• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.61-66
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• 2020

As asbestos-containing buildings are getting older, asbestos deconstruction works are increasing. As a result, accident risks such as falls, cuts, electric shocks, and suffocation are increasing. Existing studies are mostly about health management and institutional policy research and there is little research on work risk. So workplace risk assessments that are easily applicable in the field are required to be applied. Sealing is the first process of asbestos deconstruction and is the first step to ensure worker's safety. Job Safety Analysis(JSA) and Checklist were used to identify the risk factors and to calculate the level of the risk. By comparing the two risk assessment tools, it was figured out that the JSA is appropriate for the initial process and change of work procedure while Checklist is appropriate for repetitive work. Because the sealing process is sort and simple, it is unlikely to cause serious injury. But since the risk of falling and cuts are exist, safety education and supervision are necessary to maintain a safe working environment.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.203-214
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• 2000

Health risk assessment is applied to streamlining LCA(Life Cycle Assessment) using Monte carlo simulation for probabilistic/stochastic exposure and risk distribution analysis caused by data variability and uncertainty. A case study was carried out to find benefits of this application. BTC(Benzene, Trichloroethylene, Carbon tetrachloride mixture alias) personal exposure cases were assumed as production worker(in workplace), manager(in office) and business man(outdoor). These cases were different from occupational retention time and exposure concentration for BTC consumption pattern. The result of cancer risk in these 3 scenario cases were estimated as $1.72E-4{\pm}1.2E+0$(production worker; case A), $9.62E-5{\pm}1.44E-5$(manger; case B), $6.90E-5{\pm}1.16E+0$(business man; case C), respectively. Portions of over acceptable risk 1.00E-4(assumed standard) were 99.85%, 38.89% and 0.61%, respectively. Estimated BTC risk was log-normal pattern, but some of distributions did not have any formal patterns. Except first impact factor(BTC emission quantity), sensitivity analysis showed that main effective factor was retention time in their occupational exposure sites. This case study is a good example to cover that LCA with probabilistic risk analysis tool can supply various significant information such as statistical distribution including personal/environmental exposure level, daily time activity pattern and individual susceptibility. Further research is needed for investigating real data of these input variables and personal exposure concentration and application of this study methodology.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.146-155
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• 2015

Objectives: The aims of this study were to set up benzene exposure matrices according to industry and process and to assess the risk of those occupational exposure to benzene. Methods: The benzene exposure matrices were assembled depending on industry and process, based on an exposure database provided by KOSHA(the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency), which was gathered from a workplace hazards evaluation program in Korea. These exposure matrices were assessed by Hallmark Risk Assessment tool. Results: The benzene was treated 412 industries sector(36%), 2,747 business places, and 471 industrial processes according to database. The arithmetic mean of past decade 8 hours time-weighted average of airborne benzene concentrations in the workplace was 0.10722 ppm. 1.07% of the total sample were greater than OEL, and 59.8% were showed less than the limit of detection. The highest risk values(Danger Value) were seen 36 industries including manufacture of general paints and similar product and 12 processes, such as other painting of manufacture of metal fabricated members. Exposure matrices based on employee exposure data base may provide exposure histories and can be used in epidemiological studies. Conclusions: It was found that more attentions should be paid to 36 among 412 industries and 12 of 471 processes, with a higher risk value.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.845-853
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• 2023

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced a roadmap for reducing serious accidents to create a "safe and healthy workplace, happy Korea" and ordered a risk assessment for all work processes in all workplaces on November 30, 2022. Accordingly, even workplaces that handle new chemicals must conduct risk assessment when introducing new chemicals, but the risk assessment techniques currently proposed by the government focus on preventing conventional accidents such as falls, getting caught, and bumping. Currently, there is a Chemical Hazard Risk Management (CHARM) technique that is most commonly used for chemical risk assessment, but in small and medium-sized businesses that lack professional manpower related to chemical substances, there are many technical terms in the technique and it is difficult to interpret, so its utilization is very low. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to present a method that can make risk assessment easier and simpler before handling new chemicals so that it can be used well in small and medium-sized businesses that lack professional manpower related to chemical substances. Through actual cases, the method of using CHARM was confirmed step by step, and based on this, risk reduction establishment and execution methods were derived. Based on the results of this study, it is expected that it will be used as the best tool for preventing accidents such as acute poisoning when handling chemicals in small and medium-sized workplaces that lack professional manpower related to chemical substances and make every effort to protect workers' health.

• 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 the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.75-91
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• 2003

Evaluation of repetitiveness for hand-intensive tasks is essential to determine the level of risk for upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders at the workplace. Many measures and methods have been introduced for repetitiveness assessment: however, our understanding of the differences among these measures and methods is lacking. The present study compared the repetitiveness measures and measurement/analysis methods to help practitioners apply the proper repetitiveness assessment methodology in the workplace. By reviewing 51 studies of repetitiveness assessment, measures and corresponding measurement/analysis methods were surveyed. Of the repetitiveness measures, two types of dimensions (frequency and time) and corresponding types of analysis scopes were identified. According to the dimensional and analysis-scope types. the repetitiveness measures were categorized and then the surveyed studies were counted for each measure. It is identified that frequency measures have used 2.7 times higher than time measures and the frequency of wrist motions has been most frequently used in repetitiveness assessment. Furthermore, the measurement methods were categorized into objective and subjective methods, and the analysis methods into statistical and spectral methods. Lastly, eight factors (accuracy, reliability. sensitivity. efficiency. ease of use. applicability. interference. and robustness) were listed to be considered in selecting the appropriate assessment methodology.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.362-372
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• 2016

Purpose: This study intended to grasp real context of Cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related factors of Korean blue-collar workers, especially CVD-related knowledge, perception, beliefs, benefits and barriers of behaviors according to the health belief model. Methods: We interviewed twenty two workers working in two small-sized companies and performed two series of focus group interviews. Data were analyzed by deductive content analysis approach based on Elo & $Kyng{\ddot{a}}s$. Results: Excepting participants who have CVD risk factors, most participants had lower level of CVD risk perception. The level of CVD knowledge was low but there was difference by gender. CVD-related beliefs were 'fatal disease', 'caused by lifestyle' and 'difficult to prevent by themselves'. The risk reduction behaviors were motivated by current or family history of hypertension. But there were barriers to interfere practice of preventive behaviors such as poor quality of food provided by cafeteria in the workplace, frequent overtime, victim mentality as one of vulnerable social group, housework and financial burden, lack of facilities for rest and physical activity in the workplace. Conclusion: To develop intervention for reducing CVD risks in Korean blue-collar workers, we need to focus on improving CVD knowledge and perception and modifying work-related environments such as low quality of food and lack of facilities for rest and physical activity in the workplace.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.151-161
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• 2024

In this paper, we develop 'the Danger Map' of a workplace to identify risk and harmful factors by analyzing images of each process within the manufacturing plant site using artificial intelligence (AI). We proposed a system that automatically derives 'the risk and safety levels' based on the frequency and intensity derived from this Danger Map in accordance with actual field conditions and applies them to similar manufacturing industries. In particular, in the traditional evaluation method of manually evaluating the risk of a workplace using Excel, the risk level for each risk and harmful factor acquired from the video is automatically calculated and evaluated to ensure safety through the system and calculate the safety level, so that the company can take appropriate actions accordingly. and measures were prepared. To automate safety calculation and evaluation, 'Heinrich's law' was used as a model, and a 5X4 point evaluation scale was calculated for risky behavior patterns. To demonstrate this system, we applied it to a casting factory and were able to save 2 people the time and labor required to calculate safety each month.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2024

Background: Dust generated during the processing of building materials enterprises can pose a serious health risk. The study aimed to compare and analyze the results of ART and the Monte Carlo model for the dust exposure assessment in building materials enterprises, to derive the application scope of the two models. Methods: First, ART and the Monte Carlo model were used to assess the exposure to dust in each of the 15 building materials enterprises. Then, a comparative analysis of the exposure assessment results was conducted. Finally, the model factors were analyzed using correlation analysis and the scope of application of the models was determined. Results: The results show that ART is mainly influenced by four factors, namely, localized controls, segregation, dispersion, surface contamination, and fugitive emissions, and applies to scenarios where the workplace information of the building materials enterprises is specific and the average dust concentration is greater than or equal to 1.5 mg/m³. The Monte Carlo model is mainly influenced by the dust concentration in the workplace of building materials enterprises and is suitable for scenarios where the dust concentration in the workplace of the building materials enterprises is relatively uniform and the average dust concentration is less than or equal to 6mg/m³. Conclusion: ART is most accurate when workplace information is specific and average dust concentration is > 1.5 mg/m³; whereas, The Monte Carlo model is the best when dust concentration is homogeneous and average dust concentration is < 6 mg/m³.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.192-198
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• 2012

Objectives: Slip and fall accidents in the workplace are one of the top causes of work related fatalities and injuries. Previous studies have indicated that fall risk was related to postural and dynamic stability. However, the usage of this theoretical relationship was limited by laboratory based measuring instruments. The current study proposed a new method for stability assessment by use of inertial measurement units (IMUs). Methods: Accelerations at different body parts were recorded by the IMUs. Postural and local dynamic stability was assessed from these measures and compared with that computed from the traditional method. Results: The results demonstrated: 1) significant differences between fall prone and healthy groups in IMU assessed dynamic stability; and 2) better power of discrimination with multi stability index assessed by IMUs. Conclusion: The findings can be utilized in the design of a portable screening or monitoring tool for fall risk assessment in various industrial settings.