• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.501-516
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• 2014

Background: Our aim was to identify gaps and limitations in the current literature and to make recommendations for future research required to address these. Materials and Methods: We reviewed occupational exposures and related factors associated with the risk of prostate cancer between 2000 and 2012. These included chemical, ergonomic, physical or environmental, and psychosocial factors which have been reported by epidemiological studies across a range of industries. Results: The results are inconsistent from study to study and generally this is due to the reliance upon the retrospectivity of case-control studies and prevalence (ecological) studies. Exposure assessment bias is a recurring limitation of many of the studies in this review. Conclusions: We consider there is insufficient evidence to implicate prostate cancer risk for ergonomic, physical, environmental or psychosocial factors, but there is sufficient evidence to implicate toxic metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). More research is required to identify specific pesticides that may be associated with risk of prostate cancer.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2008

The purpose of this survey was to identify ergonomic risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and understand the current MSD risk status in the wholesale/retail industry. The field survey was conducted at 120 wholesale/retail establishments, and the cause of MSD occurred from the national industrial accident statistics by the Ministry of Labor in 2006 was analyzed in terms of company size, a term of work, job title, and cause of occurrence. The numbers of disasters on MSD were 602 which were included 432 disasters who met with low back pain by incident. A checklist was developed by KOSHA to use for the field survey. A total of 419 tasks were identified at the 120 establishments surveyed. The highest frequency was Task 2(45%) which was mostly observed in repetitive work (e.g. displaying, scanning, cutting or wrapping of goods). The second and third were Task 9(34%) and Task 8(14%) which were identified in manual materials handling (e.g. lifting, lowering, carrying or stocking of goods). The results suggest that the three Tasks should be first considered for the control in wholesale/retail industry and that exposure to MSD risk factors in those Tasks should be primarily addressed in order to reduce MSD risk in that industry.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.31-38
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• 2020

The study evaluated the accuracy and intra-rater reliability for OWAS (Ovako Working posture Analysing System), RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment), REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment) to improve their evaluation accuracy and reliability. Participants (n = 163) with undergraduate degree were recruited in this study and trained for 6 hours about the ergonomic assessment methods. Ergonomic assessments were conducted using OWAS, RULA, and REBA for a representative work with dynamic posture found in manufacturing industries. The study compared action categories (overall level) and detailed evaluation scores for individual body part. Action categories of the participants significantly differed from the golden reference defined by ergonomic experts. The participants underrated or omitted scores for truck (37.4% of the participants) and legs (52.8%) in OWAS. Similarly, the participants underrated or omitted additional scores for all body parts except the hand and wrist in RULA (53.5%) and REBA (54.8%). On the other hand, the participants overrated scores for the hand and wrist in RULA (55.2%) and REBA (39.9%). The results found in this study can help of selecting focus points and parts during assessment and education to improve accuracy and reliability of the ergonomic assessment methods.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.91-100
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• 2007

The purposes of this research are to survey work-related risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) in various departments and tasks at general hospitals in non-manufacturing sectors, and to use basic data derived from the survey results in preventing work-related MSDs in hospital workers. Investigation started in March of 2006 and continued for 6 months in 220 general hospitals at Seoul, Incheon, Kyeongi, and Kangwon area. Investigators visited and interviewed workers in hospitals to identify the presence of tasks of musculoskeletal burden, the investigation results of ergonomic risk factors required by the Occupational Safety and Health Law, statistical analysis from questionnaire for musculoskeletal symptoms, and major departments and tasks that have such risk factors. Twenty-seven percents of hospitals finished the investigation of ergonomic risk factors, and 69% did not do the investigation while remained 4% did not have such factors in their hospitals. The rank order of major departments that had such musculoskeletal burdens was kitchen rooms of 143, managing departments/computer rooms/dispensaries of 137, physical treatment rooms of 109, nursing departments of 96, radiological and clinical laboratories of 63. Eighteen hospitals that did not hold legal duties by the section 148 of labor minister decree practiced prevention programs of MSDs according to the labor-management cooperation. Nursing departments ranked in the first place for the numbers of musculoskeletal symptoms of 438. Managing departments/computer rooms/dispensaries, kitchen rooms, and medical treatment departments held 127, 52 and 45 symptoms, respectively. The magnitude order of physical symptom areas followed shoulder of 185, backs and waist of 166, hand wrists of 120, necks of 110, and legs/feet of 106. The departments and jobs that had major work-related ergonomic risks were patient transporting, central supplying, patient nursing (moving patients into wheel-chairs, changing of patient posture and sheet alteration), manual transporting, operation, and managing/computer departments.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.266-273
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• 2021

Objective: The objective of this study was to suggest improvement methods for investigations and systems through a review of musculoskeletal risk factor investigation reports conducted in the workplace. Methods: A total of 34 reports on musculoskeletal risk factor investigations were reviewed. To confirm the appropriateness of the evaluation, reevaluation was conducted through a field investigation using other evaluation tools. In order to understand the effectiveness of the improvement plan, a survey was conducted with those in charge of tasks with ergonomic burdens. Results: As a result of performing a field survey using the work sampling method recommended by the KOSHA (Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency) for ten tasks, eight tasks were determined to pose an ergonomic burden. When 30 tasks were evaluated with RULA (rapid entire body assessment), 90% of them were evaluated at a higher level than the results of the workplace survey. Among the improvement measures, only 36% of the field workers affirmed them, and in only 19% of the workplaces were actual improvements made. Conclusions: In order to improve the ergonomic investigation system for risk factors in the ergonomic burden task, it is necessary to secure the objectivity of the evaluation performed by the institution and enable the active participation of workers in improvement activities.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.56-69
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• 2001

Objectives : This study was designed to develop and standardize a checklist for ergonomic risk factors, and to provide ergonomic guidelines for managing cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) in automobile assembly lines. Methods : The Checklist for Ergonomic Risk Factors (CERF-1) was developed based on the results of previous studies, and then modified after performing pilot study. Information on the symptoms possibly related with CTDs was obtained using a self-reported Questionnaire from 465 automobile assembly workers. Their job conditions were examined to assess risk factors through both direct observation and video analysis. Results : Rate of detecting risky job through CERF-1 was 85.6%, and was similar to that (88.8%) by Occupational Safety and Health Adminstration(OSHA) checklist but higher than that (63.7%) by American National Standards Institute(ANSI) Z-365. Relationship of the exposure scores derived from CERF-1 with levels of symptom was greater (r=0.49) than OSHA (r=0.28) and ANSI Z-365 (r=0.22). Considering the relationship, jobs scoring higher than 16 could be classified as the Risk Job. and lower than 16 as the Low Risk Job. Sensitivity and specificity of the Risk Job were 92.5 % and 31.5 %, respectively. Odds ratio (OR) after age adjustment was 5.69 (95 % confidence interval 3.15-10.29) for the Risk Job, and these ORs were significantly different from those of the Low Risk Job. The exposure scores were Quite valid, in that the scores at the main survey were significantly correlated with those at the follow-up survey, as suggested by test-retest(r=0.88) and inter-rater reliability(r=0.80). Conclusions : The CERF-1, developed in this study, will be an efficient tool for evaluation of risk jobs for CTDs in automobile assembly lines, and can be used easily by health care providers.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.225-239
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• 2010

A high prevalence of farmer's work-related musculo-skeletal disorders (MSDs) have been reported in precedent studies. Risk factors - physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic risk factor etc. - in farm-work were identified by previous studies. To prevent farmers from exposing to them and reduce, Agricultural Safety Technology were introduced and used on farm. The purpose of this study is to review and summarize the agricultural safety technology on farm in Korea. According to strategy principles, this technology is classified as four criteria - workload reduction by reducing awkward posture, workload reduction by using manual material handling aids, Comfort improvement by protecting worker from hot, cold environment and work efficiency improvement by workplace redesign and cultivation modification. This technology includes transporting tools, working cloth, personal protective equipment, and pesticide-proof Clothing. Anthropometric study of Korean farmers was also carried out to support the development of equipment and clothes. In long terms, it needs to precaution activity from risk factors by using cultivation modification and working improvement. Although working condition gets better and workload reduce by this technology, it required customized safety technology in each crops - rice cultivation, horticulture and livestock farming. And farmers should use the assistive technology and participate voluntarily in ergonomic intervention program.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.172-182
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• 2006

Self administered checklist is needed to be developed to evaluate ergonomic risk factors. This study was conducted to develop self administered form of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z-365 checklist which represents comprehensive ergonomic risk factors, and to evaluate validity of this checklist. This study had been conducted from May 2004 to July 2005, of which subjects were 147 workers from 4 workplaces. Response rates for every items of self administered form of ANSI Z-365 were evaluated. To estimate the validity of checklist, relationship between the checklist grade that ANSI recommended and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) symptom were calculated with and without adjustment of related variables. To evaluate the utility of checklist, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. Because response rates of almost items were over 90 %, item development was successful. Because the checklist was related with WMSDs symptom after adjusting related variables, the checklist might represents ergonomic risk well. Because of low sensitivity and NPV, high specificity and PPV, the checklist is not suitable for screening tool. The checklist has better relationship with more severe symptom. Because of high specificity of the checklist, using it with high sensitive tool would enhance it's utility. Further study to develop high sensitive and comprehensive self administered ergonomic checklist is needed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.153-159
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to assess the ergonomic risks of lifting tasks in a marine diesel engine manufacturing industry using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH) Revised Lifting Equation(NLE). Average Lifting Index(LI=Weight of Load/Recommended Weight Limit) of a total number of 45 lifting tasks was $1.6{\pm}0.7$. The LIs were above 1 at 34 tasks(75.6%), and above 2 at 11 tasks(24.4%). Parts management showed the highest average LI value (LI=2.3) in all departments, which resulted from high frequency and heave load of lifting. The common and significant ergonomic risk factors in the processes were the heavy weight of diesel engine parts and the long horizontal distance. In addition, some lifting tasks had such potential risk factors as the long vertical distance, the high frequency of lifts or the long work duration.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.51-57
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• 2009

The goal of this study is to propose the effective method of investigating the injurious factors and make improvement plans that prevents the workers against musculoskeletal disorders at plastic product companies and the same business field with similar working conditions and process. A questionnaire are adopted to analyze the symptoms of workers' musculoskeletal disorders, and ergonomic assessment methods such as RULA, OWAS are performed to find out harmful factors of workplace and working posture. Based on the result of the evaluation, to enhance the working environment, improvement of worktable, working space, tools, and outfit was suggested, and induction of mechanical system was also suggested. It can be concluded that the method and process described in this paper could be helpful for diagnosing the musculoskeletal disorders risk factors and making improvement plans to the plastic product companies and the same business field with similar working conditions and process.