• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.36-43
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• 2022

Generally, in construction sites, the pipe support installation workers often use support pins of 9~10 mm which are much smaller than the safety standard sizes for work convenience. Although the safety certification standard thickness of the support pins is 11 mm, and the supervisors are often indifferent to this. Hence, products with far lower performance than the pipe support safety certification value of 40,000 N, which is applied in the supporting post-structural review, are used. Accordingly, this acts as a factor causing collapse accidents in the process of pouring concrete at the construction site. Therefore, this study performed compression experiments on new and reused pipe supports to determine how the thickness of the support pins affects the structural compression performance of the pipe support by considering the thickness of the support pins as a critical variable among various factors affecting the pipe support performance. In the course of the study, the compression test of the pipe support (V2, V4) for the new products showed that only 14 (58.3%) of the total 24 samples satisfied the safety certification standard value of 40,000 N, which indicates that more thorough quality control is required in the manufacturing process. Additionally, comparing the thickness of the support pins and their fracture shape shows that the pipes with support length of 4.0 m or longer are much more affected by the buckling of the entire length than the thickness of the support pins. Of the several factors affecting the performance of reused pipe supports, it was found that, similar to the new products, the use of support pins, with thickness of 12 mm rather than 11 mm, can satisfy the safety certification value more appropriately. Therefore, regardless of the state of usage, it could be concluded that it is necessary to use 12 mm products, whose thickness is larger than that of the safety certification standard value of 11 mm, to improve the performance of the pipe supports.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.227-234
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• 2022

Background and Purpose: In 2021, lung cancer in school food workers was first recognized as an occupational cancer. The classification of the carcinogenicity of cooking fumes by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) was based on Chinese epidemiological data. This study aimed to determine the hazard levels of school cooking fumes in Korea. Materials and Methods: Based on public school cafeterias in one area, 25 locations were selected for the survey according to the number per school type, ventilation states, and environmental pre-assessments of cafeterias. Two inside cooking areas using a heat source and one outside cooking area were selected as control measurement points. Measurements of CO, CO₂, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), including benzene, formaldehyde, and particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1, respectively), were taken. The concentrations and patterns of each substance in the kitchens were compared with the outdoor air quality. Result: Known carcinogens, such as the concentrations of PAHs, formaldehyde, TVOC (benzene), and particulate matter in school cooking fumes, were all detected at similar or slightly higher levels than those found outside. Additionally, substances were detected at relatively low concentrations compared to the Chinese cooking fumes reported in the literature. However, the short-term exposure to high concentrations of CO (or composite exposure with CO₂) and PM2.5 in this study were shown. Conclusion: The school cooking fumes in South Korea was a relatively less harmful than Chinese cooking fumes, however short-term, high exposure of toxic substances can cause a critical health effect.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.17-26
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• 2020

Purpose: This paper presents research evidence that the environmental design of the doffing area in a biocontainment unit (BCU) can have a measurable impact on increasing the safety of frontline healthcare workers (HCW) during doffing of high-level personal protective equipment (PPE), and proposes optimized biocontainment unit design. Methods: From 2016 to 2019, The SimTigrate Design Lab conducted 3 consecutive studies, focusing on ways in which the built environment may support or hinder safe doffing. In the first study, to identify the risky behaviors, we observed 56 simulation exercises with HCWs in 4 BCUs and 1 high-fidelity BCU mockup. In the second study, we tested the effectiveness of a redesigned doffing area on improving the HCWs performance and used simulation, observation, and rapid prototyping in 1 high-fidelity mockup of a doffing area. In a follow-up study, we used simulation and co-design with HCWs to optimize the design of a safer doffing area in a full-size pediatric BCU mock-up. Results: We identified 11 specific risky behaviors potentially leading to occupational injury, or contamination of the PPE, or of the environment. We developed design strategies to create a space for safer doffing. In the second study, in a redesigned doffing area, the overall performance of HCW improved, and we observed a significant decrease in the number of risky behaviors; some risky behaviors were eliminated. There was a significant decrease in physical and cognitive load for the HCWs. Finally, we propose an optimized layout of a BCU for a safer process of PPE doffing. Implications: The proposed BCU design supports better staff communication, efficiency, and automates safer behaviors. Our findings can be used to develop design guidelines for spaces where patients with other highly infectious diseases are treated when the safety of the patient-facing HCWs is of critical importance.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.181-188
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• 2022

Despite the recent increase in the consumption level of the processed meat-byproducts, the health and safety issue has consistently been raised in the processes of production, distribution and consumption. The purpose of this study is to analyze and evaluate the microbiological hazard elements in the Korean sausage, "Sundae," to present not only the safety standard of meat by-product vendors based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point), but also the quality control criteria and sanitary arrangements of small manufacturers. For the study, the microbiological hazards in 24 raw materials, 7 manufacturing processes, 40 facilities and tools, 17 workplace environment, and 12 workers were analyzed. The analysis revealed the hazardous elements in the initial stages with 6.28 and 4.07 log CFU/g of total aerobic count and coliforms, respectively, detected from the porcine blood and 3.23 log CFU/g of coliforms from the porcine small intestines. The result also showed that the total aerobic counts and coliforms in the process of mixing and filling process exceeds the standards in the hygiene guidelines by Natick with the total aerobic counts of 5.23, 5.45 log CFU/g, and the coliforms of 3.25, and 3.31 log CFU/g, respectively. Although the detected total aerobic count and the coliforms in the filling and washing rooms exceeded the standards, it was found that the total aerobic count was significantly reduced by 98% after cleaning and disinfecting and no coliforms was detected in any process thereafter. In order to achieve high level of safety in the manufacturing processes of Sundae, the separation of washing and disinfection room from the other sections and the sanitation control of the workers must be preceded, along with strict monitoring in the storage and distribution processes. The study raises necessity for additional studies for the safety evaluation of the processed meat-byproducts and further researches on the validity of the critical limits.

• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.106-110
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• 1995

A local manufacturing companyin which low back pain(LBP) complaints were frequently reported was selected, and regularly perfomed lifting tasks were investigated using questionnaires and the 1991 NIOSH lifting guide. Among several processes of manufacture in the company, three processes-forming, heating and packing-were studied, where most of tasks were perfomed through manual materials handling (MMH). Questionnaire surveys showed that anthropometric data such as stature, weight and someatotype did not affect and weight of load influenced significantly the incidence of LBP, and workers who expwrienced LBP was older than the inexperienced. In addition, safety education conducted at the company was found to be ineffective in preventing LBP injuries. Lifting indexes(LI) was ranged from 0.86 to 17.0 with an average of 4.49, which revealed that tasks performing in the selected factory were in danger of LBP, and should be ertonomically redesigned. The critical factor reducing LI was found to be the horizontal component in all three processes, and most of weight of load was heavier than load constant(23kg) of the 1991 NIOSH lifting equation in heating process and packing.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.174-182
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• 2004

Hygienic standards for pizza specialty restaurant located in Seoul during summer, 2000 were established based on HACCP concept by measuring temperature, time, pH, $A_{w}$ and microbiological assessments of pizza, and evaluation of hygienic conditions of kitchens and workers. Kitchen and worker conditions were average 1.2 and 1.0 (3 point Sly's scale), respectively, Microbial contaminations occurred at $5-60^{\circ}C$, pH above 5.0, and $A_{w}$ (0.93-0.98). Microbial assessments for pizza processing revealed $1.5{\times}10^{2}-3.9{\times}10^{8}\;CFU/g$ of TPC and $0.5{\times}10^{1}-1.6{\times}10^{7}\;CFU/g$ of coliforms, exceeding standards ($TPC\;10^{6}\;CFU/g\;and\;coliform\;10^{3}\;CFU/g$) established by Solberg et al., although significantly decreased after baking. S. aureus was not discovered, but Salmonella was found in onions. Tools and containers such as pizza cutting knife, topping container, serving bowl, pizza plate, working board, and dough kneading board contained $6.2{\times}10^{2}-1.1{\times}10^{9}\;CFU/g$ of TPC, $2.0{\times}10^{1}-6.2{\times}10^{3}\;CFU/g$ of coliforms. Workers' hands contained $3.1{\times}10^{4}\;CFU/g$ of TPC and S. aureus as compared to safety standards of Harrigan and McCance (500 and 10 CFU/g of TPC and coliforms per $100cm^{2}$). CCPs (critical control points) were determined as receiving, topping, and baking according to CCP decision tree analysis. Results suggest purchase of quality materials, careful monitoring of time and temperature, hygienic use of tools and utensils, and sanitary practicer by workers are recommended as control points for safe pizza production.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Construction Safety
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to clearly recognize critical issues and to suggest relevant solutions for the issues since too many deaths and injuries due to industrial accidents has been going on for a long time, also the deaths of workers is a problem that affects not only one person's death but also many people connected with it and society as a whole. And the need for a strict Serious Accidents Punishment Act is sympathetic. However, the current Severe Accident Punishment Act is not welcomed by both labor and management due to its ambiguity, and it is suggested that the punishment and legislative content of the management manager who violated the duty to ensure safety and health is abstract and the level of punishment is excessive. In addition, due to the ambiguous part of the management manager's interpretation and serious industrial accidents, most companies appoint large law firms to receive legal interpretation and advice, so only law firms are getting full, and the cost that companies invest to protect the CEO is actually a safety accident. It is suggested that the current enforcement ordinance, which has ambiguity, needs to be revised because it must be entered into as a preventive cost.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.113-125
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors influencing severity of occupational fall injury. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was completed by 105 patients sustaining occupational fall injury between July 2010 and January 2013. The study instruments were developed by the National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities and National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. The questionnaire consisted of general characteristics of the subjects (30 items), workplace characteristics (12 items) and disaster characteristic (13 items). Results: Demographic factors, except age, did not affect the severity of injury. Injured patients aged 50-59 years tended to have more severe injuries than those aged 39 years. Type of transport vehicles, conditions, and the circumstances of the fall influenced injury severity. Patients transported by 119 ambulance suffered more severe fall injuries than those who were not. Electrical workers did not receive safety education wihin a year. Critical height in severe injuries was > 6 meters. Conclusion: Occupational fall injuries were influenced by patient age, types of transport vehicles, fall height, size of workplace, and safety education experience.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.2 no.4 s.8
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• pp.99-106
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• 2001

Construction workers occupies only $10{\%}$ of the entire industry, but the $30{\%}$ of the critical accidents in whole industry occurs in construction industry. Since there are many dangerous process and lack of safety information measures in the construction industry, both short and long term operation in education, training, and information are necessary. Examples for existing accidents in construction sites will be very useful for preventing accidents. And if the research for individual accidents perfectly achieved, it will give valuable information to construction sites which will be very useful for preventing accidents. The object of this study is to develop construction safety information system to give safety information to construction process by work field. The data base are made from 860 major accidents mostly in buildings and apartments in year 1999 through 2000(KOSHA).

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2020

Background: Kori unit #1 is permanently shut down after a 40-year lifetime. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission recommends establishing initial decommissioning plans for all nuclear and radwaste treatment facilities. Therefore, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) must establish an initial and final decommissioning plan for radwaste-treatment facilities. Radiation safety assessment, which constitutes one chapter of the decommissioning plan, is important for establishing a decommissioning schedule, a strategy, and cost. It is also a critical issue for the government and public to understand. Materials and Methods: This study provides a method for assessing external radiation dose to workers during decommissioning. An external dose is calculated following each exposure scenario, decommissioning strategy, and working schedule. In this study, exposure dose is evaluated using the deterministic method. Physical characterization of the facility is obtained by both direct measurement and analysis of the drawings, and radiological characterization is analyzed using the annual report of KAERI, which measures the ambient dose every month. Results and Discussion: External doses are calculated at each stage of a decommissioning strategy and found to increase with each successive stage. The maximum external dose was evaluated to be 397.06 man-mSv when working in liquid-waste storage. To satisfy the regulations, working period and manpower must be managed. In this study, average and cumulative exposure doses were calculated for three cases, and the average exposure dose was found to be about 17 mSv/yr in all the cases. Conclusion: For the three cases presented, the average exposure dose is well below the annual maximum effective dose restriction imposed by the international and domestic regulations. Working period and manpower greatly affect the cost and entire decommissioning plan; hence, the chosen option must take account of these factors with due consideration of worker safety.