• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.278-288
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• 2019

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to summary controversy over health risks among semiconductor workers, to review major cancer risk results conducted in semiconductor operation and to evaluate occupational health activities in Korea for controlling hazardous agents generated in semiconductor operations Methods: Major occupational health issues that has been social controversies among semiconductor workers since 2007 were reviewed through an extensive literature, report and article review. Results: Since a female semiconductor worker aged 22 died from leukemia in 2007, job-association of a number of former semiconductor workers with various types of cancer and rare diseases have been denied by the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (KWCWS), but some of them were later awarded compensation as an occupational disease by the administrative court. Two epidemiologic cancer risk studies conducted in Korea found increased risks in leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma among semiconductor workers. Various legal occupational health activities taken in semiconductor industry were found to fail to assess a complex characteristics of semiconductor operations, such as drastic changes in chemical use, processes, and technology, multiple exposure. National compensation regulation also showed the limitation to evaluate job-association of semiconductor workers who had worked in semiconductor operation. Conclusions: National legal measures should be taken to improve several occupational health activities and duties for protecting workers. In addition, the KWCWS program should be revised so that all workers who meet minimal job or environment associations can be compensated.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.271-284
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the process from occurrence of a hospital nurse's suicide to workers' compensation approval, responses of the parties involved, issues debated during approval deliberations, and significant policy changes resulting from the incident. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with involved parties and collected various documents, including newspaper articles, forum proceedings, and the agency report on determination of workers' compensation. Content analysis was performed on the collected data. Results: A Joint Task Force continuously reported its progress and findings through mass media such as newspaper, radio, and TV. These activities exerted pressure on a government agency to conduct an occupational disease review and significantly impacted the workers' compensation approval. The agency recognized associations between the hospital's inadequate nurse training and the suicide but did not confirm the excessive overtime and workplace harassment experienced by the nurse as causes of the suicide. This case's media coverage and impact resulted in a law prohibiting workplace harassment and a hospital system dedicating at least one nurse to training activities. Conclusions: This incident had a significant social impact as the first case of workers' compensation approval for a hospital nurse's suicide. However, the case produced no structural changes in nurses' working conditions such as heavy workloads.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.91-96
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• 2010

In the various disaster scene effective protective equipment and suppression measures of crisis response cases that is closed all in Korea. Due to asbestos exposure by wearing protective equipment, as well as thoroughly strengthen firefighting, recognize the seriousness of the hazard factors in the fire activity, and established legal system for disease compensation and supplemented by institutional for diseases not yet recognized by officially recognized disaster, fire officials to improve morale and working conditions can be expected to improve major public service.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.157-170
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• 2014

Objectives: Agent Orange TCDD has been related to serious diseases among Korean veterans who were exposed to it. Decades after the end of the war, however, its effects are still being debated. The object of this study was to examine various unmet needs raised among Agent Orange exposed veterans and their families and to find grounds of a new welfare policy for providing alternative legislation. Methods: Literatures concerning Agent Orange, TCDD, the associated diseases, compensation for veterans and Supreme Court sentencing were searched using PubMed, ProQuest, press news and relevant homepages. Results: Agent Orange exposed veterans are eligible for various benefits from the government, including disability compensation for diseases associated with exposure. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has classified certain diseases into two categories, Agent Orange sequela diseases and sequela suspect diseases and has provided differential benefits based on separated laws. Big differences exist in benefits to veterans and their families between the two laws. The absence of definite standards to classify the Agent Orange associated diseases was confirmed by recent Supreme Court sentencing which ruled in favor of US manufacturers. Conclusion: It appears that the evidence for cause and effect of Agent Orange related diseases would never be perfect. The results suggest a need to change welfare principles from presumptive or indefinite disease basis to exposure experiences combined with integrated disability evaluation. We propose to extend eligibility by enacting a new law for Agent Orange exposed Korean veterans.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.294-297
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• 2012

Previous studies on the vast increase in suicide mortality in Southeast Asia have indicated that suicide rates increase in parallel with a rise in unemployment or during periods of economic recession. This paper examines the effects of economic recession on suicidal rates amongst agriculture, fisheries, and forestry workers in Korea. Monthly time-series gross domestic product (GDP) data were linked with suicidal rates gathered from the cause of death records between1993-2008. Data were analyzed using generalized additive models to analyze trends, while a polynomial lag model was used to assess the unconstrained time lag effects of changes in GDP on suicidal rate. We found that there were significant inverse correlations between changes in GDP and suicide for a time lag of one to four months after the occurrence of economic event. Furthermore, it was evident that the overall relative risks of suicide were high enough to bring about social concern.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.347-354
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• 2019

Background: The aim of this study was to describe the types of diseases that developed in semiconductor workers who have registered with the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (KWCWS) and to identify potential common occupational characteristics by the type of claimed disease. Methods: A total of 55 semiconductor workers with cancer or rare diseases who claimed to the KWCWS were compared based on their work characteristics and types of claimed diseases. Leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and aplastic anemia were grouped into lymphohematopoietic (LHP) disorder. Results: Leukemia (n = 14) and breast cancer (n = 10) were the most common complaints, followed by brain cancer (n = 6), aplastic anemia (n = 6), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 4). LHP disorders (n = 24) accounted for 43%. Sixty percent (n = 33) of registered workers (n = 55) were found to have been employed before 2000. Seventy-six percent (n = 42) of registered workers and 79% (n = 19) among the registered workers with LHP (n = 24) were found to be diagnosed at a relatively young age, ${\leq}40years$. A total of 18 workers among the registered semiconductor workers were finally determined to deserve compensation for occupational disease by either the KWCWS (n = 10) or the administrative court (n = 8). Eleven fabrication workers who were compensated responded as having handled wafers smaller than eight inches in size. Eight among the 18 workers compensated (44 %) were found to have ever worked at etching operations. Conclusion: The distribution of cancer and rare diseases among registered semiconductor workers was closely related to the manufacturing era before 2005, ${\leq}8$ inches of wafer size handled, exposure to clean rooms of fabrication and chip assembly operations, and etching operations.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.289-297
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• 2019

Objectives: To identify the positive rate of and the risk factors associated with latent tuberculosis infection(LTBI) in mine workers, the objectives of the present study evaluated those among former mine workers. Methods: Between January 2015 and May 2017, former male mine workers who had been subjects for epidemiology research for work-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) and had received QuantiFERON-$TB^{(R)}$ Gold In-Tube(QFT-GIT) from the Institute of Occupation and Environment(IOE) under Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service(KCOMWEL) were selected as the study subjects. To identify significant variables for increased risk of LTBI, logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: A total of 736 male former mine workers were selected as study subjects. The positive rate of LTBI among subjects was 69.2%(509/736). The current smoking[odds ratio(OR), 2.3; 95% confidence interval(CI), 1.1-4.9], COPD(OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.9-2.3), department loading(OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 0.9-3.4) and mining(OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 0.9-2.5), and working duration of over 20(OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.9-3.1) and over 30 years(OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 0.9-4.9) were associated with increased risk of LTBI. The interferon-gamma(IFN-${\gamma}$) level after stimulation with Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB)-specific antigens showed a significantly negative correlation with age(r=-0.126). Conclusions: The present study determined that the high positive rate of LTBI among mine workers was associated with not only the host factors but also the occupational exposure to mine dust.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to analyze the annual trends and characteristics of work-related mental disorders including suicide among Korean workers. Methods: Employing the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance (IACI) data collected by the Korea Worker's Compensation & Welfare Service, we analyzed total work-related mental disorders and suicide cases (n=455) claimed to IACI from 2008 to 2012. We paid a special attention to workers' socioeconomic status and occupational characteristics. Results: The number of injured workers and industrial accident rate decreased during the study period, whereas the case of work-related mental disorders showed significant increase. Mental disorders cases were more prevalent in workers who were male, aged the 40s, and engaged in finance, as well as with 1-5 years of working duration than their respective counterparts. Increasing trend of suicide cases was statistically significant by the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test (p=.002). Conclusion: This study suggests that work-related mental disorder management strategy and system should be established.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.222-231
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• 2007

Purpose: This study aims to suggest political alternatives for nursing care costs for PCAs to provide qualitative medical benefit for patients with occupational disease by investigating present situation and problems of the nursing care cost system of Korea's Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance. Methods: Data was collected from 6 workers' accident medical corporation and 275 nurses affiliated with Korea labor welfare corporation using self reported questionnaire. Result: Research results were as follows; Character of nursing care cost of the Korea's Industrial accident Compensation Insurance changed as if it aims to support for living expenses for the family; As possible problems which could be caused under current system, administrative problems, decrease of service quality were made as objects of criticism. Some patients did not make every effort in rehabilitation to be beneficiaries continuously. Some patients were supplied with whole one PCA or all-night PCA even though they did not need as much caring as such. Conclusion: The research suggested that PCAs payment system improvement is necessary, and the presented nurses' opinion for the improvement method could be applied for policy making.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.61-72
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• 2010

Judgment of cerebral and cardiovascular diseases arising out of duty follows the legal judgment method for the purpose of investigation of medical causes based on the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act, with the characteristics of the occurrence as personal factors etc. act as risk factors while work-related ones as triggers, in the case of disease due to occupational cases, as whether it arose out of duty must be judged including even the individual's personal risk factors, there are limitations securing fairness even with existing laws, regulations and guidelines. This study was carried out to suggest basic data for the preparation of standardized guidances for diseases arising out of duty by reviewing the standards for the acknowledgment of cerebral and cardiovascular diseases due to occupational cases, and it has a significance in that it suggests target diseases that may be judged as cerebral and cardiovascular diseases, legal criteria for the acknowledgment and standards for the judgment of cerebral and cardiovascular diseases arising out of duty.