• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.105-121
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• 2011

Objectives: This paper presents the framework and protocol design for a construction industry risk management toolbox. The construction industry needs a comprehensive, systematic approach to assess and control occupational risks. These risks span several professional health and safety disciplines, emphasized by multiple international occupational research agenda projects including: falls, electrocution, noise, silica, welding fumes, and musculoskeletal disorders. Yet, the International Social Security Association says, "whereas progress has been made in safety and health, the construction industry is still a high risk sector." Methods: Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) employ about 80% of the world's construction workers. In recent years a strategy for qualitative occupational risk management, known as Control Banding (CB) has gained international attention as a simplified approach for reducing work-related risks. CB groups hazards into stratified risk 'bands', identifying commensurate controls to reduce the level of risk and promote worker health and safety. We review these qualitative solutions-based approaches and identify strengths and weaknesses toward designing a simplified CB 'toolbox' approach for use by SMEs in construction trades. Results: This toolbox design proposal includes international input on multidisciplinary approaches for performing a qualitative risk assessment determining a risk 'band' for a given project. Risk bands are used to identify the appropriate level of training to oversee construction work, leading to commensurate and appropriate control methods to perform the work safely. Conclusion: The Construction Toolbox presents a review-generated format to harness multiple solutions-based national programs and publications for controlling construction-related risks with simplified approaches across the occupational safety, health and hygiene professions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.110-115
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• 2014

The construction accidents which had been on the downward trend for the past decades have increased for five consecutive years since 2008. In order to let the increasing trend of construction accident slow growing or switching to decline, various efforts are required of all members in construction industry such as government, employers, construction engineers, safety managers, construction workers, etc. Although the criteria for appointment of safety managers in construction site introduced in 1982 have contributed to prevent construction accident as a forefront for the past 30 years, it has not been a remarkable improvement in the safety manager's status and roles which have been required to change according to the changes of circumstances and environments. In associated with a newly introduced the criteria for appointment of health managers in construction site in the year 2015, the problems such as role, status, number of safety and health managers are needed to be considered comprehensively and improved widely. In this study, we propose several improvement plans which will improve the current criteria for appointment of safety and health managers in construction sites.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.59-66
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• 2015

This study investigated the recognition difference among construction work participants for the assignment of the safety and health management responsibility to a client by survey. Recently, there were some studies for the client's responsibility and duty and they suggested the client-initiative safety and health management system in order to prevent construction accidents. To supplement the existed studies, this study surveyed various construction participants such as clients, safety managers, construction managers, supervisors, others. The clients and construction managers considered the contractor as most important person to prevent construction accidents, but the safety managers and supervisors considered the client. For the opinion that the assignment of the safety and health management duty to a client is helpful, safety managers were agreed with the most. However, the clients showed the lowest agreement. The reasons that the negative opinion for the assignment of client's the safety and health management were different between clients and other construction parties. Since, clients showed large difference to other construction participants for the recognition of works' safety and health, the education about the works' safety and health management should be continuously performed for clients to have correct recognition for works' safety and health.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.34-44
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to suggest ways to improve the transparency of occupational safety and health management cost (OSHMC) in order to create a safe working environment that can guarantee the health of construction workers. It was performed in the following procedures and methods. (1) collecting and analyzing resources related to the OSHMC in construction, (2) gathering stakeholder opinions for interviewing actual conditions, (3) deriving the improvement plans based on survey results and (4) suggesting direction for improvement of related laws based on the results of the research. As a result of this study, the following ways were found to be effective for enhancing transparency of the OSHMC in construction. (1) disclosure of usage details in sites, (2) Expansion of the standard for the OSHMC in construction, (3) Increase in fines for false use, (4) Establishment of the plan to improve the OSHMC ratio of small-scale construction sites, (5) Strengthen the role of supervisory and support organizations such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Occupational Safety & Health Agency. The result of this study is expected to be used as a basic data for future improvement of the occupational safety and health acts in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.46-55
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• 2014

With regard to the basic safety and health education in construction industry issued on January, 26, 2012 by Occupation Safety And Health Acts, this study conducted a survey with self-administered questions for workers in the construction field in order to comprehend the problems since introduction of basic safety and health education. By analyzing the effectiveness of the safety and health activities, this study sought to reduce the trials and errors as well as to secure the improvement toward the early settlement of the basic safety and health education in construction industry. As a result of the question investigation, the survey respondents in the field sites who finished the basic safety and health education showed positive attitudes toward the improvement of safety awareness and the prevention of accidents. They also needed constant implementation of the education. At the same time, the government should improve the education program with strong policies to secure the effectiveness of the basic safety and health education in construction industry.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.201-209
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• 2013

Background: The study was conducted to investigate the current status of the occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) in the construction industry and the effect of OHSMS on accident rates. Differences of awareness levels on safety issues among site general managers and occupational health and safety (OHS) managers are identified through surveys. Methods: The accident rates for the OHSMS-certified construction companies from 2006 to 2011, when the construction OHSMS became widely available, were analyzed to understand the effect of OHSMS on the work-related injury rates in the construction industry. The Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency 18001 is the certification to these companies performing OHSMS in South Korea. The questionnaire was created to analyze the differences of OHSMS awareness between site general managers and OHS managers of construction companies. Results: The implementation of OHSMS among the top 100 construction companies in South Korea shows that the accident rate decreased by 67% and the fatal accident rate decreased by 10.3% during the period from 2006 to 2011. The survey in this study shows different OHSMS awareness levels between site general managers and OHS managers. The differences were motivation for developing OHSMS, external support needed for implementing OHSMS, problems and effectiveness of implementing OHSMS. Conclusion: Both work-related accident and fatal accident rates were found to be significantly reduced by implementing OHSMS in this study. The differences of OHSMS awareness between site general managers and OHS managers were identified through a survey. The effect of these differences on safety and other benefits warrants further research with proper data collection.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.44-50
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• 2022

This study examines the relationship between safety factors and health management systems based on accident statistics in the construction industry stipulated in the Serious Disaster Punishment Act. To determine the level of safety achieved by companies through their health management system, the top 1000 construction firms in the country were surveyed online. Four hundred sixty companies responded to the survey by providing their statistics on major accidents (mortality, accidental mortality, and injury rates). Statistical tests showed that companies with a team dedicated to the oversight of safety and health management had fewer accidents than those without one. Factor and regression analyses revealed that three factors affected the mortality and accident rates: safety and health plan, safety and health professionals, and safety and health activities. Moreover, two factors significantly influenced the injury rate: safety management supported by a cooperative company and implementation of on-site safety and health activities. The findings of this study can be used as a fundamental reference for further research and consultation on the formulation of safety and health management systems for construction companies.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.568-578
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• 2021

Purpose: TThis study seeks to understand the provisions of the Industrial Safety and Health Act and the Construction Technology Promotion Act and to propose measures to prevent serious industrial accidents by seeking to promote safety and health of workers through improvement of safety management at construction sites. Method: A survey was conducted on construction sites with more than 50 permanent workers (5 billion won in construction amount). The analysis of the data was conducted using the JAMOVI statistics program and based on objective data. Result: Multiple regression analysis was conducted to verify the hypothesis of this study, and the results of the analysis. The participation of workers in safety and health activities has the highest impact on the promotion of safety and health of workers. Conclusion: In order to promote safety and health of workers at construction sites, compliance with safety and health rules of workers is required and improvements should be made to allow workers to participate in safety and health activities.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.182-194
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• 2009

This study was conducted to evaluate health status and to propose health protection measures of irregular plant construction workers in Yoesu National Industrial Complex (YNIC). The status of safety and health management was examined in five areas including safety and health education, work environment monitoring, health examination, health management record, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for plant construction workers. The safety training rate for plant construction workers was reached high at 91%, The training was mostly consisted of safety accident related things, but training on hazardous materials was found to be insufficient. Workplace monitoring results showed that the compliance rate for work environment for irregular construction workers was 54% and workplace monitoring during turnaround (TA) period with high risk of exposure to hazardous agents has not been implemented. While 61.4% of irregular workers received the general health examination but only 36.8% received the special health examination. The special health examination was found to be conducted only upon welders from 2-3 years ago. The issue of health management record upon irregular construction workers was not being implemented. In case of PPE, basic safety protective equipments such as safety shoes, safety belt, safety helmet were being supplied well while the supply rate of respirator for organic vapor was relatively low at 40%. Based on this study, two suggestions to maximize the utilization of the current safety and health program were made while boosting its effectiveness in protecting workers' health. First, the role of owners (petrochemical plant) related to safety and health should be strengthened. Second, in consideration of the characteristics of construction workers who usually engage in short term employment and frequent movement, community based health management organization is suggested that can overcome such structural problem and carry out the implementation of health examination and sustained health management.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.24-31
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• 2020

The duty of construction clients in WSH (Workplace Safety and Health) system was included in the amendment of Occupational Safety and Health Act (enforced on 16 January 2020), which was estimated the shift of paradigm in the prevention of construction accidents. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the analysis results of construction clients' role in the construction project, which were performed by authors over the recent years in order to impose the duty on construction clients, and to suggest their role according the plan, design, and construction stage. Utilizing the systematic literature review process based on Meta analysis, the related papers were selected. For the selected papers, related domestic and foreign regulations, and other prominent report, the construction clients' role was analyzed by reflecting the experts' advice. Results show that the construction clients should control the designer and contractor for implementing the WHS system during the whole process of the construction project. They should supply sufficient source and time to ensure the workers' safety. In the plan stage, the key role of construction clients is to identify intensively controlled hazard and risk reduction plan and to transfer the results. In the design stage, their key role is to select the designer with the capacity in WSH and to assist the designer for the safety design. The main key role of construction clients in the costruction stage is to select the contractor with specialty in WSH including a contract reflecting the WSH requirement and to check implementation of WSH plan, WSH cost, WSH education, and accident report. In addition, it is thought that the construction clients' participations in the site WSH activity and adjustment of safety and health problem among contractors can be effect in the prevention of construction accidents.