• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.363-371
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of information regarding health and safety risks on the subjective health status of workers using data from the Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey. Methods: Among the survey respondents, 30,094 people classified as salaried workers, of which 8,513 (28.3%) used protective equipment. Results: Although the majority of workers using protective equipment reported being well-informed about safety and health risks, 15% of them were still insufficiently informed. Multivariate analyses have shown that the subjective health status of workers using protective equipment was significantly better if they received sufficient information. When the workers using protective equipment were classified by the kinds of hazards they were exposed to, the satisfaction of information was also significantly beneficial for the subjective health status of all groups. However, in workers who did not use protective equipment, information satisfaction did not appear to be a significant factor. Conclusion: These results suggest that when providing information on safety and health risks, it is necessary to focus on workers using protective equipment, for whom the effects of the policy are clearly expected.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.370-380
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• 2009

Reliable hazard and risk communication is needed to prevent the safety accident & occupational disease through right use of chemicals and MSDS(Material Safety Data Sheet) is mainly used as such a tool of communication. MSDS policy has been put into effect in order to prevent the safety accident & occupational disease through right use of chemicals and fulfill workers' right to know. If information on MSDS lacks reliability due to its inaccuracy, prevention of the various effects related with environmental safety & health in advance is not possible to achieve. The most essential thing regarding authoring MSDS is to exactly evaluate the composition and ingredients of the chemical and include reliability-guaranteed information. Therefore, in this study reliability was evaluated on MSDSs in 15 aromatic hydrocarbons(benzene, toluene, xylene, etc.) manufacturers and ways to secure reliability of MSDS were suggested. The results showed 93.5% of composition agreement rate and 89% of reliability on each section in MSDSs. In order to curb MSDSs with low reliability, examination on CBI(confidential business information) in MSDS, certification of MSDS, collection and verification of MSDS are suggested.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.151-158
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• 2019

In this paper, we conducted a study to understand the impacts of safety behavior, safety and health delivery and communication, which should be managed for the establishments' safety and health control on occupational safety and health policy satisfaction to utilize that as a material for preparing policy support and preventive measures. For this purpose, we conducted a statistic analysis with 2,970 establishments, utilizing the material, "2015 Occupational Safety and Health Company Survey". As a result, in the manufacturing industry, it turned out in the establishments with more than 300 workers, safety behavior, safety and health delivery and communication of the cooperative firm of the prime contractor were high. In addition, it turned out that safety behaviors had the biggest impact on occupational safety and health policy satisfaction in the manufacturing industry and safety and health delivery and communication had the biggest impact on occupational safety and health policy satisfaction in the construction industry and other industries. As for the relationship between companies, it turned out that safety behaviors had the biggest impact on that between the parent company and a cooperative firm of a prime contractor while safety and health delivery and communication on that between the prime contractor and the subcontractor. Through the results of this study, it is necessary to build up safety and health behavior and safety and health delivery and communication systems for the characteristics of the company, and it is expected that the effect of the safety and health control will increase when policy support is made accordingly.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.349-359
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• 2017

The objective of this study is to review the safety and health information displayed on containers of humidifier disinfectants (HD). We summarized not only general characteristics related to the marketing and manufacturing of HD, such as the duration sold and the name of the company, but also the safety and health information, such as identification of disinfectants, recommended use volume, and precautions. All of this information was reviewed by HD brand. We collected safety and health information from 31 HD brands. We found that companies that sold and manufactured HD brands differ. Two companies were found to sell their HD without permission after 2011 when the health effects caused by HD were widely known. The name of the disinfectants were not identified on the container of HD. The recommended volumes were found not to be based on toxicological evidence and set without consideration of the level of susceptibility of users. Most companies displayed phrases such "this HD is safe for humans, even children" on the front of the container. No inhalation and skin toxicity precautions were provided. In conclusion, most HD did not properly display information related to safety and health to protect the health of HD users. There has been no official investigation to evaluate the risks posed by HD, such as the sales volume by HD, identification of chemical disinfectants, or their concentration, nor have there been actions to control the chemical quality of HD. In addition, government actions to punish the malicious practices of companies that manufactured and sold HD were found to inappropriate.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.254-284
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• 2015

Objectives: There is a requirement to select target materials for mutagenicity(Genotoxicity) testing, so we determined to set the test priorities of them by searching the related database. Methods and Results: We searched a number of databases to find information on mutagenicity tests with chemicals under the Occupational Safety and Health Act(OSH Act), such as KOSHANET, National Toxicology Program(NTP), European Chemicals Agency(ECHA), US National Library of Medicine(NLM), and Genetic Toxicology Data Bank(GENE-TOX), as well as ChemIDplus webpage, and presented the information. Also we anticipated their hazards with ACToR sites to confirm the 58 mutagenicity(Genotoxicity) tests we will perform. Conclusions: We presented target materials for mutagenicity testing with specific GLP tests consisting of reverse mutation(Ames), chromosomal aberration and micronucleus test.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.368-374
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• 2023

Background: Recognizing that access to safe and healthy working conditions is a human right, the World Health Organization (WHO) calls for specific occupational safety and health (OSH) programs for health workers (HWs). The WHO health systems' building blocks, and the International Labour Organization (ILO), highlight the importance of information as part of effective systems. This study examined how OSH stakeholders access, use, and value an occupational health information system (OHIS). Methods: A cross-sectional survey of OSH stakeholders was conducted as part of a larger quasi experimental study in four teaching hospitals. The study hospitals and participants were purposefully selected and data collected using a modified questionnaire with both closed and open-ended questions. Quantitative analysis was conducted and themes identified for qualitative analysis. Ethics approval was provided by the University of Pretoria and University of British Columbia. Results: There were 71 participants comprised of hospital managers, health and safety representatives, trade unions representatives and OSH professionals. At least 42% reported poor accessibility and poor timeliness of OHIS for decision-making. Only 50% had access to computers and 27% reported poor computer skills. When existing, OHIS was poorly organized and needed upgrades, with 85% reporting the need for significant reforms. Only 45% reported use of OHIS for decision-making in their OSH role. Conclusion: Given the gap in access and utilization of information needed to protect worker's rights to a safe and healthy workplace, more attention is warranted to OHIS development and use as well as education and training in South Africa and beyond.

• International Journal of Safety
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.39-43
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• 2008

With ever increasing number of citizen using subway stations everyday, safety, health and comfort of passengers and occupants (mostly metro personnel) have become important social issues. Considering the fact that various physical variables and pollutants such as particulate, VOCs and biological agents are closely related to indoor air quality (IAQ) which may cause health problems, a method of quantitative assessment using information-theoretic measure on such variables needs to be devised and implemented for comfort, health and safety of passengers and occupants in the subway station. A basic framework for assessing indoor air quality (for comfort and health) and safety in subway station is suggested. In particular, application of information-theoretic measure for the assessment of indoor air quality, comfort and safety in subway station is discussed. Some examples are presented as well.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.340-346
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• 2016

Background: safety and healthy working environment has received numerous research attention over the years. Majority of these researches seem to have been conducted in the construction industry, with little attention in the health sector. Nonetheless, there are couple of studies conducted in Africa that suggest pressure in hospitals. Therefore the aim of the study was to examine how pressure influence safety behavior in the hospitals. With reference to the relevance of safety behavior in primary health care delivery, there was the need for the study. Method: Data was obtained from 422 public hospital employees. Respondents were assured that all information would be kept confidential to increase the response rate and acquire more accurate information. Collection of questionnaires from participants took four weeks (20 working days), after which the data was analyzed. Results: The result of the study showed that work pressure correlated negatively with safety behavior. General safety climate significantly correlated positively with safety behavior and negatively with work pressure, although the effect size for the latter was smaller. Hierarchical regression analysis showed management commitment to safety to moderate the relationship between work pressure and safety behavior. Conclusion: When employees perceive safety communication, safety systems and training to be positive, they seem to comply with safety rules and procedures than voluntarily participate in safety activities.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.257-262
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• 2014

Risk information may be one of the most important factor for worker's safe behavior because that safe behavior can be oriented by attitude based on risk information. Traditionally KAP(knowledge, attitude and practice) model was useful frame for the change of human behavior. Knowledge is formed by information through experience and education. Worker's health may be prevented by his or her own active safe behavior based on risk information. This paper is to investigate the effect of labor union on the provirion of risk information by labor union. Data for analysis is the third Korean Working Conditions Survey done by Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute in 2011. The sample size is 50,032 economic active person surveyed by household interview survey with structure questionnaire by trained interviewer. The difference of risk information provision among employees was tested by mean difference test. The level of risk information of employees of companies with labor union is higher than that with non labour union. This paper has some implication for the promotion of safe behavior of employees through risk information provision mediated by labor union. Some limitation of this study may be considered because of using the cross sectional survey data.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.136-142
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• 2003

This study is planned to investigate the attitude toward the safety and health management of contractor company. Under the contract based production system, all of activities including safety and health management in the contractor company are depended upon the contract. How to make contract influence the worker's health of contractor company. Worker's health of contractor company can be protected by efforts of company of contract-out and contractor company, especially their safety managers. The modelling of the effective safety and health management system for contractor company should consider the need of safety manager of each company and employer of contractor company. Data is collected from safety managers of 3 contract out compaines as electronic and electrical manufacturing industry and 55 safety manager, 57 employers of their contractor compaines using self administered survey with structured questionnaire. The most of all respondents want to support from the contract out compaines. The most important items supported from contract out company is the information based on the safety information network between each company. Safety manager and employer of contactor company also itemized safety education and training in the supporting system from contract out company. These results can be generalized to survey on the other industries.