• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.77-86
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• 2006

After conducting an investigation of a specific workplace, 372 labor workers, who are employed at a certain domestic petrochemical company valve operating and maintenance processing section, were personally questioned about specific work-related ailments. According to the results, 57% of workers who were working in the petrochemical industry have suffered from pain-related musculoskeletal disorders in, at least, more than 1 body part. Specifically, there are more than 28% of workers suffering from pain in more than two body parts. Among the total work population, 18.8 % of workers are assumed to have a high probability of being diagnosed with musculoskeletal disorder. Also, according to the RULA checklist which evaluates environmental improvement conditions of the workplace, 76.7% of workplaces among the inspected areas have high hazardous work factors that are related to musculoskeletal disorder and needs to be improved upon and observed right away or in the foreseeable future. The prior factor has a high correlation and pain rate which is due to an improper work posture. Originally, this improper work posture is caused mostly by ergonomically incorrect facility design. Furthermore, the structure of the workplace does not consider the worker's individual build.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.216-223
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• 2018

Background: Many studies have reported negative psychological or physical effects of emotional labor. Relationship between work-related musculoskeletal disorder and psychosocial factors has been reported. To manage organizational and psychosocial factors of musculoskeletal disorder with work place intervention among emotional laborers, the factors contributing to musculoskeletal pain must be identified and clarified. Methods: Data from the fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey was analyzed. Based on the questionnaire, we selected emotional laborers and included 3,979 participants, excluding participants whose variables were of interest to the researcher. Weight variable was applied. The association with musculoskeletal pain and psychosocial factors, such as workload, monotonous work, job control, social support, and job satisfaction, was investigated. Results: Univariate analysis demonstrated that there was a statistically significant relationship between social support, job satisfaction, and musculoskeletal pain. In multivariate analysis, job satisfaction showed a strong correlation with musculoskeletal pain at all sites. Social support was significantly associated with backache. Monotonous work seemed to reduce the pain in the neck and/or upper limbs. Job control and work intensity were not significantly associated with musculoskeletal pain. Conclusion: In this study, job satisfaction was significantly associated with musculoskeletal pain, and social support among the social psychological stressors could reduce musculoskeletal pain. However, unlike previously known, the presence of monotonous work resulted in reduced musculoskeletal pain. The results of this study will help to establish the direction of improvement of atmosphere in the workplace to prevent the musculoskeletal pain of emotional laborers.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.37-41
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• 2005

Work related musculoskeletal disorders became a hot issue in Korea since many workers reported musculoskeletal disorder problems. Korean government enacted a law to require companies to take measures to prevent musculoskeletal disorders at work. This study found workers' WMSDs symptoms in squatting work posture which the rate of the occurrence was relatively high among work types to bring about WMSDs in railroad cars maintenance works and analyzed to compare the hazardous jobs in the industrial safety health law in South Korea with the caution jobs in Washington State in U.S. The hazardous jobs in South Korea were more effective in squatting work posture from this study result and this study data will be a great help to plan and carry out an effective prevention program about WMSDs.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.1463-1469
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• 2012

This study aims to identify the relations between self-reported symptoms of industrial workers work-related musculoskeletal disorders and psychosocial factors. The subjects of the study were 120 male workers who were using the rehabilitation center of K company and they were voluntarily interviewed with a use of organized questionnaire. Except the responses from eighteen subjects whose responses were insincere and who had disorders in musculoskeletal areas, the responses of 102 ones were decided for the final analysis. The results showed that there were significant differences in self-reported symptoms of work-related musculoskeletal disorders between the subjects according to smoking, physical burden and self-efficacy. To prevent and control work-related musculoskeletal disorders, multi-characteristic aspects of how the disorders appeared and psychological factors, in particular, self-efficacy, should be carefully considered. Then, as psychosocial factors affect musculoskeletal disorders, relations between the disorders and factors should be analysed through long-term follow-up studies, psychosocial factors should be actively intervened, and the effect should be evaluated.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.447-454
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• 2023

Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of changes in working conditions on job-related stress and musculoskeletal disorders using the results of seven surveys conducted at a single workplace from 2004 to 2022 regarding factors hazardous to the musculoskeletal system. Additionally, the study aims to propose alternative methods of investigating factors hazardous to the musculoskeletal system. Methods: A car parts manufacturing plant where the same survey was taken seven times from 2004 to 2022 was selected and the survey data was analyzed. The main contents of the survey were weekly working hours, Borg's scale, work intensity, job-related stress, and the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms. The statistical analysis was performed using SAS (version 9.4). Results: The results of this study are as follows. Firstly, changes in working conditions have an impact on job-related stress. Secondly, changes in working conditions have an impact on work intensity indicators. Thirdly, changes in working conditions have an impact on the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms. Fourthly, even with an increase in age and length of service, job-related stress and musculoskeletal symptoms were alleviated when working conditions were improved. Conclusions: In order for measures to reduce musculoskeletal disorders to be successful, working conditions must not deteriorate, and it is necessary to demand revisions to regulations, etc. to reflect these points in the investigation of hazardous factors to the musculoskeletal system.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.192-202
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• 2018

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are accumulative disorders that are most frequently found in agricultural farmers. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that affect symptoms resulting from work-related musculoskeletal disorders among Cambodian farm workers working in fruit plantations in the eastern region of Thailand. Methods: The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, Rapid Upper Limb Assessment, and Hazard Zone Jobs Checklist techniques were used to interview 861 farmers who participated in the study. Results: The data showed that men who had been working for >10 years were more at risk of neck pain than those working for <1 year with adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.90, 14.5). Among women those who had been working for >10 years experienced lower back pain with aOR 8.13, 95% CI (1.04, 63.74), compared with those who had been working for <1 year. Men whose tasks required raising the arms above shoulder height had a risk factor contributing to neck pain of aOR 1.68, 95% CI (1.08, 2.61) when compared with those who did not work with this posture, and women had aOR 1.82, 95% CI (1.07, 3.12) when compared with those who did not work with this posture. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that work-related health conditions are monitored in migrant plantation workers to reduce the risks of musculoskeletal disorders.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.515-524
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• 2012

PURPOSE: It is known that work stress was linked to WRMDs in workplace. The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) related to job stress among prosthetists and orthotists. METHODS: Eighty-six self-reported symptoms of discomfort (SRSD) and job stress were collected by questionnaire and analyzed. RESULTS: The results were as follows: Over 70% of respondents had WRMDs. The shoulder was the most painful region and each of "within 15 minutes", "once a week" and "severe moving or doing exercise" items were main characteristics in the SRSD. Finally, the "repetition of simple work" item in job stress ranked as resulting in "often discomfort" in over 43% of respondents. Additionally, there was a statistically significant correlation between job stress and pain intensity (p<.05, $r_s$=.36). CONCLUSION: Further studies are needed to identify the factors affecting musculoskeletal symptoms and job stress of prosthetists and orthotists in Korea.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.1128-1137
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that affect working environment related musculoskeletal subjective symptoms among dental hygienists. Methods : The subjects in this study were 232 dental hygienists working at dental clinics and general hospitals in Daegu. The data has collected through the self-questionnaire survey from July 9th 2012 to July 31th. Results : 1. Musculoskeletal subjective symptoms were 85.3% in shoulder(right), 81.9% in neck, 74.6% in shoulder(left), 65.5% in wrist(right), 56.5% in lower leg(right). 2. Pain frequency of musculoskeletal subjective symptoms were the highest 24.7% in neck. Seeing the severity pain was the highest 9.0% in foot(left). The investigation of work interference related to substantially pain showed the highest 18.5% in wrist(right). 3. Musculoskeletal subjective symptoms correlated with general characteristics such as age, marital status, regular exercise and medical check-up(p<.05). 4. Musculoskeletal subjective symptoms correlated with working environments such as working career, the night treatment, the average daily number of patients handled, the average daily standing work hours, the regular rest, the major job in work place and physical burden(p<.05). Conclusions : The education or program on wrong working habits and bad postures of dental hygienists is needed to prevent musculoskeletal disorder.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.75-78
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• 2018

Background: To identify work sectors with high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in Korean men and women. Methods: We analyzed nationwide data to identify ergonomic risk factors in Korean employees. In particular, we analyzed data on exposure to five ergonomic risk factors (painful/tiring postures, lifting/moving heavy materials, standing/walking, repetitive hand/arm movements, and hand/arm vibration) according to employment sector, sex, and age, using the 2014 Fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey. We also used workers' compensation data on work-related MSDs in 2010, which is available by sex. Results: The different work sectors had different gender distributions. "Manufacturing" (27.7%) and "construction" (11.3%) were dominated by males, whereas "human health and social work activities" (12.4%), "hotel and restaurants" (11.7%), and "education" (10.4%) were dominated by females. However, "wholesale and retail trade" and "public administration and defense" employed large numbers of males and females. Furthermore, the work sectors with a greater proportion of work-related MSDs and with multiple ergonomic risk factors were different for men and women. For men, "construction" and "manufacturing" had the highest risk for work-related MSDs; for women, "hotel and restaurants" had the highest risk for work-related MSDs. Conclusion: Ergonomic interventions for workers should consider gender and should focus on work sectors with high risk for MSDs, with multiple ergonomic risk factors, and with the largest number of workers.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.185-192
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• 2023

Background: The turnover rate of nurse aides in Taiwan is high. However, the predictors of turnover behavior in the newly employed are still unclear. Objective: To examine the predictors of turnover behavior in newly employed licensed nurse aides. Methods: A longitudinal study design was used and subjects were newly employed certified nurse aides from a nurse aid training association in Taiwan. A total of five questionnaire surveys were conducted. The questionnaire was mainly used to collect information on turnover behavior, personal socioeconomic background, workplace psychosocial hazards, worker health hazards, and musculoskeletal disorders. Results: A total of 300 participants were recruited in the study. Cox regression analysis results showed that short working experience (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.21, p < 0.01), work as non-home nurse aides (HR = 0.58, p = 0.01), low monthly salary (HR = 0.68, p < 0.01), high work mental load (HR = 1.01, p = 0.01), low workplace justice (HR = 0.97, p < 0.01), high workplace violence (HR = 1.60, p < 0.01), high burnout (HR = 1.01, p = 0.04), poor mental health (HR = 1.06, p = 0.04), and high total number of musculoskeletal disorder sites (HR = 1.08, p = 0.01) contribute to a higher risk of turnover. Conclusion: The results indicated that employment period, work as a home nurse aide, monthly salary, work mental load, workplace justice, workplace violence, work-related burnout, mental health, and total number of musculoskeletal disorder sites are predictors of turnover behavior in newly employed certified nurse aides.