• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.138-146
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• 2021

Objectives: This study aims to compare and evaluate the reduction efficiency of disinfectants used in the domestic meat processing industry to reduce bioaerosol exposure of meat industry workers and to use this as basic data for establishing work environment management measures. Methods: Thirteen disinfectants sold in South Korea were selected for evaluation and the bacterial reduction effect of the disinfectants was investigated. Bacterial suspension and surface disinfection tests were conducted to compare and analyze the antibacterial strength of the disinfectants. Pork carcasses, cutting boards, benches, and conveyor belts were selected for surface sterilization tests. Results: As a result of the bacterial suspension experiment test, all disinfectants had a bacterial reduction efficiency of more than 86%. Among them, the bacterial reduction efficiency of chlorine disinfectants was 99.93% on average. In the results of the pork carcass surface sterilization test, the rate of reduction of disinfectants made of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) was the highest. Tests of plastic cutting boards showed that chlorine disinfectants had the best sterilization effect. Experiments on stainless steel benches showed the best bacterial reduction efficiency for chlorine dioxide and QACs disinfectants. In the conveyor belt made of urethane, QACs disinfectants showed excellent sterilization effects. Conclusions: The study evaluated the disinfection power of disinfectants against bacteria occurring in domestic meat processing plants. All disinfectants were found to be effective in bacterial suspension experiments, and chlorine disinfectants were particularly effective. In surface sterilization experiments, sterilizing agents with QACs as the main ingredient were excellent.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.10
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• pp.1497-1507
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to conduct importance and performance analysis of sanitation management in workers at small and medium foodservice industries using HACCP prerequisites. Questionnaires were distributed to 500 small and medium foodservice industry workers in Seoul Gyeonggi province, and a total of 458 responses were used for analysis. Factors with relatively low comparison degree were as follows. 'Handwashing and clean uniform of employee in the workplace', 'regular checking and managing of trapped vermin and rodents', 'checking stocked raw materials', 'recording and filing the results of improved food safety factors', and 'regular cleaning and sterilizing of monitoring tools' factors must be improved along with their performance levels through sanitation education. According to the IPA results, among the 15 HACCP prerequisite factors with high importance but low performance were '2. Regular checking and managing of trapped vermin and rodents', '4. Handwashing and clean uniform of employee in the workplace', '14. Preventing food cross-contamination'. Furthermore, the small and medium foodservice industry IPA with high importance but low performance were 'Regular checking and managing of trapped vermin and rodents', 'Handwashing and clean uniform of employee in the workplace', and 'Preventing food cross-contamination' for the small foodservice industry, along with 'Vermin and rodents control' and 'Recording and filing the results of improved food safety factors' for the medium foodservice industry. Thus, there is a need for reinforced hygiene education through case studies on actual food service establishments to fulfill sanitation guidelines and set amended guides for much-needed items for small and mid-sized food service.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.4
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• pp.5-29
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• 1995

Occupational health services in Korea have been operated as dual types : one is operated by occupational health care manager and the other is health care agency without their own personnel. The performance of occupational health service should be different due to the variety of characteristics of health care manager and workplace, qualification of health care manager. This study is to analyze performance of occupational health care services with a particular consideration of job performance shape and efficiency, based on comparing those two types of health care management to show on the basic data for the settlement of more qualitative health care management system at workplace. For this study, total 391 places in Seoul and Inchon city area ; 154 places (39.4%) managed by designated health care manager and 237 places (60.6%) by the agency with their commission are selected as research samples. Tools for data collection are questionnares that have been investigated during the period of 20 September 1993-20 December 1993. Those data are compared with percentiles, mean, standard deviation and B/C ratio using SPSS PC program. Conclusions observed from the tests and each comparison could be summerized as follows : 1. Occupational health care have been accomplished at workplaces with designated people than with agencies people, and coverage rate of the occupational health care services has differences, due to management types. The reason of these results is due to visit only one or two times monthly by the agencies, while their own health care manager obsess, at the workplaces all the times. 2. Most of the expense for environmental control of all health care services expenditures shows that there is almost no fundamental improvement because more expenses are needed for procuring personal protective equipment and measuring work environment instead of environmental improvement. 3. It is investigated how much the cost of occupational health care services needs per worker, and calculated how much the cost needs per service hour per worker. The results from this show that the cost of occupational health services at workplaces with their own managers used less than the cost of health care agencies, eventually the former gives better services with less cost than the latter. 4. Benefit/Cost ratio is also produced by total benefit/total cost. The result from the above way reads 4.57 as a whole, while their own manager having workplaces reads 4.82 and the agencies do l.56. Even if their own manager performing workplaces spent more cost, this system produces more benefit than the agencies management. 5. The B/C ratio for medical organization such as local clinic, health care center and pharmacy shows more than or equal to at the workplaces controlled by the agencies. It is inferred that benefit would be much less than the cost used, with so being inefficient. 6. It is assumed that the efficiency ratio of health education is equal to reduction rate of workers medical organization visit. Estimated reduction rate 5%, 10%, 15%, show that the efficiency ratio of health education have an effect on producing benefits. It is estimated that more benefit can be produced if more qualitative education will be provided for enhancing health care efficiency. 7. Results of this study cannot be generalized because there are large scale of deviation in case of workplaces with less than 300 full time workers, but B/C ratio reads 2.69 as a whole and 3.25 at workplaces with their own health care manager are higher than 1.63 at the workplaces manged by the agencies. Finally, all the benefit concerning health care services could not be quantified, measured and shown on the value of money. This is a reason that a considerable part of benefits are so underestimated. This is also thought that measurement tools should be developed for measuring benefits of health care services with a comprehensive quantification. in the future. It is also expected that efficiency of occupational health care services should be investigated using cost-effectiveness analysis.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.151-156
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• 2012

Objective: In 2010, the rate of injuries and illnesses in the shipbuilding industry was 1.20, about 1.74 times higher than the average of overall industries(0.69). Musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) became a major problem since 2000 in shipbuilding industry. The purpose of this study was to provide efficient implementation management through evaluating the economic effectiveness of the Musculoskeletal Disorders Prevention Program(MDPP). Successfully implementing the MDPP in the workplace may decrease the risk of MSDs and therefore reduce MSDs related costs. Methods: Occupational accident index (frequency rate, severity rate, and frequency severity indicator), estimated direct costs, and total occupational accident occurrence rate were provided by analysis of MSDs, statistical analysis of MDPP decreed companies, and data analysis of implementation. Results: The study shows the number of MSDs for MDPP decreed companies decreased 76.2% from 2,319 in 2004 to 551 in 2008. Above all, the number of MSDs decreased 78.7% in Shipbuilding industries. Forty companies (85.1%) showed a decreasing tendency and 27.7% of those had an $R^2$ > 0.7. Similar results were found in severity rate and frequency severity indicator. From these results, it appears there are a number of advantages in implementing the MDPP. Conclusion: MDPP effectiveness was demonstrated by analysing implementation and occupational accident index. A more effective and efficient implementation would take into account business sector, size, policy, and organization of the company.

• Proceedings of the Korean Operations and Management Science Society Conference
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• 1994.04a
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• pp.596-605
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• 1994

An efficient measurement and evaluation system for hand tool tasks will provide a practical solution to the problem of designing and evaluating manual tool tasks in the workplace. Few studies on the biomechanical analysis of hand postures and tool handling tasks exist because of the lack of appropriate measurement techniques for hand force. A measurement system for the finger forces and joint angles for analysis of manual tool handling tasks was developed in this study. The measurement system consists of a force sensing glove made from twelve Force Sensitive Resistors and an angle-measuring glove (Cyberglove$\^$TM/, Virtual technologies) with eighteen joint angle sensors. A biomechanical model of the hand using the data from the measurement system was also developed. Systems of computerized procedures were implemented integrating the hand posture measurement system, biomechanical analysis system, and the task analysis system for manual tool handling tasks. The measurement system was useful in providing the hand force data needed for an existing task analysis system used in CTD risk evaluation. It is expected that the hand posture measurement developed in this study will provide an, efficient and cost-effective solution to task analysis of manual tool handling tasks. These tasks are becoming increasingly important areas of occupational health and safety of the country.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.121-125
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• 2007

The objective of this study is to develop short-term prevention measures for minimizing possible human error in nuclear power facilities. To accomplish this objective, a group of subject matter experts (SMEs) were formed, which is consisting of those from regulatory bodies, academia, industries and research institutes. Prevention measures were established for urgent execution in nuclear power facilities on a short-term basis. This study suggests short-term measures for reducing human error on three different areas; (1) strengthening worker management, (2) enhancing workplace environments and working methods, and (3) improving the technologies regulating human factors. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Science and Technology, these short-term measures will be pursued and implemented systematically by utility and regulatory agencies. The details of prevention measures are presented and discussed.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.33-36
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the characteristics associated with sulfuric acid injury in the emergency department. Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from January 2007 to December 2015 on all sulfuric acid injuries presenting to the emergency department in Gu-mi Soonchunhyung University Hospital. Patients injured by sulfuric acid were recorded over a nine year study period and collected data included demographics, injury mechanism, injured body part, hospital care and final diagnosis. Results: A total of 26 cases were identified. Most patients were male (88.5%) and the face was the most commonly injured body part. The most common mechanism of injury was splashing injury. A total of 16 (61.5%) patients were identified as having lesions worse than second degree burns. Conclusion: Sulfuric acid can cause severe and fatal skin burn. When working with sulfuric acid, acid proof protect clothing, goggles and glove should be worn. Furthermore, safety education and workplace environment improvement are necessary to reduce sulfuric acid injury.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.367-376
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• 2016

Objectives: The production and use of nanoparticles have been increased. In 2014 Workplace Survey Results, 335 companies produce and treat nanoparticls. However, lack of data on nano-toxicity and a method for risk management and regulation on nanoparticles and the standard test method are not sufficient. Protective equipment selection guidelines for nanoparticles are not established. It is required to carry out respirator efficiency test against nanoparticles. This study was performed to evaluate filtration efficiency and manikin-based total inward leakage of particle filtering mask using in Korean country challenged with silver nanoparticles. Methods: We investigated filtration efficiency and total inward leakage of 7 respirator with silver nanoparticle. Results: The geometric mean diameters of Silver nanoparticles were 30 nm and number concentration were about $10^6{\sharp}/cm^3$. Filtration efficiency of six of the seven particle filtering masks was more than 98% and one particle filtering masks filtration efficiency was 94.9%. The filtration efficiency of particle filtering masks to 20 nm silver nanoparticels was highest. Artificial breathing machine with manikin based total inward leakage were 7.6% ~ 42.3%. Conclusions: The results of this study nano-silver filter efficiency was high but the total inward leakage was higher than filter penetration. Therefore, education on how to wear a respirator should be demanded. Especially for workers handling nanoparticles and toxic material, user seal checking and fit test must be performed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.166-173
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate cobalt concentrations in airborne inhalable, total and respirable dust from manufacturing industries using cobalt. Methods: To compare cobalt concentrations, three types of dust samplers(a 37mm closed cassette sampler, Institute of Occupational Medicine(IOM) sampler, and Aluminum cyclone sampler) were used. The analysis of cobalt concentrations was conducted using AAs based on the NIOSH 7300 method. Results: The geometric mean of cobalt concentration in total dust was $1.47{\mu}g/m^3$, and the rate of excess of the Korean Occupational Exposure Limit(KOEL) was 10.0%. The geometric mean concentrations of cobalt in super alloy manufacturing industries were higher than those in plating industries, and molding operations showed higher exposure levels to cobalt than did other operations. Conclusions: The rate of cobalt concentration in inhalable dust from super alloy manufacturing industries exceeding the Workplace Exposure Limit(WEL) as recommended by the Health & Safety Executive(HSE) was 7.1%, which means proper work environmental management is required through wet work environments. Given that molding operations had higher cobalt concentrations, it is necessary to apply measures such as local exhaust for reducing airborne dust in cobalt manufacture industries.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.566-576
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• 2004

Purpose: The study was to determine variables related to the depressive impact of emotional labor among workers. Method: 443 respondents were surveyed through the NIOSH generic job stress questionnaire from December 1st through December 30th, 1999. Results: 1. Employment type and job insecurity showed a significant relationship with developing depression, load and role ambiguity. 5. Intervention programs and effective communication networks are needed to help workers cope with their job stress in a positive manner. Conclusions: First, given the correlation between the frequency of avoiding tactics and depression levels, an intervention program is needed to help workers cope with their job stress in a positive manner, Lastly, because role ambiguity was one of the main causes of depression among workers who perform emotional labor, establishing an effective communication network is important to make communication flow within the workplace clear and open.