• Title/Summary/Keyword: Safety and Health Index

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Adverse Outcome Pathways for Prediction of Chemical Toxicity at Work: Their Applications and Prospects (작업장 화학물질 독성예측을 위한 독성발현경로의 응용과 전망)

  • Rim, Kyung-Taek;Choi, Heung-Koo;Lee, In-Seop
    • Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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    • v.29 no.2
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    • pp.141-158
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    • 2019
  • Objectives: An adverse outcome pathway is a biological pathway that disturbs homeostasis and causes toxicity. It is a conceptual framework for organizing existing biological knowledge and consists of the molecular initiating event, key event, and adverse output. The AOP concept provides intuitive risk identification that can be helpful in evaluating the carcinogenicity of chemicals and in the prevention of cancer through the assessment of chemical carcinogenicity predictions. Methods: We reviewed various papers and books related to the application of AOPs for the prevention of occupational cancer. We mainly used the internet to search for the necessary research data and information, such as via Google scholar(http://scholar.google.com), ScienceDirect(www.sciencedirect.com), Scopus(www.scopus. com), NDSL(http: //www.ndsl.kr/index.do) and PubMed(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed). The key terms searched were "adverse outcome pathway," "toxicology," "risk assessment," "human exposure," "worker," "nanoparticle," "applications," and "occupational safety and health," among others. Results: Since it focused on the current state of AOP for the prediction of toxicity from chemical exposure at work and prospects for industrial health in the context of the AOP concept, respiratory and nanomaterial hazard assessments. AOP provides an intuitive understanding of the toxicity of chemicals as a conceptual means, and it works toward accurately predicting chemical toxicity. The AOP technique has emerged as a future-oriented alternative to the existing paradigm of chemical hazard and risk assessment. AOP can be applied to the assessment of chemical carcinogenicity along with efforts to understand the effects of chronic toxic chemicals in workplaces. Based on these predictive tools, it could be possible to bring about a breakthrough in the prevention of occupational and environmental cancer. Conclusions: The AOP tool has emerged as a future-oriented alternative to the existing paradigm of chemical hazard and risk assessment and has been widely used in the field of chemical risk assessment and the evaluation of carcinogenicity at work. It will be a useful tool for prediction, and it is possible that it can help bring about a breakthrough in the prevention of occupational and environmental cancer.

The Property of Building Construction Accident According to the Analysis of Building Accident Cases (재해사례분석을 통한 빌딩공사 재해 특성)

  • Lee Jong-Bin;Ro Min-Rae;Go Seong-Seok
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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    • v.19 no.3 s.67
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    • pp.101-107
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    • 2004
  • Recently, construction work's tendency has become a high-rise building, a complexity and a large size. According to the KOSHA data, construction work accidents have not been decreased. Looking at from the side of accident accidents of construction industry are occupied over 1/3 among all industry accidents. Therefore, this study will analyze the accident of the building construction work from the data of KOSHA which were collected during 11 years$(1992\~2002)$ data relating to serious accidents of the building construction work suggest the counterplan according to the each work type in building construction work.

A Study on the Shock Absorption Performance of the Safety Helmet using Coefficient of Restitution (반발계수를 이용한 안전모의 충격 흡수 성능에 관한 연구)

  • Shin, Woon-Chul
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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    • v.27 no.5
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    • pp.30-34
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    • 2012
  • A safety helmet is a personal protective equipment to protect the head from falling and flying objects. A safety helmet has the maximum delivered impact force as shock absorption performance, the lower delivered impact force the better performance, which was not a controlled variety during manufacturing safety helmet. Accordingly there were some difficulties in establishing the standard for improved performance as there was not a clear controllable impact force for improved performance. In this study the shock absorption performance was intended to be found as coefficient of restitution related to impulse. As a research method, a coefficient of restitution during the absorption of shock was calculated using the impulse transferred to pharynx utilizing the safety helmet shock absorption performance testing device based on the theory of momentum and impulse. The estimated impulsive force curve was derived assuming that shock was not absorbed using the measured data. The sample was selected as tested goods of ABS material for safety certification available mainly in the market. As a result of study, the maximum delivered impact force of safety helmet made by a domestic safety certified a company was 735 N, and its coefficient of restitution proved to be 0.64. The smaller coefficient of restitution is, the lower maximum delivered impact force and the higher shock absorption performance. The coefficient of restitution can be used as a performance index of safety helmet.

A Study on the Job Stress and Psychosocial Wellbeing Index of Industrial Workers with Assistive Technology Major (보조공학전공 근로자들의 직무스트레스 요인과 사회심리적 스트레스에 관한 연구)

  • Kwak, Hyo Yean
    • Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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    • v.17 no.2
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    • pp.55-66
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    • 2015
  • In the perspective of industrial health management, it is important for the employee to decrease their job stress, to improve their productivity and quality of labor. In this study, the job stress, and it's influence on PWI(Psychosocial Wellbeing Index) were investigated by the questionnaire survey of 138 industrial workers who had studied assistive technology in college. The contents of questionnaire consist of the demographic characteristics, job-related characteristics, job stress and psycho-social stress. We evaluated job stress by KOSS-SF(Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Sort Form) and psychosocial stress by PWI-SF(Psychosocial Well-being Index-Short Form). To analyze the results, we evaluated the exposure level of KOSS and PWI by demographic characteristics and job-related characteristics using significance tests. Also, we estimated the relationship among demographic characteristics, job-related characteristics, job stress and psychosocial stress, using correlation analysis. As a results, all workers were found to be in a group under the high risky stress. It showed that the scale index of female's job non-autonomy and pwi were much larger than those of male's. Therefore, to guarantee job autonomy of female workers should be more emphasized, to improve their working environment. Job type had significant relationships with many job stress category; physical environment, job demand, job instability and organization culture. Regarding pwi, the scale index of the workers who is in charge of the civil service such as contacting the disabled and the aged in person, were much larger than that of the other workers. Accordingly, the job stress management program including physical environment, job demand, job instability and organization culture, should be suggested, to decrease the stress of the workers in charge of the disabled and the elders service. The strongest predictors of pwi was organization system through maximum positive relations between organization system and pwi. Therefore, it indicates that improvement of organization system such as a fair merit rating, a manpower supply, demand plan and department cooperation is urgently needed to reduce pwi.

Process Standardization for the Construction of Job-Exposure Matrix Using the Work Environment Measurement Database (작업환경측정 결과 데이터베이스를 활용한 직무노출매트릭스 구축을 위한 공정 표준화)

  • Sangjun Choi;Ju-Hyun Park;Dong-Hee Koh;Donguk Park;Hwan-Cheol Kim;Dae Sung Lim;Yeji Sung;Kyoung Yoon Ko;Ji Seon Lim;Hoekyeong Seo
    • Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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    • v.33 no.1
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    • pp.78-90
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    • 2023
  • Objectives: The purpose of this study is to standardize the process code of the work environment measurement database (WEMD) for the construction of a job-exposure matrix (JEM). Methods: The standard process code (SPC) was reclassified based on process similarity and drawing upon the code used in the existing K2B. It was supplemented through review by industrial hygiene experts. In addition, an index word database related to SPC was created and used for SPC search. A pilot evaluation project was conducted by experts to evaluate the validity of the newly reclassified standard process code. Results: A total of 70 final SPCs were developed, including 31 processes related to the construction industry. Using the Shiny program, we developed a standard code finder that can be used on the web (https://kscf.shinyapps.io/scf_app/). As a result of the pilot evaluation, it was determined that it was easier to search for standard codes than previous codes, so it was highly utilized. Conclusions: It is expected that JEM construction using industry-process information drawing on WEMD data will be possible using the 70 newly standardized process codes.

A Study on FSA Application to PRS for Safe Operation of Dynamic Positioning Vessel

  • Chae, Chong-Ju;Jun, Yun-Chul
    • Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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    • v.41 no.5
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    • pp.287-296
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    • 2017
  • The Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) is a structured and systematic methodology developed by the IMO, aimed at assessing the risk of vessels and recommending the method to control intolerable risks, thereby enhancing maritime safety, including protection of life, health, the marine environment and property, by using risk analysis and cost-benefit assessment. While the FSA has mostly been applied to merchant vessels, it has rarely been applied to a DP vessel, which is one of the special purpose vessels in the offshore industry. Furthermore, most of the FSA has been conducted so far by using the Fault Tree Analysis tool, even though there are many other risk analysis tools. This study carried out the FSA for safe operation of DP vessels by using the Bayesian network, under which conditional probability was examined. This study determined the frequency and severity of DP LOP incidents reported to the IMCA from 2001 to 2010, and obtained the Risk Index by applying the Bayesian network. Then, the Risk Control Options (RCOs) were identified through an expert brainstorming and DP vessel simulations. This study recommends duplication of PRS, regardless of the DP class and PRS type and DP system specific training. Finally, this study verified that the Bayesian network and DP simulator can also serve as an effective tool for FSA implementation.

Evaluation of Waist Circumference Cut-off Values as a Marker for Fatty Liver among Japanese Workers

  • Abe, Naomi;Honda, Sumihisa;Jahng, Doosub
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.3 no.4
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    • pp.287-293
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    • 2012
  • Objectives: Metabolic syndrome has received attention as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, with particular importance attached to visceral fat accumulation, which is associated with lifestyle-related diseases and is strongly correlated with waist circumference. In this study, our aim is to propose waist circumference cut-off values that can be used as a marker for fatty liver based on a sample of workers receiving health checkups in Japan. Methods: This study was conducted in a total of 21,866 workers who underwent periodic health checkups between January 2007 and December 2007. The mean age of the subjects was 47.4 years for men (standard deviation [SD]: 8.0) and 44.7 years for women (SD: 6.9). Evaluation included abdominal ultrasound and measurement of waist circumference, body mass index, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and blood pressure. Results: Based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the optimal waist circumference cut-off values were shown as 85.0 cm (sensitivity 0.72, specificity 0.69) for men and 80.0 cm (sensitivity 0.75, specificity 0.78) for women. Conclusion: Abdominal ultrasound is the most efficient means of diagnosing fatty liver, but this examination seldom occurs because the test is not routinely performed at workers' health checkups. In people found to have a high risk of fatty liver, recommendations can be made for abdominal ultrasound based on the waist circumference cut-off values obtained in this study. That is, waist circumference can be used in high risk individuals as an effective marker for early detection of fatty liver.

A Study on the Hand Washing Awareness and Practices of Food-service Employees and the Load of Index Microorganisms on the Hands (조리종사자의 손 씻기 의식과 실천 및 손의 지표미생물 오염도에 관한 연구)

  • Park, Jeong-Yeong;Kim, Joong-Soon;Kim, Jong-Gyu
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.36 no.2
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    • pp.95-107
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    • 2010
  • Hand-washing is one of the major factors in personal hygiene and public health. This study was undertaken to investigate the hygienic behavior of food-service employees, focusing on awareness of hand washing, hand washing practices, and the load of index microorganisms (aerobic plate count, total and fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus) on the hands of food-service employees. A questionnaire survey completed by direct interview, direct observation of restrooms by the researcher and trained observers, and microbiological examination according to the Food Code of Korea were carried out. In the survey, a positive attitude toward hand washing compliance was reported; however, improper hand washing and poor hand hygiene of the food-service employees were seen under direct observation. Significant differences (p<0.05) were found between the questionnaire survey and the direct observations in hand washing compliance after using the toilet, duration of hand washing, use of hand washing agents, use of hand washing tools, washing of different parts of the hands, hand-drying method, temperature of water, and method of turning off the water. Samples taken from employees' hands before washing showed higher levels of bacteria than those taken during work and/or after washing (p<0.05). Poor hand washing practices were indicated by the positive results for total and fecal coliforms, E. coli, and S. aureus on the hands of some food-service employees. This study showed that there is a marked difference between the food-service employees' awareness of hand-washing and their actual hand-washing practices. The poor hand hygiene of and improper hand washing by the food-service employees should be addressed for improved food safety.

Flash Point of p-xylene and Epoxy Resins Mixtures (파라크실렌과 에폭시수지 혼합물의 인화점에 관한 연구)

  • 윤희승;강민호;하동명;정국삼
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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    • v.15 no.3
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    • pp.78-82
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    • 2000
  • The flash point is an important property and hazardous index of a flammable liquid. The flash points are used by virtually all the environmental, health, and safety organizations in both government and industry to classify flammable liquids for safety and transportation regulations. The basics of all flash points behavior are concerned with the vapor pressure and explosive limits. The flash points of pure components and the mixture of solvents can be calculated with the use of the laws of Raoult, Dalton and Le Chatelier. In this paper, experimentally determined lower flash points of a p-xylene and epoxy resin system were compared with the calculated values by using Raoults law. Calculated lower flash points were in reasonable agreement with the observed values.

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Comparison of Three Methods Assessing the Ergonomic Risks of Manual Lifting Tasks at Ship Engine Manufacturing Facilities (선박용 엔진 제조업 들기작업의 인간공학적 위험 평가를 위한 세 가지 방법 비교)

  • Kim, Sun Ja;Shin, Yong Chul;Kim, Boo Wook;Kim, Hyun Dong;Woo, Ji Hoon;Kang, Dongmug;Lee, Hyun Seok
    • Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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    • v.15 no.2
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    • pp.104-113
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    • 2005
  • A variety of ergonomic assessment methods of lifting tasks known as a major cause of work-related lower back pain have been used. But there is a limited information in choosing the most appropriate assessment method for a particular job and in finding out strengths and weakness of the methods. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the ergonomic risks of lifting tasks in a marine diesel engine production industry by three lifting ergonomic assessment tools widely used: the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH) Revised Lifting Equation(NLE), the Washington Administrative Code 296-62-0517(WAC), and the Snook Tables. Lifting index(weight of load/Recommended Weight Limit) of NLE($LI_{NLE}$) was above 1 at 34 tasks(75.6%) of a total number of 45 lifting tasks. LI of WAC($LI_{WAC}$) was above 1 at 11 tasks(24.4 %). LI of Snook Table($LI_{Snook}$) was above 1 at 29 tasks(64.4%). Thus, LI was high in orders of $LI_{NLE}$ > $LI_{Snook}$ > $LI_{WAC}$. There were significantly high correlations among three Lls(p<0.01). The correlation coefficients between $LI_{NLE}$and the other three Lls($LI_{WAC}$ and $LI_{Snook}$) were r=0.93 and r=0.88, respectively. The linear regression equations were y = 0.444x + 0.11(r=0.93) between $LI_{NLE}$ and $LI_{WAC}$, y = 0.93x + 0.008(r=0.88) between LI(NLE) and $LI_{Snook}$. The LI values by WAC was significantly lower than those by the other tools. The compared features, strength and limitation among these tools were described in this paper.