under the IPC code in Korea and other countries to analyze patented technologies and recent trends for the period from January 2003 to October 2014. Here Korea, the U.S., Japan, and Europe were considered. The results show that the number of patent applications for PPE remained steady without any sharp fluctuations. KIPO applications accounted for 43.5% of all cases, reflecting the highest proportion among the countries considered. Domestic applicants accounted for 94% of all cases. In Korea, patent applications were concentrated in safety gear for the face and eyes, indicating a high level of technology. The highest level of competition was observed for safety goggles in all countries. Some PPE technologies were dominated by a particular manufacturer. The analysis results for farming-related technologies show the current state of technologies and areas lacking technological development. This study analyzes patented technologies for PPE in Korea and other countries and recent research trends as part of the effort to develop PPE for workers in the farming and livestock industry. This study represents an early-stage effort to develop PPE for workers in the farming and livestock industry, and the results are expected to be useful for tailoring PPE to Korea's farming and livestock environment.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.583-593
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the frequency score of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and concentration of urinary organophosphorus pesticide metabolites in farmers. Methods: The study was conducted in Chungcheongnam-do Province of South Korea. We collected urine samples from 308 farmers from September to December 2017 and May to July 2018. Among them, 17 farmers with urinary creatinine levels outside the normal range were excluded. Information on the frequency of wearing PPE was obtained from the farmers through face-to-face survey. Each frequency of wearing for seven types of PPE was converted into a score and expressed as a total score, which was divided into quartiles. Four types of urinary organophosphorus pesticide metabolites were analyzed using a gas chromatography mass selective detector. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify concentrations of urinary organophosphorus pesticide metabolites affected by the frequency of wearing PPE. Results: The average frequency score of wearing PPE was 8.0. The quartiles of frequency score of wearing PPE were divided as follows: 1st quartile (≤1), 2nd quartile (1-6), 3rd quartile (6-12), and 4th quartile (>12). Compared with subjects with a low frequency score of wearing PPE (reference), subjects with a high frequency score of wearing PPE (4th quartile) had lower concentrations of urinary diethyl phosphate (DEP) (p<0.01) and dialkyl phosphate (ΣDAP) (p<0.05), which is the sum of dimethyl phosphate (DMP), DEP, dimethyl thiophosphate (DMTP), and diethyl thiophosphate (DETP). Conclusion: Concentrations of urinary organophosphorus pesticide metabolites were associated with frequency score of wearing PPE. Particularly as the frequency score of wearing PPE increased, concentrations of urinary DMP, DEP, DETP, and ΣDAP significantly decreased. The findings of this study can contribute to the management of health effects among farmers working with pesticides.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.63-72
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• 2023

Purpose: This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of a safe environment, as well as self-reported and observed compliance with the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. Methods: This study was conducted in October 2021 with 55 nurses working in the medical and surgical ICUs of a general hospital in Seoul. A self-reported questionnaire and an observational tool for compliance with the use of PPE were used to collect data. Results: Except for masks, the observed compliance for all other PPE types was lower than the self-reported compliance. Male nurses showed significantly higher observed compliance than female nurses. Self-reported compliance with PPE use, including "when there is a possibility of contact with objects contaminated with blood or body fluids, mucous membranes, damaged skin, or contaminated skin" (r = .23, p = .015) and "when there is a possibility of contact with blood, body fluids, secretions, or exudates" (r = .27, p = .004) showed significant correlations with knowledge of PPE. In the results for self-reported compliance with PPE use, gown use had a significant correlation with knowledge (r = .24, p < .001) and perceptions of a safe environment (r = .15, p = .016) for PPE, and gloves showed significant correlations with attitudes (r = .14, p = .024) and perceptions of a safe environment (r = .18, p = .003). Conclusion: The observed compliance with PPE use tended to be lower than the self-reported compliance among ICU nurses. It is necessary to develop and apply an effective educational program that can enhance improve actual compliance with PPE use among intensive care unit nurses.