• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제57권5호
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• pp.451-460
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• 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to identify workstation factors influencing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among information technology (IT) professionals in Indonesia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 IT workers at small-enterprise companies who were randomly selected across East Java, Indonesia. The data were modeled using multiple linear regression, with a 95% level of confidence for determining statistical significance. Results: The respondents reported that the neck had the highest level of discomfort and was the most at risk of WMSDs, followed by the lower back, right shoulder, and upper back. Screen use duration (p=0.040) was associated with whole-body WMSDs, along with seat width (p=0.059), armrest (p=0.027), monitor (p=0.046), and a combined telephone and monitor score (p=0.028). Meanwhile, the factors significantly related to the risk of WMSDs in the hands and wrist were working period (p=0.039), night shift (p=0.024), backrest (p=0.008), and mouse score (p=0.032). Conclusions: Occupational safety authorities, standards-setting departments, and policymakers should prioritize addressing the risk factors for WMSDs among IT professionals.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.220-225
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• 2012

Recent rapid advances in genetic research are ushering us into the genome sequence era, where an individual's genome information is utilized for clinical practice. The most spectacular results of the human genome study have been provided by genome-wide association studies (GWASs). This is a review of the history of GWASs as related to my work. Further efforts are necessary to make full use of its potential power to medicine.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.384-389
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• 2021

Background: Social distancing by working-from-home is an effective measure to decrease the spread of COVID-19. However, this new work pattern could also affect the well-being of workers. Therefore, the aim of the study was to study the magnitude of occupational health problems and lifestyle changes among workers who have only recently started working from home. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using online self-administered questionnaires during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in the Bangkok metropolitan area, Thailand. The participants were from any organization that allowed working from home. The demographic data including the analysis of the characteristics of working from home, the occurrence of occupational health problems, and the lifestyle changes caused by working from home were analyzed. Results: A total of 869 workers were included as study participants. The highest prevalence of physical health problems among all workers was identified to be weight gain at a rate of 40.97% (95% confidence interval = 37.69-44.24), and the highest prevalence of psychosocial problems was identified to be cabin fever at a rate of 31.28% (95% confidence interval = 26.66-35.90%) among full-time working-from-home workers. The health effects that were significantly related to the intensity of working from home (p for trends <0.05), either positively or negatively, included body weight changes, ergonomic problems, indoor environmental problems, and psychosocial problems. Meanwhile, the lifestyle changes related to work intensity included eating pattern, sleep habits, and exercise. Conclusions: Working from home can affect workers' well-being in various aspects. Hence, occupational health providers must prepare for risk prevention and health promotion in this "new normal" working life pattern and for future pandemics.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제29권12호
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• pp.1600-1605
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• 2000

Objective : World Health Organization and International Labour Organization, in June 8, 1999, requested that working conditions should be reformed ethically right and economically solid for 2.7 billion world labour force. The purpose of this study is to request compensable surgical therapeutic options and to suggest the renewal in cognizance criteria for worker's compensation, especially in spondylolisthesis. Methods : Regarding spondylolisthesis, we obtained data from Korea Labor Welfare Corporation(KLWC). Spinal disease occurrence incidences and medical fees of National Federation of Medical Insurance(NFMI) were analysed. The compensated 122 spinal instrumented cases included 117 male and 5 female patients, aged from 23 to 72 years old(mean : $45{\pm}9.85$). We compared Korean and Foreign Workers Compensation Law. Results : Numbers of herniated nucleus pulpus(78 cases), spinal fractures(34 cases) and dislocations(4 cases) were claimed after spinal interbody fusion operation and were compensated. These compensated degenerative diseases, work related illness, occurred in the course of work. A case of 52-year old spondylolisthesis patient with Disability Grade 8 was compensated by KLWC, according to its occurrence at work by accident. With exception of trauma at work by accident, current cognizance criteria were too narrow to be compensable, especially in surgical therapeutic option, for worker's spondylolisthesis. Conclusion : Considering both worker's compensation law and clinical pathologic progress, we believe that spondylolisthesis should be regarded as a compensable occupation related disease if and when aggravates rapidly in the course of work. We suggest a new cognizance standard to KLWC for labour welfare and proper worker's compensation.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.100-106
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• 2013

According to the Statistics Korea, in 2011, people over the age of 65 years old accounted for 11.8% of Korea's population. This number is expected to rise to 15.0% by 2019, making Korea an "aged society". As age increases, physical ability degrades to the point that the workload must be adjusted limitations. However, workloads are given regardless of workers' ages or abilities. In addition, a decline in work efficiency due to aging also increases the risk of work-related injuries. Furthermore, the cases of stress related diseases along with musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) rise as main factors of industrial disasters and excessive job stress gives negative influence not only on mental health but also on physical health so that job stress becomes a hot issue as a main cause of work ability falloff and turnover. The purpose of this research is to examine how the sociodemographic characteristics, MSDs symptoms and musculoskeletal workload of workers in the manufacturing industry of automobile parts influence work ability and job stress. As a result of the research, job ability showed significant differences statistically according to age, working year, sex, marital status and musculoskeletal workload and job stress showed significant differences statistically according to age, working year, marital status and musculoskeletal workload. In addition, it showed that as the worker's job ability decreases, job stress increases.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.201-209
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• 2011

The incidence of asbestos-related diseases (ARD) has increased in the last four decades. In view of the historical use of asbestos in Singapore since the country started banning it in phases in 1989 and the long latency of the disease, the incidence of ARD can be expected to increase further. As occupational exposure to asbestos still occurs, preventive measures to eliminate ARD continue to be required to protect the health of both workers and the public from asbestos exposure. The majority of occupational exposures to asbestos at present occur during the removal of old buildings. Preventive measures have been utilized by different government ministries and agencies in eliminating ARD in Singapore over the past 40 years. These measures have included the enforcement of legislation, substitution with safer materials, and engineering controls during asbestos removal as well as improvements in personal hygiene and the use of personal protective equipment. The existing Workman's Compensation System for ARD should be further refined, given that is currently stipulates that claims for asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma be made within 36 and 12 months after ceasing employment.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.1-10
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• 2010

The Finnish risk assessment practice is based on the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act aiming to improve working conditions in order maintain the employees' work ability, and to prevent occupational accidents and diseases. In practice there are hundreds of risk assessment methods in use. A simple method is used in small and medium sized enterprises and more complex risk evaluation methods in larger work places. Does the risk management function in the work places in Finland? According to our experience something more is needed. That is, understanding of common and company related benefits of risk management. The wider conclusion is that commitment for risk assessment in Finland is high enough. However, in those enterprises where OSH management was at an acceptable level or above it, there were also more varied and more successfully accomplished actions to remove or reduce the risks than in enterprises, where OSH management was in lower level. In risk assessment it is important to process active technical prevention and exact communication, increase work place attraction and increase job satisfaction and motivation. Investments in OSH are also good business. Low absenteeism due to illness or accidents increases directly the production results by improved quality and quantity of the product. In general Finnish studies have consistently shown that the return of an invested euro is three to seven-old. In national level, according to our calculations the savings could be even 20% of our gross national product.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제34권4호
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• pp.103-110
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• 2019

Underwater works are indispensable in the coastal and ocean engineering fields, and the reliance on manpower is higher than land works. Divers who work for a long time in a high-pressure underwater environment are always exposed to the risks of diving-related diseases. To prevent them, proper planning, operation, and management of diving by a supervisor with professional diving knowledge are required. This study provides the basic data for supervisors to plan, operate, and manage air diving for safe and efficient work in underwater construction sites. It is well-known that air diving simulations using the varying permeability model (VPM) require a longer decompression time as the water depth and the residence time in water increase. Therefore, it is crucial to have a proper surface interval through repetitive diving rather than single diving to improve the safety of the divers and the efficiency of underwater work. Furthermore, coastal and ocean engineers who manage and supervise underwater construction work must acquire expert knowledge on diving before they can plan, operate, and manage diving.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.51-58
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• 2022

Introduction: Previous studies on occupational health focussed predominately on the occurrence of occupational diseases. Relatively few studies have measured how employment is associated with the use of healthcare services. This study investigates the association between employment and the extent and range of healthcare use, such as medical expenditures, of women in South Korea. Methods: We analyze data of the Korean Health Panel, an ongoing longitudinal national representative survey, from 2008 to 2017, to identify the status of economic activity of women by year and age group. We estimate the association between female employment status and medical expenditures by using random effect panel Tobit models. Furthermore, we investigate the association between employment status and the range of healthcare services in biomedicine and traditional Korean medicine (KM) by conducting conditional fixed-effects logistic regression analyses. Results: For women aged between 25 and 65 in 2017, the majority of them were employed or self-employed. (The proportion of employment of self-employment equals 64.80%). In addition, working women spent 11.6% less on healthcare than nonworking women, and self-employment lowered the healthcare expenditure by 13.1%. Neither work nor the type of work is related to the types and range of healthcare service use. Being employed or self-employed is negatively associated with women's expenditure on healthcare. Conclusions: The findings show that employment is associated with less spending on healthcare. They imply that employment has a positive impact on women's health.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.42-54
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• 2017

Objectives: The present study was conducted to investigate farm work environments among farmers and examine the level of management of safety and health, and to subsequently produce study result to serve as foundational data for the development of guidelines on safety and health as part of the improvement of farming work environments among farmers raising Korean native cattle. Methods: The present study conducted a survey on farm work environments and the management of safety and health with 407 farmers engaged in Korean native cattle farming in selected regions in eight provinces. It also visited 10 farmers to verify the current status of farm work. Results: The survey results showed that 16.4% of the respondents experienced safety-related accidents due to farm work. The locations of the accidents were inside the cattle shed (71.4%) and facilities outside the cattle shed (19.6%). The types of accident showed collision with animals (35.7%), collision or contact with obstacles (27.1%), and musculoskeletal accidents due to heavy object handling (12.9%). The causes of the accidents were cattle (38.3%), cultivators and tractors (25.4%), facility tools in cattle sheds (9.0%), and slippery floors (6.0%). The damaged areas were hand (21.0%), spine (19.8%), lower limb (18.5%), and foot (17.3%). A self-diagnostic survey on respiratory diseases showed that 11.5% of the respondents experienced respiratory-related symptoms. The survey on safety and health during farm work showed that wearing personal protective equipment and response to emergency situations, which were needed to prevent safety-related accidents, were relatively low compared to the level of recognition of the need and awareness of safety issues. Furthermore, the field survey identified the current status of safety and health issues such as prevention management of collision accidents with cattle, how to handle heavy objects, and wearing of personal protective equipment. Conclusions: The present study identified safety-related accidents and problems in the management of safety and health among Korean native cattle farmers. In order to address the problem, it is necessary to not only provide guidelines on safety and health management which are appropriate to the characteristics of Korean native cattle farming work, but also to study the development of personal protective equipment.