• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2022

Objectives: Fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer which is one of the material extrusion (MEX) technologies is an additive manufacturing (AM) process. 3D printers have been distributed widely in Korea, particularly in school and office, even at home. Several studies have shown that nanoparticles and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were emitted from an FDM 3D printing process. The objective of this study was to identify types of chemicals possibly emitted from FDM 3D printing materials such as PLA (polylactic acid), ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), nylon, PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol), PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), PC (polycarbonate) filaments. Methods: 19 FDM 3D printing filaments which have been distributed in Korea were selected and analyzed VOCs emitted of 3D printing materials by headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry (headspace GC-MS). Subsamples were put into a vial and heated up to 200℃ (500 rpm) during 20 minutes before analyzing FDM 3D printing filaments. Results: In the case of PLA filament, lactide and methyl methacrylate, the monomer components of one, were detected, and the volume ratio ranged 27~93%, 0.5~37% respectively. In the case of ABS filaments, styrene (50.5~59.1%), the monomer components of one, was detected. Several VOCs among acetaldehyde, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, etc were detected from each FDM 3D printing filaments. Conclusions: Several VOCs, semi-VOCs were emitted from FDM 3D printing filaments in this study and previous studies. Users were possibly exposed to ones so that we strongly believe that we recommend to install the ventilation system such as a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) when they operate the FDM 3D printers in a workplace.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.308-314
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• 2022

Background: Occupational cancer is a global health issue. The Korean CARcinogen EXposure (K-CAREX), a database of CARcinogen EXposure, was developed for the Korean labor force to estimate the number of workers exposed to carcinogens by industry. The present study aimed to estimate the intensity of exposure to carcinogens by industry, in order to supply complementary information about CARcinogen EXposure intensity to the K-CAREX. Methods: We used nationwide workplace monitoring data from 2014 to 2016 and selected target carcinogens based on the K-CAREX list. We computed the 95th percentile levels of measurements for each industry by carcinogens. Based on the 95th percentile level relative to the occupational exposure limit, we classified the CARcinogen EXposure intensity into five exposure ratings (1-5) for each industry. Results: The exposure ratings were estimated for 21 carcinogenic agents in each of the 228 minor industry groups. For example, 3,058 samples were measured for benzene in the manufacturing industry of basic chemicals. This industry was assigned a benzene exposure rating of 3. Conclusions: We evaluated the CARcinogen EXposure ratings across industries in Korean workers. The results will provide information on the exposure intensity to carcinogens for integration into the K-CAREX. Furthermore, it will aid in prioritizing control efforts and identifying industries of concern.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.350-358
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• 2022

Objectives: For chemical risk assessment in workplaces, it is necessary to determine a reference value through hazard assessment. In general, OEL (Occupational Exposure Limit) is used for this value. However, since chemicals with OEL were not enough, the concept of DNEL (Derived No Effect Level) was introduced in chemical safety assessment. In this study, the possibility and approach of applying DNEL for chemical risk assessment in domestic workplaces were investigated. Methods: The characteristics of OEL and DNEL were investigated. In addition, ACGIH TLV and GESTIS DNEL were compared and the corresponding scopes were analyzed among the chemical substances notified in South Korea. Results: OEL and DNEL are similar concepts reflecting reference values that should not be exposed based on health effects. While their evaluation and derivation are determined based on similar information and procedures, they may vary depending on the responsible actor, data availability, principles of judgment, and more. As a result of the comparative analysis of ACGIH TLV and GESTIS DNEL, it was confirmed that there is some correlation between TWA and DNEL. The conservatism of DNEL was around 50%. Additionally, it was found that the available range of DNEL among chemicals in South Korea is considerable. Conclusions: This study showed that DNEL can be applied when assessing the risk of chemical substances in domestic workplaces considering several regards. However, since this is not the same level as OEL, we have proposed a proper approach to carry out risk assessment step by step.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2024

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the logistics industry in Korea has rapidly been expanding, with offline demand concentrating on online platforms owing to the development of digital infrastructure. This has increased the workload of courier drivers considerably, along with labor intensity. A delivery driver died recently from overwork due to the continuous increase in delivery volume, which raises social concerns. Delivery drivers work long hours, (over 12 hours) and are greatly affected by weather conditions, such as snow, rain, heat waves, and cold waves. In addition, they lack a fixed workplace; perform atypical work handling workpieces of various sizes, weights, and shapes; and spend a large amount of time driving as part of their work. This work involves a high level of tension and requires attention and concentration. Despite the frequency of industrial accidents in the courier industry, studies on safety and health to quantitatively analyze and systematize the work of courier workers are very scarce. Therefore, to define the work process necessary for investigating the harmful factors in delivery service and the work analysis, this study conducted interviews and on-site surveys to analyze the unit work of the delivery service by targeting delivery workers. In other words, a framework of unit work for work analysis was presented to enable research and analysis by considering the aforementioned characteristics of the courier industry. The process was broadly divided into work, transport, storage, delay, and inspection. Work was divided into loading, sorting, unloading, and door subcategories, and transportation was divided into vehicle, cart, and walking subcategories as well as 10 small processes. Moreover, 22 unit works were again drawn by conducting field surveys and interviews. The risk of unit work derived from this study was ergonomically evaluated, and the ergonomic analysis revealed that uploading and transportation were the most dangerous. The results of this study could be used as basic data for preventing industrial accidents among courier workers, whose work has increased with the logistics volume and the development of the logistics industry.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.858-868
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• 2017

Korea's shipbuilding industry has led the world in the technical area over the last century. Despite this commendable performance, around 2,000 workers experience accidents almost every year with 40 being killed. This raises a question of whether the safety level of our shipbuilding industry, in particular the safety of workers, is actually at the world-class level. Accordingly, this research has analyzed several types of safety training currently provided in the field through investigating statistical data of serious accidents occurring from 2006 to 2015 in the domestic shipbuilding industry, analyzing its occurrence and causes, and conducting a survey targeting employees in the shipbuilding industry. Based on this, it has investigated problems of safety training in the shipbuilding industry and suggested improvements. First, it is essential to create a standard system for safety training in the shipbuilding industry to address problems of different kinds and levels of safety training provided by each shipyard and low quality of training, and operate more organized and systemized training. Second, safety training curriculum specializing in the shipbuilding industry should continue to be developed and standardized based on a standard system for safe training to prevent serious accidents and improve safety awareness of workers. Lastly, both employers and employees should actively provide and participate in safety training to secure safety of workers through preventing serious accidents and ultimately create safety-first culture in workplace.

• Asia-pacific Journal of Multimedia Services Convergent with Art, Humanities, and Sociology
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.417-425
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• 2018

This paper proposes a safety management method that extracts ETA (event tree analysis) based scenario and combines ICT technology to reduce serious disasters occurring workplace for shipbuilding and offshore plant. The statistics of Safety and Health Agency and (previous)Ministry of Public Safety and Security show that the most frequent accident among the serious disasters related to shipbuilding and offshore plant is falling. The main cause of accidents is absence of a safety belt and safety belt ring. To solve these problems, we create ETA based scenarios to derive results based on safety considerations. Based on these results, we propose a solution by applying ICT technology for accident prevention. Deriving ETA based scenarios and ICT technology, the proposed solutions include a system for detecting the wearing of safety belts and safety helmets, a system for detecting whether or not the safety belts are connected, and a hook system for measuring safety distances. These safety related systems can reduce the probability of death of workers. By preventing accidents using the proposed method, we can reduce serious disasters in shipbuilding and offshore plant and establish systematic safety management.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.138-148
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• 2017

Objectives: Sleep quality is directly related to the health, quality of life and working capacity and is affected by age, gender, exercise, life habits. Gender dissimilarities in sleep quality are acknowledged. However, the gender difference in the quality of sleep in shift workers was not well known. Our aim was to study the less known gender differences in the quality of sleep of shift workers. Methods: 1,008 study subjects aged between 21 and 57 years among these, 637(525 male and 112 female workers) were daytime workers and 371(253 males and 118 female workers) were shift workers. Sleep quality was measured by self-report through the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index(PSQI) and fatigue was measured by using the Chalder Fatigue Scale(CFS). All data was analyzed using SPSS version 19.0 program. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute. Results: Overall, sleep quality was found to be worse in shift workers than in daytime workers and in female than in male. Fatigue in shift female workers was significantly higher than in daytime female workers and shift male workers. In Spearman correlation analysis results, fatigue were significantly associated with gender, drink habit, regular exercise, working hours and sleep quality. With group male workers as the reference, the odds ratio(OR) for having a CFS was 2.115(${\beta}$ value=0.749, p<0.01), and subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, daytime dysfunction and PSQI were 1.541(${\beta}$ value=0.432, p<0.05), 2.297(${\beta}$ value=0.831, p<0.001), 1.798(${\beta}$ value=0.587, p<0.01) and 2.224(${\beta}$ value=0.799, p<0.01), respectively. Conclusions: Shift work played an important role in lowering the quality of sleep, and the effect was more pronounced in female workers than in male workers. Sleep quality was related to fatigue, especially sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction were significantly related. Therefore, to improve fatigue and sleep quality of shift worker, it is necessary to improve healthy habits such as regular exercise, smoking cessation, and limited drinking. In particular, it is urgent to develop and implement a regular exercise program to reduce fatigue and improve the quality of sleep in workplace.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.102-110
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• 2001

To establish an accurate asbestos analysis method for workplace samples, chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite asbestos fibers were analyzed for their morphology, atomic content and electron diffraction patterns. The morphology of asbestos fiber was evaluated in $10,000{\times}$ magnification. The atomic contents was analyzed by X-ray analyzer (TEM-EDX). Asbestos fibers were further assessed using electron diffraction (ED) patterns to provide an additional criterion for classifying the asbestos fibers. Twenty asbestos fibers were initially randomly selected for morphological evaluation; based on an aspect ratio (length : diameter = 3:1). Then the fibers were determined for their EDX spectrums and ED patterns. Our results showed that only chrysotile fiber has a hollow tube structure to be distinguished from other asbestos fibers. Although asbestos fibers had similar morphology, they had different EDX spectrums and ED patterns. Our results on the atomic content of asbestos fibers were very similar to those of other researchers, but amosite and crocidolite had a little difference in atomic content compared with the results from other researchers. The difference may be due to the difference in equipment or asbestos sample selection. A study on asbestos samples from biological specimens to establish a criterion for determining occupational asbestos exposed diseases should be done in the near future.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.229-236
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• 2019

Background: Emerging reports suggest the potential for adverse health effects from exposure to emissions from some additive manufacturing (AM) processes. There is a paucity of real-world data on emissions from AM machines in industrial workplaces and personal exposures among AM operators. Methods: Airborne particle and organic chemical emissions and personal exposures were characterized using real-time and time-integrated sampling techniques in four manufacturing facilities using industrial-scale material extrusion and material jetting AM processes. Results: Using a condensation nuclei counter, number-based particle emission rates (ERs) (number/min) from material extrusion AM machines ranged from $4.1{\times}10^{10}$ (Ultem filament) to $2.2{\times}10^{11}$ [acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polycarbonate filaments). For these same machines, total volatile organic compound ERs (${\mu}g/min$) ranged from $1.9{\times}10^4$ (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polycarbonate) to $9.4{\times}10^4$ (Ultem). For the material jetting machines, the number-based particle ER was higher when the lid was open ($2.3{\times}10^{10}number/min$) than when the lid was closed ($1.5-5.5{\times}10^9number/min$); total volatile organic compound ERs were similar regardless of the lid position. Low levels of acetone, benzene, toluene, and m,p-xylene were common to both AM processes. Carbonyl compounds were detected; however, none were specifically attributed to the AM processes. Personal exposures to metals (aluminum and iron) and eight volatile organic compounds were all below National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-recommended exposure levels. Conclusion: Industrial-scale AM machines using thermoplastics and resins released particles and organic vapors into workplace air. More research is needed to understand factors influencing real-world industrial-scale AM process emissions and exposures.