• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.605-612
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• 2021

Amid growing global damage due to abnormal weather caused by global warming, the introduction of eco-friendly cars is accelerating to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from internal combustion engines. Accordingly, many studies are being conducted in each country to prepare for the explosion of hydrogen fuel in semi-closed spaces such as tunnels and underground parking lots to ensure the safety of hydrogen-electric vehicles. As a result of predicting the explosion pressure of the hydrogen tank using the equivalent TNT model, it was found to be about 1.12 times and 2.30 times higher at a height of 1.5 meters, respectively, based on the case of 52 liters of hydrogen capacity. A review of the impact on the human body and buildings by converting the predicted maximum explosive pressure into the amount of impact predicted that all predicted values would result in lung damage or severe partial destruction. The predicted degree of damage was applied only by converting the amount of impact caused by the explosion, and considering the additional damage caused by the explosion, it is believed that the actual damage will increase further and safety and disaster prevention measures should be taken.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.36.1-36.9
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• 2020

Background: Pseudorabies, also known as Aujeszky's disease, is caused by the pseudorabies virus (PRV) and has been recognized as a critical disease affecting the pig industry and a wide range of animals around the world, resulting in great economic losses each year. Shandong province, one of the most vital food animal-breeding regions in China, has a very dense pig population, within which pseudorabies infections were detected in recent years. The data, however, on PRV epidemiology and coinfection rates of PRV with other major swine diseases is sparse. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the PRV epidemiology in Shandong and analyze the current control measures. Methods: In this study, a total number of 16,457 serum samples and 1,638 tissue samples, which were collected from 362 intensive pig farms (≥ 300 sows/farm) covered all cities in Shandong, were tested by performing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Overall, 52.7% and 91.5% of the serum samples were positive for PRV-gE and -gB, respectively, based on ELISA results. In addition, 15.7% of the tissue samples were PCR positive for PRV. The coinfection rates of PRV with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, and classical swine fever virus were measured; coinfection with PCV2 was 35.0%, higher than those of the other two viruses. Macroscopic and microscopic lesions were observed in various tissues during histopathological examination. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the PRV prevalence and its coinfection rates in Shandong province and indicate that pseudorabies is endemic in pig farms in this region. This study provides epidemiological data that can be useful in the prevention and control of pseudorabies in Shandong, China.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.270-279
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• 2022

In this paper, system dynamics considering dynamics and time was examined to study the changes in system structure according to reinforcement (policy intervention) of regulation and punishment for fishing boats, and the strategizing directions were analyzed. Until now, regulations and punishments on fishing boats have been conducted temporarily and short-term as a precautionary measure to prevent accidents and imposed penalties. However, due to various anomalous side effects, the expected results were not achieved, negligent accidents occurred constantly, and follow-up measures were repeated. Resultantly, the regulation and punishment of fishing boats is a reinforced safety standard, and there is a necessity to improve facilities, equipment, and industry, and develop technology (including time delay) to prevent accidents. However, as the negative (illegal) activities continue without immediate and significant resistance, the safety blind spot for accident prevention cannot be minimized. Thus, policy intervention based on linear thinking without sufficiently considering variables of the dynamic mechanism and time can distort the basic values pursued by the policy. For the regulation and punishment of fishing boats, a strategy to supplement the mechanism should be prepared prior to the preparation of reinforced safety standards. Improvement and development of related technologies, mandatory training hours for anglers, fishing industry, and related organizations, proposal of specific action plan for Fishing Management and Promotion Act for growing fishing-related industries.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.60-72
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• 2022

A number of wooden built heritage remain in Korea, and most have been damaged by various biological factors including termite. Owing to the irreversible damage caused by termites, wooden built heritage are losing their authenticity and structural stability. In this study, Area-Wide Integrated Termite Management(AW-ITM) was proposed to prevent termite damage. First, to understand the locational characteristics of these sites, the distance from adjacent forests and surrounding forest areas was analyzed for 182 national designated wooden built heritage(national treasures, treasures) using the Geographic Information System(GIS). By analyzing existing pest control projects(2003-2020) and the components of the ITM, the characteristics of termite control for cultural heritages were determined. Based on these results, the cultural heritage sites and their surrounding spaces were divided into three areas, and the types of cultural properties were divided into six types according to the location and number of buildings. Along with this, termite control measures were proposed for each area and type. The concept of AW-ITM has been partially applied to the "Comprehensive Control of Termites in wooden built heritages Sites" by the Cultural Heritage Administration. Caution must be taken with regard to the establishment of a cultural heritage management policy; AW-ITM should be applied on a trial basis with the results then being carefully analyzed and reflected in the establishment of policies pertaining to the conservation management of cultural heritage.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.163-169
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• 2022

Background: It is estimated that about 13 million artisanal and small-scale miners carry out their activities under harsh, precarious, unfriendly, and risky conditions. Yet, our understanding of the extent to which these workers use personal protective equipment (PPE) and navigate through the various risks and hazards they face is still limited. This article has two main objectives. First, it explores the extent of usage of PPE among artisanal and small-scale miners for the prevention of hazards and risks. Second, it examines the coping strategies used by these miners as a response to experiences of occupational injuries and risks Methods: A cross-sectional survey of small-scale miners was conducted in six communities across three districts in Ghana, West Africa. The mixed methods approach was adopted. A total of 148 small-scale miners participated in the study. Six focus group discussions (FGDs) were held across the six communities. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Chi-square tests were used to analyse the relationship between some socio-demographic characteristics (sex, age, and educational background) and the usage of PPE. Open-ended questions and responses from FGDs were analysed based on the content and verbatim quotations from miners. Results: Findings suggest that 78% of the miners interviewed do not use the appropriate PPE citing reasons such as cost, and their personal discomfort associated with use of PPE. There was no significant relationship between socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., sex, age, education and major mining activity) and the usage of PPE. The study further revealed four main coping strategies used by miners to handle the risks. These are rest, taking unprescribed medication and hard drugs, registration with health insurance scheme and savings and investments. Conclusion: This study shows that very few artisanal miners use PPE despite the significant hazards and risks to which they are exposed. The study recommends to the government to put in place measures to ensure that miners adhere to health and safety regulations before undertaking mining activities. This means that health and safety plans and use of PPE should be linked to the license acquisition process for miners.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.331-337
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• 2022

In 2021, the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP), a U.N. advisory research institute, cited container loss as one of six sources of marine litters in shipping. The sinking of the X-P ress Pearl in May 2021 caused a catastrophic environmental pollution accident in which the loaded containers were moved to the shore, and the plastic pellets were loaded inside covered the coast of Sri Lanka. With this history, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will discuss prevention and follow-up measures for container loss during ship voyages, as an agenda at the 8th Sub Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers meeting in September 2022. To establish Korea's response direction at the IMO meeting, this study identified major causes of container loss accidents, and considered the response through analysis based on the accident investigation report and related professional data. As a result, it was found that the major cause of container loss during voyages was the enlargement of container ships, bad weather, and poor loading of containers. In particular, the need to prepare countermeasures for the deterioration of the operational safety of large container ships due to bad weather was identified. Additionally, integrated monitoring of the implementation of international conventions is required, for the safe sea transportation of container cargo. In particular, in terms of preservation of the marine environment, it is necessary to supplement the system for the recovery of lost containers. Finally, it was found that it is necessary to establish systems that can complement each other in the shipbuilding and shipping industries, in terms of shipbuilding as well as ship operation, to fundamentally prevent container loss accidents at sea. It is judged that it is difficult to resolve the various factors of container loss at sea during voyages, by responding from an individual perspective.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.967-976
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• 2021

Over the last ten years, the number of entanglement marine accidents has increased more than other accident types. This study analyzed the annual statistical report of marine accidents from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal and Korea Coast Guard. Despite some discrepancies between data of the two organizations, it was found that marine accidents involving fishing vessels were more prevalent than those involving non-fishing vessels. In addition, the main floating materials that caused wounded entanglement accidents were fishing nets, fishing gear, and ropes, and the proportion of them was high. Foreign and domestic policies on marine plastics recognize most marine plastics as marine environmental hazards and focus on marine litter recovery and the prevention of marine pollution. The representative Acts related to the marine environment and marine litter, the Marine Environment Management Act and the Marine Waste and Sediments Management Act, recognize marine litter as a type of marine waste, and deal with the types and definition of this waste. However, clearly defining marine waste is difficult. Therefore, this study tried to examine the relevant legal system of marine litter on ship operation and suggested improvement measures. Moreover, the definition of marine litter for the safe navigation and operation of ships was clearly proposed.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.673-688
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• 2023

Purpose: Fires that occur during construction are infrequent, but cause great damage. Recently, with the growth of the logistics and distribution industry, the number of construction sites for new logistics warehouses is increasing, so it was selected as a research subject and research was conducted to reduce accidents at construction sites through the development of a fire risk assessment tool to quantitatively approach fire prevention. Method: A comprehensive fire risk assessment tool was accumulated by classifying the work in progress, classifying combustibles and ignition sources by grade, excluding air (oxygen), which is difficult to control, and additionally substituting evacuation safety. Result: Using the developed and proposed fire risk evaluation tool, excavation work with low fire risk, facility construction with medium fire risk, and finishing work with high fire risk were sampled to derive the result (CGI). Conclusion: In this study, it was possible to establish specific preventive measures and evaluate evacuation safety by controlling physical conditions (combustibles) and energy conditions (ignition sources) according to the risk assessment by developing a tool that can evaluate the risk of 14fire occurrence at construction sites. It is expected that in the future, through the application of the fire risk evaluation tool at construction sites, it will be provided as a criterion for establishing a process plan that can reduce risk and evaluating the adaptability of firefighting equipment.14

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.427-438
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• 2023

We carried out a geological survey to classify the types of mass movement in Danyang Geopark (where various rock types are distributed) and analyzed the mechanical and hydraulic characteristics of landslide materials using a series of laboratory tests. Debris flows occurred in areas of limestone/marble, shale, and porphyroblastic gneiss, and limestone/marble landslides were distinguished from the others through the presence of karren topography. Soil tests showed that soil derived from weathered gneiss, which has a higher proportion of coarse grains, has a higher friction angle, lower cohesion, and larger hydraulic conductivity than soils from areas of limestone/marble, and shale. Rock failure mass movements occurred in areas of phyllite, sandstone, and conglomerate and were subdivided into plane failure, block-fall, and boulder-fall types in areas of phyllite, sandstone, and conglomerate, respectively. The shear strength of phyllite is much lower than that of the other types of rock, which have similar rock quality. The slake durability index of the conglomerate is similar to that of the other rock types, which have similar degrees of weathering, but differential weathering of the matrix and clasts was clearly observed when comparing the samples before and after the test. This study can help establish appropriate reinforcement and disaster prevention measures, which depend on the type of mass movement expected given the geological characteristics of an area.

• Korean journal of aerospace and environmental medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.72-76
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• 2019

Over the last decade, human brucellosis (HB) has become a principal zoonosis in Korea. The objective of this study was observing the epidemiological trends of the extensive eradication programs for bovine brucellosis (BB) outbreaks-associated HB in Korea from 2002 to 2013. The raw data analysis in this study was obtained from the website of brucellosis outbreaks by Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) and Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (QIA), Korea, 2002~2013. The number of cases of BB outbreaks-associated HB in Korea was increased after 2003 and peaked in 2006 before decreasing thereafter. There were a total of 89,240 infected BB in domestic cattle with a cumulative incidence rate (CIR) of 611.8 per 100,000 cattle; during the same period there were a total of 703 cases of HB with a CIR of 0.12 per 100,000 persons. Moreover, the correlation coefficient of brucellosis outbreaks between cattle and human was highly significant (r=+0.985). The attack ratio of HB was 7.88 per 1,000 BB cases. All of the control measures of HB were applied in the extensive eradication programs for brucellosis outbreaks of infection source in domestic animals and contributed significantly to the reduction in the outbreaks of HB in Korea.