• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.121-128
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• 2014

Risk assessment system which is the point of occupational safety and health management system is recognized to be effective to prevent industrial accident and occupational disease internationally. Ministry of Employment and Labor developed guidance on risk assessment at workplace recently. This guidance presents standard model on risk assessment at workplace. However, enterprises may be confronted with many questions in the process of introducing and operating risk assessment. For risk assessment to be implemented properly and effectively at workplace, there are various questions that need to be considered in advance, including giving shape to standard on risk evaluation and clarifying the implementation system at workplace in advance. Also for risk assessment to be revitalized at workplace, several policy matters need to be settled. First, an administrative agency should present the implementation method of risk assessment more concretely. Secondly, it is necessary for an administrative agency to develop and spread various detailed manual, models and good practices related to risk assessment. Thirdly, a government agency need to apply an incentive & disadvantage policy actively to risk assessment.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1-6
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• 2013

This study was conducted to compare the value of the working environment measurement with the expected exposure value drawn by using a program, thereby going to investigate whether it is available to the risk assessment of domestic workplace. We used the ECETOC TRA program which is one of the exposure predictive models. Four kinds of substances were measured in two workplace which was exposed to organic solvents and one kind of substance was measured in three workplace which was exposed to dusts and then an exposure assessment of chemical risk factors was conducted. The result value of the working environment measurement, solid substance exceeded standard in one site, and it was found that the other solid and liquid substances were within the standard. The value of the exposure assessment program showd the same result; it was higher than the value of the working environment measurement, suggesting that due to its nature, the exposure assessment program is run only on the worst situation. Therefore, it was found that when the exposure assesment program is used, variables should be substituted only after accurately assessing the workplace and it is a good idea to assess the risk beforehand with the exposure assessment program in the case of the workplace which employs no more than 5 people and where it is hard to assess the working environment.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.342-353
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to systematically review literature and conduct a meta-analysis to comprehensively identify and evaluate the effects of workplace risk assessment-based ergonomic intervention on work-related muscular-skeletal disorders in workers. Methods: We searched the Ovid-Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane library and up to 2018 using search terms such as muscular-skeletal, disorder, impairment, work-related muscular-skeletal disorders, ergonomic, intervention, management with no language limitations; screened reference lists; and contacted experts in the field. Results: We identified 545 references and included 13 randomized controlled tests (3,368 workers). We judged nine studies to have a low risk of bias, while the other four studies have a high risk of bias. Conclusion: Ergonomic intervention based on risk assessment in the workplace did not significantly differ in terms of the intensity of pain or duration of workers in the workplace, but low-quality evidence decreased the frequency of musculoskeletal disorder pain in three to six months moderate-quality evidence and in six to nine months low-quality evidence. Besides, low-quality evidence to reduce discomfort and moderate-quality evidence to improve worker posture. Therefore, ergonomic intervention based on the assessment of risk factors in the workplace should be applied to reduce pain frequency and discomfort and improve workers posture among musculoskeletal disorders.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.83-111
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• 2016

We investigate how smokers and drinkers have influenced on self-reported risk assessment and workplace injuries, using the Korean Working Conditions Survey. Our empirical results indicate that persistent smoking habit raises workers' job risk assessments and work injuries significantly. Also, former smokers notice relatively higher risk assessments in various work activities, but they are less likely to affect work injuries. More frequent drinking behavior leads to a positive effect of job risk perception and workplace injuries. Regular smoking with frequent drinking for high income classes, however, have significantly reduced the chance of work injuries. Furthermore, establishing smoking-designated area at the workplace makes workers reduce workplace accidents positively. Therefore, the network effect of smoking and drinking behaviors in private circle levels is suggested to extend into public and constructive activies at the workplace levels for sharing useful and productive information, which will eventually reduce workplace injuries dramatically.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.50-59
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• 2023

Objectives: This study was designed to examine the effect of risk assessment on employee safety behavior in manufacturing workplaces. In addition, this study attempted to explore factors related to the occupational safety and health system in the workplace affect the risk assessment of manufacturing sites. Methods: This research is a cross-sectional study using the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency's 2018 Occupational Safety and Health data. The sample for study is 1,967 manufacturing workplaces. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, chi-square test, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis using SPSS (ver.25.0). Results: As a result of the multiple hierarchical regression analysis, it was found that risk assessment had an effect on employee safety behavior (t=4.435, p=<.001). Furthermore, the size of the workplace affected employee safety behavior (t=2.494, p=<.001). In addition, the presence of safety and health management organizations affected employee safety behavior (t=4.301, p=<.001). The factors of the safety and health organization (𝑥²=35.245, p=<.001), the occupational safety and health committee (𝑥²=149.440, p=<.001), and the supervisor (𝑥²=16.472, p=<.001) were identified as factors that increased the possibility of risk assessment in the manufacturing workplaces. Conclusions: In this study, it was found that risk assessment is a factor that increases the level of workers' safety behavior in manufacturing workplaces. Therefore, it is necessary to provide institutional support for activating risk assessment at manufacturing workplaces.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.289-297
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• 2014

Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify the incidence risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the workplace, and to suggest the prediction models for level of CVD incidence risk. Background: CVD can be caused by various factors related to personal habits such as diet and exercise, or genetics. However it can also be caused and aggravated by work, making the elimination of such risk factors at work crucial disease (KOSHA, 2013). Method: The distribution of CVD risk assessment levels of 162 workers was compared with the acquired medical examination data to discuss the necessity of assigning additional risk factors. Two alternative risk assessment models were given to enhance the accuracy of the evaluation; adjusting risk scores given in the KOSHA GUIDE H-1-2013 (alternative 1) and building a matrix of KOSHA GUIDE H-1-2013 and risk assessment results based on work condition levels (alternative 2). To verify the suggested models, medical examination results of 12 workers approved of convalescence were referred to. Results: The second alternative showed more relevance between the results and workers approved of convalescence in predicting the risk group when applied to actual heath examination data from the approved workers. The power of description of the new method for determining the risk of CVD incidence, 83.3%, is higher than that of KOSHA GUIDE H-1-2013, 25%. Conclusion: Results of this study imply that more approved workers had been from unmanaged normal groups than managed risk groups, raising the importance of CVD management. Application: The new prediction model considering working time and shift work developed in this study is expected to be a fundamental data for risk analysis and management of CVD in the workplace.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.61-69
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• 2011

The hazard conditions on plant works of the steel industry have been investigated to efficiently prevent from industrial accidents. The plant works are eventually carried out by workers of smaller service companies where the safety management systems are not well established, on behalf of the main steel company. Based on the preliminary risk assessment on the plant working and open literature reviews, the safety management systems, which can be applied to the plant workplace of each process, are studied and then the step-by-step 4M check-list method is established. Accordingly, the risk assessment technique using 4M checklist for the plant workplace is proposed. In addition, a standardized flow-chart for safety management of plant work is introduced. These risk assessment technique and flow-chart can definitely contribute to the reduction of industrial accidents, considering the risk characterization and the unsafe conditions in small and medium-sized plant workplace, as effective safety management tools and safety guide line.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.88-96
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• 2022

Widespread infectious diseases are a concern for workers working in confined spaces. However, there is no risk assessment index for the risk of infectious disease in the workplace. Therefore, we propose a simple but effective index model to assess the risk of infectious diseases in the workplace. The proposed model identifies the risk of each workplace through an evaluation sheet comprising the frequency and intensity of the infectious disease. The intensity of an infectious disease is generally governed by the density of workers, whereas frequency is the sum of physical-e nvironmental and human management factors. By multiplying intensity and frequency, the risk of the workplace is derived. Through the proposed model, we evaluate the risks of workers at 15 different work sites. The proposed model clearly reveals what should be improved to keep workers safe from infectious diseases and will be helpful in assessing the risk of contagious disease at the work place.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.191-199
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• 2012

Objectives: The study aim was to evaluate the application of a chemical exposure assessment tool for the Korean workplace. The Ministry of Employment and Labor in Korea (KMOEL) introduced the need for workplace risk assessments in 2011, requiring the Korean chemical industry to consider both domestic and international chemical regulation policies (e.g., estimations of exposure scenarios). Exposure scenarios are required in the European Union as part of material safety data sheets (MSDS) under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) system. Methods: Although many programs for the estimation of exposure have been developed worldwide, to date there is no standard for the Korean workplace. To develop programs suitable for the Korean workplace, we examined the applicability of the European Center for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals target risk assessment (ECETOC TRA), which is recommended by the European Chemical Agency (ECHA). Results: To investigate the applicability of the ECETOC TRA to Korean industry, this study simulated 15 industrial processes. The predicted respiratory exposures for four processes using origin input parameters were underestimated compared to the measured respiratory exposure. Using calibrated input parameters, results for two processes were underestimated compared to the measured respiratory exposure. This result suggests that the use of calibrated input parameters reduces the differences between predicted and measured respiratory exposure. Conclusions: we developed applicable exposure estimating method by modifying the ECETOC TRA program; one suggested the development of exposure estimating program that explains Korea domestic workplace exposure scenario.This study will support the introduction of exposure scenario in MSDS system and protect health of worker from hazardous chemical.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the health risk of workers exposed to butyl glycidyl ether to prevent them from developing occupational diseases. Methods: The workplaces that coat floor with epoxy were selected and the samples were collected and analyzed with NIOSH 1616 Method. We calculate workplace reference concentration using with NOAEL estimated by the study of Anderson et al. in 1978. Risk was calculated by the ratio of exposure to workplace reference concentration. Monte-Carlo simulation was performed to derivate the median, cumulative 90%, and cumulative 95% value by using Crystal Ball. Results: Butyl glycidyl ether is a skin, eye irritator and can result in central nervous system depression, allergic reaction. NOAEL was 38 ppm and workplace reference concentration was calculated as 0.73 ppm corrected with uncertainty factors. Geometric mean was 1.152 ppm and geometric standard deviation was 1.522 by the workplace environment measurement. The median, cumulative 90%, and cumulative 95% value of risk were calculated as 1.617, 1.934, and 2.092, respectively. Conclusions: Not only cumulative 90% and cumulative 95% value but also the median of risk is higher than 1.0 by the risk characterization, so it can do a lot of harm to workers. Therefore, the process of derivating workplace reference concentration and the appropriacy of the uncertainty factors should be re-examined.