• Smart Media Journal
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• v.11 no.7
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• pp.39-51
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• 2022

Tableware is among the important necessities of daily life, and children's tableware is especially valued by the society. Under such social background, a study centered at users of children's tableware was conducted from four aspects, including health & safety, sensory experience, behavior guide, and emotional cognition. Children's tableware products were evaluated using the Q method to understand users' cognition of children's tableware products. The interviewees' views about children's tableware design in China can be divided into four types,and put forward different psychological needs for these four types, In the interviews, some interviewees suggested that the ergonomic and regional cultural differences shall all be considered during children's tableware design. Therefore, this study evaluates the design preferences of Chinese children tableware and validates the results of the paper based on the results.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.75-86
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• 2024

Hydrogen has been selected as one of the key technologies for reducing CO₂ emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. However, hydrogen safety issues should be fully guaranteed before the commercial and widespread utilization of hydrogen. Here, a bow-tie risk assessment is conducted for the hydrogen fuel supply system in a gas turbine power plant, which can be a mass consumption application of hydrogen. The bow-tie program is utilized for a qualitative risk assessment, allowing the analysis of the causes and consequences according to the stages of accidents. This study proposed an advanced bow-tie method, which includes the barrier criticality matrix and visualized maps of quantitative risk reduction. It is based on evaluating the importance of numerous barriers for the extent of their impact. In addition, it emphasizes the prioritization and concentrated management of high-importance barriers. The radar chart of a bow tie allows the visual comparison of risk levels before/after the application of barriers (safety measures). The risk reduction methods are semi-quantitatively analyzed utilizing the criticality matrix and radar chart, and risk factors from multiple aspects are derived. For establishing a secure hydrogen fuel storage system, the improvements suggested by the bow-tie risk assessment results, such as 'Ergonomic equipment design to prevent human error' and 'Emergency shutdown system,' will enhance the safety level. It attempts to contribute to the development and enhancement of an efficient safety management system by suggesting a method of calculating the importance of barriers based on the bow-tie risk assessment.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.34
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• pp.29.1-29.14
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• 2022

Background: Hotel housekeepers are one of the most important occupational group within tourism hotel sector; various health problems related to their job have been described, above all musculoskeletal disorders. The objective of this study is to understand the experiences and perceptions of hotel housekeepers and key informants from the Balearic Islands (Spain) regarding occupational health conditions and the strategies employed to mitigate them. Methods: A qualitative study was carried out. Six focus groups with hotel housekeepers and 10 semi-structured interviews with key informants were conducted. Next, we carried out a content analysis. Results: Hotel housekeepers reported musculoskeletal disorders, anxiety and stress as main occupational health problems; health professionals underscored the physical problems. Hotel housekeepers perceived that their work (physically demanding and with repetitive movements) caused their health conditions. To solve health issues, they used medication (anti-inflammatory agents, painkillers, sedatives and anxiolytics), which allowed them to continue working; health public services, generally rated as satisfactory; individual protective equipment; ergonomics (with difficulties due to high work pace and hotel facilities) and physical activity. Two contrasting attitudes were identified regarding sick leave: HHs who refused to accept a doctor-prescribed sick leave (due to fear of being fired, sense of responsibility, ...), and those who accepted it (because they could not continue working, they prioritised health before work). Conclusions: Our results might contribute to plan improvement strategies and programs to address health problems among hotel housekeepers. These programs should include interventions, such as coping strategies for the work-related risk factors (i.e., stress) and strategies to reduce medicine consumption. Additionally, hotel facilities should adopt policies focused on making workplaces more ergonomic (i.e., furniture) and to diminish the work pace.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.504-509
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• 2024

The treatment of breast cancer has seen great success in the recent decade. With longer survivorship, more attention is paid to function and aesthetics as integral treatment components. However, breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) remains a significant complication. Immediate lymphatic reconstruction is an emerging technique to reduce the risk of BCRL, the Lymphatic Microsurgical Preventive Healing Approach (LYMPHA) being the most widely used approach. Despite promising results, it is often difficult to find suitably sized recipient venules and perform the micro-anastomoses between mismatched vessels deep in the axilla. Moreover, high axillary venous pressure gradients and potential damage from radiotherapy may affect the long-term patency of the anastomoses. From an ergonomic point of view, performing lymphaticovenular anastomosis in the deep axilla may be challenging for the microsurgeon. In response to these limitations, we modified the technique by moving the lymphatic reconstruction distally-terming it distally based LYMPHA (dLYMPHA). A total of 113 patients underwent mastectomy with axillary clearance in our institution from 2018 to 2021. Of these, 26 underwent subsequent dLYMPHA (Group 2), whereas 87 did not (Group 1). In total, 17.2% (15 patients) and 3.84% (1 patient) developed BCRL in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.018). Lymphatics and recipient venules suitable for anastomoses can be reliably found in the distal upper limb with better size match. A distal modification achieves a more favorable lymphaticovenular pressure gradient, vessel match, and ergonomics while ensuring a comparably low BCRL rate.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.84-89
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• 2013

Purpose: Patients' movement during long image acquisition time for the fusion image of PET-CT (Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography) results in unconformity, and greatly affects the quality of the image and diagnosis. The arm support fixtures provided by medical device companies are not manufactured considering the convenience and safety of the patients; the arm and head movements (horizontal and vertical) during PET/CT scan cause defects in the brain fundus images and often require retaking. Therefore, this study aims to develop patient-compensation device that would minimize the head and arm movements during PET/CT scan, providing comfort and safety, and to reduce retaking. Materials and Methods: From June to July 2012, 20 patients who had no movement-related problems and another 20 patients who had difficulties in raising arms due to shoulder pain were recruited among the ones who visited nuclear medicine department for PET Torso scan. By using Patient Holding System (PHS), different range of motion (ROM) in the arm ($25^{\circ}$, $27^{\circ}$, $29^{\circ}$, $31^{\circ}$, $33^{\circ}$, $35^{\circ}$) was applied to find the most comfortable angle and posture. The manufacturing company was investigated for the permeability of the support material, and the comfort level of applying bands (velcro type) to fix the patient's head and arms was evaluated. To find out the retake frequency due to movements, the amount of retake cases pre/post patient-compensation were analyzed using the PET Torso scan data collected between January to December 2012. Results: Among the patients without movement disorder, 18 answered that PHS and $29^{\circ}$ arm ROM were the most comfortable, and 2 answered $27^{\circ}$ and $31^{\circ}$, respectively. Among the patients with shoulder pain, 15 picked $31^{\circ}$ as the most comfortable angle, 2 picked $33^{\circ}$, and 3 picked $35^{\circ}$. For this study, the handle was manufactured to be adjustable for vertical movements. The material permeability of the patient-compensation device has been verified, and PHS and the compensation device were band-fixed (velcro type) to prevent device movements. A furrow was cut for head fixation to minimize the head and neck movements, fixing bands were attached for the head, wrist, forearm, and upper arm to limit movements. The retake frequency of PET Torso scan due to patient movements was 11.06% (191 cases/1,808 patients) before using the movement control device, and 2.65% (48 cases/1,732 patients) after using the device; 8.41% of the frequency was reduced. Conclusion: Recent change and innovation in the medical environment are making expensive medical image scans, and providing differentiated services for the customers is essential. To secure patient comfort and safety during PET/CT scans, ergonomic patient-compensation devices need to be provided. Therefore, this study manufactured a patientcompensation device with vertically adjustable ergonomic ROM according to the patient's body shape and condition during PET Torso scan. The defects in the basal ganglia images due to arm movements were reduced, and retaking was decreased.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.64-73
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• 2013

The purposes of this study were to develop a new orthosis controlling ankle and knee joint motion during the gait cycle and to identify the effects of the newly designed orthosis on gait kinematics and tempospatial parameters, including coordination of the extremities in stroke patients. Fifteen individuals who had sustained a stroke, onset was 16 months, participated in this study. Before application of the measurement equipment the subjects were accustomed to walking on the ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) or stance control knee with knee flexion assisted-oil damper ankle-foot orthosis (SCKAFO) for 5 minutes. Fifteen patients were investigated for 45 days with a 3-day interval between sessions. Measurements were walking in fifteen stroke with hemiparesis on the 3D motion analysis system. Comparison of AFO and SCKAFO are gait pattern. The difference between the AFO and SCKAFO conditions was significant in the gait velocity, step length of the right affected side, stance time of both legs, step-length asymmetry ratio, single-support-time asymmetry ratio, ${\phi}$-thigh angle and ${\phi}$-shank angle in the mid swing (p<.001). Using a SCKAFO in stroke patients has shown similar to normal walking speeds can be attained for walking efficiency and is therefore desirable. In this study, the support time of the affected leg with the SCKAFO was longer than with the AFO and the asymmetry ratio of single support time decreased by more than with the AFO. This indicates that the SCKAFO was effective for improving gait symmetry, single-support-time symmetry. This may be due to the decrease of gait asymmetry. Thus, the newly designed SCKAFO may be useful for promoting gait performance by improving the coordination of the extremity and decreasing gait asymmetry in chronic stroke patients.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.589-599
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• 2017

Objective: The objective of this study was to measure the upper-limb motions and postures of grapes-harvesting tasks using electrical goniometers and analyze the upper-limb motions in a kinematic way to assess the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Background: Grapes farmers are exposed to various risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as repetitive upper-limb motions, non-neutral postures, and manual handling of heavy items. The farmers have to use scissors repetitively while harvesting grapes with their being arms elevated over the shoulder height, which presumed to increase the physical workload. It has been reported that the grapes farmers feel the harvesting task as the one of the hardest work in cultivating grapes. We tried measure the wrist and elbow angles while the farmers were carrying out harvesting tasks to understand how much workload the work impose on the farmers, which can be helpful in making interventions of preventing musculosksletal disorders among grapes farmers. Method: We measured joint angles at the right wrist and elbow with a wireless measuring system with two electrical goniometers from five grape farmers. The grapes-harvesting task was classified into 6 different subtasks: 1) searching, 2) picking, 3) cleaning, 4) carrying, 6) storing, and 7) miscellaneous tasks. The subtasks were compared by mean angles, 10%, 50%, and 90% APDF values of wrist flexion/extension, ulnar/radial deviation, and elbow flexion. Results: The Kruskal-Wallis tests showed that the 10th percentiles of APDF of ulnar/radial deviation and flexion/extension of the wrist significantly differs among subtasks (p<0.05). It was found that the farmers assumed more deviated wrist postures in the ulnar direction when they picking and adjusting the grapes. The use of scissors seemed to force the farmers to severely bend their wrist in the directions of ulnar deviation and flexion. The grapes-harvesting task showed similar wrist postures and motion with poultry deboning and milking tasks. Conclusion: The grapes harvesting tasks make the farmers take ulnar deviated and extended postures in the wrist. The use of scissors makes them take more severely deviated postures in the wrist. Safety guidelines including use of ergonomic scissors can be provided to the farmers to improve their work conditions. Application: The results of this study can be used as a basic data for the development of safety guidelines for agricultural work.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.482-492
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• 2015

Objectives: Exposure Assessment for workplace hazards where the exposure level is below occupational exposure limits(OELs) has been performed without considering either the degrees of risk or exposure levels and has failed to lead to intervention in many cases. The objective of this study was to suggest and test an application framework for risk assessment methodology under the current exposure assessment system in Korea. Materials: First, we investigated the exposure assessment systems in Korea and other countries. To adopt some risk assessment techniques, we also analyzed risk assessment systems and compared them to exposure assessment systems. A few suggestions were made. We held a public hearing during an industrial hygiene conference and took surveys using a questionnaire. Results: The first suggestion was to implement the risk assessment and exposure assessment through a "one-stop" system. In that case, one expected question would be who has been doing the jobs so far. In most cases, industrial hygiene consulting services or laboratories have been performing exposure assessment for business owners. Business owners are required to perform risk assessment. As two different groups of people will be required to implement two things in a one-stop system, they need to share information. As an information vehicle to share information, commonly filed survey checklists were suggested. The second suggestion was to categorize exposure level into four groups instead of the current binary divisions based on OELs. In the risk assessment system, exposure level is divided into four groups utilizing the cut-points of 10%, 50%, and 100% of OELs. The same schema can be adopted in the exposure assessment system and different levels of requirements can be assigned for each group. The third suggestion was regarding the regulation system. To provide the suggestions some thrust toward being implemented in the field, changes should be made in the legal system. Two different types of new exposure assessment result reporting forms were suggested. Some investigations such as an ergonomic survey are officially accepted as risk assessment under the current legal system. A few items were suggested to be included in the exposure assessment result reporting to be accepted as risk assessment. A pilot study in two small factories was performed and pointed out the strengths and weakness of our suggestions. Conclusions: Discussions and studies on the improvement of the exposure assessment system have been held for decades and no tangible changes have yet been made. We hope this result can help realize healthy lives for workers in Korea.

• Proceedings of the Korean Operations and Management Science Society Conference
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• 1993.04a
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• pp.483-492
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• 1993

미래의 차의 선택사항이 될 여행정보시스템을 설치하여 그 성능의 인간공학적 조사를 수행하였다. 이 시스템을 실제로 GM자동차 Oldsmobile Toronado형 100대에 설치하여 사용자가 얼마나 쉽게, 빨리 그리고 안락하게 갈 수 있고, 어떻게 하면 좀 더 이것을 인간공학적으로 향상시킬수 있는 가를 연구하였다. 100대중 23대는 대학교에서 연구를 하고 나머지는 AAA회사의 회원권을 가진 지역사용자들에게 AAA회사와 AVIS회사를 통하여 대여를 하여 컴퓨터차(TravTek시스템)의 성능과 효율성을 시험하였다. 그 내용을 살펴보면, 차에 부착된 컴퓨터의 컬러화면으로 사용자에게 도로를 보여주고, 컴퓨터가 최단거리를 제시하여 운전자에게 컴퓨터음성과 화면으로 길을 안내한다. 그 파급효과로 도로 체증현상을 막고, 기름의 낭비도 절약하고, 밤에도 안전하게 운행할 수 있게 할 뿐만아니라 처음보는 거리라고 하더라도 컴퓨터가 안내하면서 목적지까지 무사히 도착할 수 있게 하여 준다. 이러한 시스템을 설치한 차를 타고 여행할 때, 여행자가 과연 얼마나 안락하게 여행할 수 있으며, 도로의 체증현상을 줄이고, 사고를 예방하며, 차의 설계와 목적이 인간공학적으로 합당한 가를 알아보고자 하는 연구이다. 인간공학적 평가 인자들은 (1) 운전자의 수행도, (2) 사용자 선호도, (3) 사용자 인식, (4) 운행정보등이다. 그리고 컴퓨터음성을 사용하였을 때와 사용하지 않았을 때의 두가지 경우와 (1) 움직이는 컴퓨터지도를 사용하였을 때 (2) 단순화한 도로안내를 사용하였을 때, (3) 컴퓨터 지도를 사용하지 않았을 경우(종이지도사용)에 관해 위의 4가지 인간공학적 인자들을 평가하고자 한다. 이 연구는 아직도 진행중이라 발표하고자 하는 논문역시 현재까지의 연구결과를 토대로 발표하는 것이므로 완전한 결론을 내릴 수는 없고, 진행과 정의내용과 토의사항과 잠정적인 결론을 제시하고자 한다. 의거한 작업순서 결정을 위해 우선 BB의 상한을 구하는 연구를 행했다. 이를 위해 우선 단일작업장에서 야기될 수 있는 모든 상황을 고려한 최적 작업순서 결정규칙을 연구했으며, 이의 증명을 위해 이 규칙에 의거했을 때의 보완작업량이 최소가 된다는 것을 밝혔다. 보완작업 계산의 효율성을 제고하기 위해 과부하(violation)개념을 도입하였으며, 작업유형이 증가된 상황에서도 과부하 개념이 보완작업량을 충분히 반영할 수 있음을 밝혔다. 본 연구에서 제시한 최적 작업순서 규칙에 의거했을 때 야기될 수 있는 여러가지 경우의 과부하를 모두 계산했다. 앞에서 개발된 단일작업량의 최적 작업순서 결정규칙을 이용하여 다작업장의 문제를 실험했다. 이 문제는 규모가 매우 크므로 Branch & Bound를 이용하였으며, 각 가지에서 과부하량이 최적인 경우만을 고려하는 휴리스틱을 택하여 실험자료를 이용하여 여러 회 반복실험을 행했다. 그리고 본 연구의 성과를 측정하기 위해 휴리스틱 기법시 소요되는 평균 CPU time 범위에서, 랜덤 작업순서에 따른 작업할당을 반복실험하여 이중 가장 좋은 해와 비교했다. 그러나 앞으로 다작업장 문제를 다룰 때, 각 작업장 작업순서들의 상관관계를 고려하여 보다 개선된 해를 구하기 위한 연구가 요구된다. 또한, 준비작업비용을 발생시키는 작업장의 작업순서결정에 대해서도 연구를 행하여, 보완작업비용과 준비비용을 고려한 GMMAL 작업순서문제를 해결하기 위한 연구가 수행되어야 할 것이다.로 이루어 져야 할 것이다.태를 보다 효율적으로 증진시킬 수 있는 대안이 마련되어져야 한다고 사료된다.$\ulcorner$순응$\lrcorner$의 범위를 벗어나지 않는다. 그렇기 때문에도 $\ulcorner$순응$\lrcorner$과 $\ulcorner$표현$\lrcorner$

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.20 no.2 s.70
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• pp.169-174
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• 2005

Traditionally, keyboards have been one of the most frequently used input devices for information processing using computers. As most computers adopt the Microsoft Windows for their operating system however, the usage of mouse has recently increased to a great extent. Moreover, the mouse has been used as the leading input device in such areas as industrial design and computer aided design. Excessive uses of mouse may cause a severe pain and fatigue on neck and upper limb due to the intensive and repetitive use of corresponding muscles, which renders a decline in efficiency and leads to musculoskeletal disorders. The main purpose of this study is to find the best working conditions to prevent musculoskeletal disorders when using mouse in a neutral posture. Utilizing electromyogram amplitude and Borg's scale, the role change and strength imposed on the muscles were measured and analyzed with and without the forearm support concerned. Also investigated were the effects of changes in elbow forearm supporter.