• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.203-213
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• 2015

This study is to test the influence of safety management activities and employees' safety awareness on safety behavior in the construction company following the atmosphere of a safety-driven society. Recently, the perspective of many individuals and companies for safety management is changing and the recognition is spreading that physical and conscious investment on the safety of industrial sites are not an useless cost but the vital element to enhance the corporate competitiveness. CEOs have an emphasis on the safety management in their workplace as a top priority. For this study, the data were collected and analyzed from 300 employees of industrial sites. Firstly, the results showed that safety management activities and employees' safety awareness had a positive impact on organizational trust. Secondly, the organizational trust had a positive impact on safety behavior. Thirdly, safety management activities and employees' safety awareness had a positive impact on safety behavior. And also found out the organizational trust had the mediating role between safety management activities and safety behavior, and between employees' safety awareness and safety behavior. The results of this study suggested that safety management activities and employees' safety awareness in the construction companies are very important factors influencing on the safety behavior, and the investment for the safety of the construction company should be continued.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.23-41
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• 2017

Objectives: In this study, we seek to perform a priority selection for test substances for chronic inhalation toxicity studies, including acute and subchronic inhalation toxicity studies, which are to be performed after the construction of a chronic/carcinogenicity inhalation toxicity study facility and enactment of pertinent legislation. Methods: Through this study, qualitative and quantitative priority evaluation of test substances according to acute, subchronic and chronic categories were respectively performed and priorities were suggested by expert group review, redundancy and other methods. Meanwhile, a draft on test substance selection criteria, procedures and methods referring to the National Toxicology Program (NTP) system was proposed. Results: This study selected priorities for candidate substances for chronic inhalation toxicity studies to be conducted from 2016. Conclusions: In the future, by assessing in advance the toxicological effects of chemicals to which workers can be potentially exposed in the workplace via long-term inhalation, expected health disturbances among workers will be reduced and it is anticipated that occupational disease induced by chemicals will be effectively prevented.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.65-74
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• 2013

Objectives: This study attempted to develop a method to measure ultra-trace lead concentrations in plasma using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry(ICP-MS) and to test whether plasma lead can be used as a biomarker for the biological monitoring of exposure to lead. Methods: Lead concentrations in 160 plasma samples of field workers and 42 plasma samples from the control group were measured by ICP-MS. Blood zinc protophorphyrin(ZPP) concentrations and urinary ${\delta}$-aminolevulinic acid${\delta}-ALA$) were measured for correlation analysis with plasma lead. Results: The mean lead level in the plasma of the workers exposed to lead at work were 786.1 ng/L. Plasma lead levels were not correlated with blood ZPP or urinary ${\delta}-ALA$ concentrations. Otherwise, plasma lead levels showed a good correlation coefficient of 0.400 with blood lead levels, and their correlation coefficient had a better value of 0.552 for the non-smoking and drinking group. In the general population group which was not exposed to lead in the workplace and was considered the control group, the mean concentration of plasma lead was 123.1 ng/L. The plasma lead levels for the general population group showed a good correlation coefficient of 0.520 with blood ZPP and urinary ${\delta}-ALA$ concentrations.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.213-217
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• 2016

Background: The objective of this study is to identify high-risk groups for industrial accidents by setting up 2003 as the base year and conducting an in-depth analysis of the trends of major industrial accident indexes the index of industrial accident rate, the index of occupational injury rate, the index of occupational illness and disease rate per 10,000 people, and the index of occupational injury fatality rate per 10,000 people for the past 10 years. Methods: This study selected industrial accident victims, who died or received more than 4 days of medical care benefits, due to occupational accidents and diseases occurring at workplaces, subject to the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act, as the study population. Results: According to the trends of four major indexes by workplace characteristics, the whole industry has shown a decreasing tendency in all four major indexes since the base year (2003); as of 2012, the index of industrial accident rate was 67, while the index of occupational injury fatality rate per 10,000 people was 59. Conclusion: The manufacturing industry, age over 50 years and workplaces with more than 50 employees showed a high severity level of occupational accidents. Male workers showed a higher severity level of occupational accidents than female workers. The employment period of < 3 years and newly hired workers with a relatively shorter working period are likely to have more occupational accidents than others. Overall, an industrial accident prevention policy must be established by concentrating all available resources and capacities of these high-risk groups.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.293-300
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• 2016

Objectives: This study is designed to survey the current status of trade secrets in GHS MSDS circulated in workplaces and indicate problems in the chemical information system. According to the survey results, we suggest management plans including political improvement of the trade secret system for MSDS and technical support to workplaces following enhanced chemical communication. Methods: To review this subject, we selected 153 manufacturers and six importers working in such fields as organic chemical production. We then investigated the retention status of GHS MSDS, application of trade secrets, and the content of trade secret components in MSDSs for mixtures. Results and Conclusions: Within the results, the content of trade secret ingredients was 67.4% (single: 9.0%, mixture: 75.6%). This is an increase compared with the previous results of 45.5% in 2011. Among 59,393 GHS MSDSs, 74.5% had ingredients less than 10% trade secret components, 19.1% had 10-30%, 1.8% had 30-50%, and 4.6% had more than 50%. To settle this issue, we recommend registration or evaluation of trade secrets as implemented in advanced countries. Also, business should be required to undergo regular evaluations of application status for trade secrets in workplace GHS MSDS.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to review the debate on the Article 28(Prohibition of Inhouse-Contract for Harmful Work) of the Industrial Safety and Health Law. Methods: Literatures and recent debate for prohibition and permission of inhouse-contract for harmful work were reviewed. Proposals of revision for the Article 28 of the Industrial Safety and Health Law were also reviewed. Results: It was not found reasonable to revise the Article 28 based on increased fatal accidents or diseases in the electroplating work and heavy metals handling works that are currently listed in the Presidential Decree under the law as the harmful works. Regulation types of prohibition or authorization for any harmful work shall have inherently poor coverage since the scope of application is extremely limited. Contractors for maintenance and repair of chemical facilities may not be included in the scope of application if the harmful works are defined as chemical handling works. If harmful works are prohibited, the contractor workers may loose their jobs. Therefore, it is necessary to consider balancing job security and occupational safety and health safety. Conclusions: Various limitations were found in the Article 28 and the proposals to revise it. Currently in-house subcontracting is widely spread in the workplace. Therefore, it may be inappropriate to set one or two Article such as the Article 28 and 29 to protect in-house subcontract workers from injury and illness. It is believed that it needs fundamental redirection and new approach with new paradigm to impose occupational safety and health duty to prime contractors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.32-38
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• 2009

According to the statistics from the Ministry of labor, 70~80 people died by work-related electric shock accidents in the workplace and this number is about 10~20 times higher than those of the foreign countries such as Japan and the United Kingdom in frequencies and rates per 100,000. The electrocution deaths had decreased from several hundred in 1990s to 67 in 2002, since then there has been little change over the last 5 years. To reduce this number of the electrocution death, it is necessary to analyze the sources of the accidents and to implement the suitable measures for preventing the similar accidents from occurring. But there is not any consensus standard method or procedures for accident investigation yet. And the results solely depend on the ability of the investigator. Because of the demand of eliminating technical barrier for free trading, the IEC 60364 is adopted as a regulation for low voltage electrical installations in Korea. The facilities designed and constructed by IEC 60364 are increasing. The facilities by IEC 60364 have different features in comparison with the facilities by Korea eletro technical regulation, and these features combined with parameters of electric shock accident can greatly affect the consequences of the electric accidents. The accident analysis program for electric shock injuries in Terra Neutral(TN) and Terra Terra(TT) system was developed in this paper, which was based on KOSHA Electric Shock Analysis Program(ESAP).

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.310-321
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate types and characteristics of chemical substances used in LCD(Liquid crystal display) panel manufacturing process. Methods: The LCD panel manufacturing process is divided into the fabrication(fab) process and module process. The use of chemical substances by process was investigated at four fab processes and two module processes at two domestic TFT-LCD(Thin film transistor-Liquid crystal display) panel manufacturing sites. Results: LCD panels are manufactured through various unit processes such as sputtering, chemical vapor deposition(CVD), etching, and photolithography, and a range of chemicals are used in each process. Metal target materials including copper, aluminum, and indium tin oxide are used in the sputtering process, and gaseous materials such as phosphine, silane, and chlorine are used in CVD and dry etching processes. Inorganic acids such as hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid and sulfuric acid are used in wet etching process, and photoresist and developer are used in photolithography process. Chemical substances for the alignment of liquid crystal, such as polyimides, liquid crystals, and sealants are used in a liquid crystal process. Adhesives and hardeners for adhesion of driver IC and printed circuit board(PCB) to the LCD panel are used in the module process. Conclusions: LCD panels are produced through dozens of unit processes using various types of chemical substances in clean room facilities. Hazardous substances such as organic solvents, reactive gases, irritants, and toxic substances are used in the manufacturing processes, but periodic workplace monitoring applies only to certain chemical substances by law. Therefore, efforts should be made to minimize worker exposure to chemical substances used in LCD panel manufacturing process.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 2010

Industrial Safety and Health Law (ISH Law) of Japan requires abnormalities identified in evaluations of worker health and working environments are reported to occupational physicians, and employers are advised of measures to ensure appropriate accommodations in working environments and work procedures. Since the 1980s, notions of a risk assessment and occupational safety and health management system were expected to further prevent industrial accidents. In 2005, ISH Law stipulated workplace risk assessment using the wording "employers shall endeavor." Following the amendment, multiple documents and guidelines for risk assessment for different work procedures were developed. They require ISH Laws to be implemented fully and workplaces to plan and execute measures to reduce risks, ranking them from those addressing potential hazards to those requiring workers to wear protective articles. A governmental survey in 2005 found the performance of risk assessment was 20.4% and common reasons for not implementing risk assessments were lack of adequate personnel or knowledge. ISH Law specifies criminal penalties for both individuals and organizations. Moreover, under the Labor Contract Law promulgated in 2007, employers are obliged to make reasonable efforts to ensure employee health for foreseeable and avoidable risks. Therefore, enterprises neglecting even the non-binding provisions of guidelines are likely to suffer significant business impact if judged to be responsible for industrial accidents or occupational disease. To promote risk assessment, we must strengthen technical, financial, and physical support from public-service organizations, encourage the dissemination of good practices to reduce risks, and consider additional employer incentives, including relaxed mandatory regulations.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.38-49
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• 2021

Objectives: This study was conducted to analyze the impact of safety/health managers' experience of trauma case on their post traumatic stress disorder and the mediation effects of job stress and the moderated mediation effects of social support. Method: Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 241 workplace safety/health managers with experience in trauma case. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS(IBM. Ver.26.0) and verified through SPSS PROCESS Macro (Ver. 3.4). Results: The trauma case experience and the job stress, which is a mediation variable, had a statistically significant positive effect on post-traumatic stress disorder, and the job stress had a positive mediation effect in the relationship between the trauma case experience and post-traumatic stress disorder. Social support had a statistically significant negative moderation effect in the relationship between the trauma case experience and job stress; social support had a moderated mediation effect on the indirect effect of a job stress on the post-traumatic effect through a trauma case experience. Conclusion: The above findings suggest that work-related job stress management is important in order to reduce safety/health managers' post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the experience of trauma case, and that social support is essential to reduce the job stress, which can later be used as a basis for further studies.