• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 2012

Objectives: To review the occurrence of cancer cluster in S Electronics semiconductor factories, process of epidemiological researches and lawsuit for industrial accident compensation. Methods: Occupational Safety and Heatlh Research Institute (OSHRI) epidemiological research report, Seoul National University (SNU) field survey report and Seoul Administrative Court ruling were investigated. Result:: OSHRI denied the association between working environment and outbreak of cancers, but SNU survey team reported that carcinogens do exist in workplace and the workers are exposed to them. Seoul Administrative Court ruled that 2 victims got cancer due to hazardous chemicals in working environment and be compensated but 3 victims were not acknowledged. Conclusions: Procedure of current OSHRI epidemiological research should be reassessed by the purpose of Occupational Accident Compensation Insurance Law.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.183-193
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe cleaning workers' working experiences in Korea. Methods: The data were collected in two focus-group interviews with 9 cleaning workers. The phenomenological analytic method suggested by Colaizzi was used to analyze the data. Results: Five theme clusters and thirteen themes emerged from the analysis. The first theme clusters, 'Dead-end choice' included Limits of elderly women workers, Financial difficulties, Lowered self-esteem. The second theme clusters, 'Facing with discriminatory working environments' included Fear and unfair working conditions. The third theme clusters, 'Potential health problems' included Physical overload, Repeated exposure to hazardous substances and Emotional labor. The fourth theme clusters, 'Excluded from protection of the law' included Gloomy reality and Sexual harassment. The fifth theme clusters, 'Desire to get out of social isolation' included Efforts to maintain the status, Desire to live confidently and Desire to change social recognition. Conclusion: The findings of the study provide understanding on cleaning workers' working experiences to explain by their vision and language and should ensure proper working conditions and environment to live a better life.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.53-61
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• 1996

The subject of this study was to analyse overviews of companies which exceed TLV by industry, hazardous factors, and to estimate the numbers of companies measured in 1993 and the implementation rate of working environment measurement by the act of industrial safety and health The result of this study was as follow. 1. The number of cases which exceed TLV was 5,937 companies. In distribution of excess companies by the scale of workers, small scale cases under the 49 workers were 3,150 companies(53.0%) of total cases, medium scale cases between 50 - 299 workers were 2,248 companies(37.9%), and large scale cases over 300 workers were 539 companies(9.1%). By the industry of excess companies, it was marked high rate in manufacture of fabricared metal products(except machinary and equipment), manufacture of textiles of each 1,048 companies(17.7%), and 1,018 companies(17.1%). By the area of excess companies, it was shown high rate in Kyeongki area marked 1,679 companies(28.3%) and Daegu-Kyeongbuk area were marked 1,417 companies (23.9%). By the hazardous factors of excess companies, noise was recorded high rate in 5,160 companies (86.9%), dust was shown in 1,245 companies(21.0%), organic solvent was marked 130 companies(7.9%). The number of excess factors by the company was 1.2. In this result, the more it was bigger scale companies, the more excess factors were much more and the more it was recorded higher rate in noise organic solvent heavy metals, etc. 2. The measured cases in institutes during 1994 were 1,596 companies, and excess cases were 157 companies(9.8%) among them. By the scale of workers, small scale cases under the 49 workers were 190 companies (17.9%) among 1,064 companies, cases of medium scale cases between 50-299 workers were 127 companies (27.9%) among 463 companies, and large scale cases over 300 workers were 31 companies(44.9%) among 69 companies. In this result industry of the highest rate shown was manufacture of basic metals in 20 companies exceeded among 53 companies (37.7%), and was manufacture of pulp, paper production in 14 companies exceeded among 40 companies(35.0%), and the excess rate were high in bigger scale. 3. Companies estimated by the data of excess cases and excess rate in 1993 were 30,474 implementation rate estimated for measurement of working environment was 34.3% of companies in korean industry. In this result, it was comparatively shown of measurement rate for the working environment in manufacture of pulp, paper product, manufacture of machinary and equipment n.e.c., and of high measurement rate and excess rate in manufacture of electrial machinary and apparatus, and manufacture of basic metals.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.396-403
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• 2016

Objectives: The study is to evaluate biological monitoring and risk assessment for epichlorohydrin-bisphenol A resin exposed from waterproofing or finishing work in the apartment building construction. Methods: Subjected workers were working on spray-painting and waterproofing work for 8 hours per day every 20 days. The urine samples were collected at the end of 20 days working period. For urinary bisphenol A as metabolite from epichlorohydrin-bisphenol A exposure, urine samples were analyzed with liquid chromatography mass-mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS). Results: Geometric means of urinary bisphenol A(BPA) with no hydrolysis and with enzymic hydrolysis(BPA-EH) in the workers were $1.10{\mu}g/L$ and $2.90{\mu}g/L$. BPA-EH was 4 times higher than that of control group. The factors for working period and ages did not affect the variation of BPA and BPA-EH. The levels for BPA and BPA-EH were not higher than 95th percentile for exposure on human-life environment. Conclusions: The BPA and BPA-EH were therefore effective biological markers for epichlorohydrin-bisphenol A exposure workers, but not seem to hazardous exposure level. Waterproofing work in construction workshop is required to measuring work environment and health care management for the workers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.110-122
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• 2006

Objective : This study was conducted to quantify chronic lead exposure from various media(ie. working environment, food, ambient air), and to certify the usefulness of exposure assessment using Monte-Carlo simulation in the fields of occupational health. Methods : Data were obtained from Korean Industrial Health Association, Korea Food and Drug Administration, and the Ministry of Environment. Then lead worker's exposure was estimated indirectly from various media and parameters (ie. volume inhaled, body weight, dietary intake, etc.). Uncertainty was analyzed by Monte Carlo simulation with Crystal Ball software. Exposure doses and hazard indices were simulated with various hypothetical scenarios including weekly working hours and respiratory protective equipment. Results : Without respiratory protective equipment, the total exposure dose per kilogram of body weight of lead workers was estimated as $5.45{\times}10^{-3}mg/kg/day$, and hazard index was estimated as 2.26, and exposure contributions were calculated as follows : working environment(82.42 %); foods(17.57 %); and ambient air(0.01 %). But, if working condition has changed - reduction of working hours and using respiratory protective equipment, the total exposure dose per kilogram of body weight was estimated between $1.34{\times}10^{-3}-1.49{\times}10^{-3}mg/kg/day$, and hazard index was estimated between 0.56 - 0.62. Conclusions : This study suggested that occurrence of hazardous impact(ie. increased blood pressure) through lifetime lead exposure would be expected, and that the Monte-Carlo simulation was useful for the fields of occupational health.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.457-465
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• 1995

The purpose of the present study is to identify potentially hazardous factors which can contribute to the outbreak of foodborne disease and to represent more practical management methods in terms of environmental sanitation and facilities for the kitchen. 230 Korean-style restaurants in Seoul were assessed and analyzed by the restaurant total area. Facilities and sanitary check-lists were developed to evaluate the facilities and sanitary conditions of sampled restaurants. The sanitary condition of kitchen, guest room and other area were assessed by the sanitary score. The basic cooking machinery and utensil were properly facilitated but automation machinery were equiped below 10% sampled restaurants. The kitchen area were not properly sufficient to total area. Sanitary condition of kitchen, guest room, cooking appliance and stored foods were evaluated as the unsatisfactory state with potentially hazardous. Concrete guidelines should be made in terms of following item; establishment for the kitchen space expansion, facilities for the improvement of the working environment and sanitary condition of foods cooked. Additionaly, it need to practice the effective education and training program for the foodservice manager and employees.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.20-25
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• 2012

Working in a hazardous environment can decrease work efficiency and cause a variety of occupational diseases. To prevent occupational accidents and build a refreshing and pleasant work environment, therefore, it is necessary to develop an application system through which a worker's safety can be monitored on a realtime basis and provide related services. Recently, smartphones have become very popular across the nation, with over 10 million users. As a result, a variety of application services have been developed and provided in diverse sectors. This study proposes a system structure to develop application services which monitor work environment using smartphones and examines its applicability through the implementation of server and client interfaces.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.164-173
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• 2012

Objectives: Epichlorohydrin is a material that has been predicted to have high volatility and strong toxicity and is used normally in working area. Therefore, the hazardous and dangerous level and the foreign management system about epichlorohydrin should be invested at home and abroad and through hazard assessment for occupational environment measurement and exposure status of industrial workers in domestic working area. Methods: To assess risk and to suggest Development and Adoption to prevent health damage of workers owing to the epichlorohydrin exposure, the hazardousness and dangerousness of epichlorohydrin and its practical examples and regulation level for domestic and abroad health impairment are researched on the base of various references. Results: The epichlorohydrin caused skin and mucus membrane irritation, respiratory paralysis, kidney and live damage under the influence of acute toxicity and in animal study, it was confirmed as a doubtful carcinogenic substance to trigger reducement of sperm number and reproduction ability, abnormal spermatogenesis, mutagen, increase of forestomach epithelium and occurrence of papilloma and so on, as well as it induced stimulus asthma and allergic contact dermatitis for exposure workers. Conclusions: Epichlorohydrin was found to occur allergic contact dermatitis, carcinogenesis doubt and reproduction toxicity and was verified as a material which would be established reinforcement of management level to care health of handlers, such as denotement dangerousness of skin absorption.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.114-121
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• 2019

Background: The photolithography process in the semiconductor industry uses various chemicals with little information on their constitution. This study aimed to identify the chemical constituents of photoresist (PR) products and their by-products and to compare these constituents with material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and analytical results. Methods: A total of 51 PRs with 48 MSDSs were collected. Analysis consisted of two parts: First, the constituents of the chemical products were identified and analyzed using MSDS data; second, for verification of the by-products of PR, volatile organic compounds were analyzed. The chemical constituents were categorized according to hazards. Results: Forty-five of 48 products contained trade secrets in amounts ranging from 1 to 65%. A total of 238 ingredients with multiple counting (35 ingredients without multiple counting) were identified in the MSDS data, and 48.7% of ingredients were labeled as trade secrets under the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Act. The concordance rate between the MSDS data and the analytical result was 41.7%. The by-product analysis identified 129 chemicals classified according to Chemical Abstracts Service No., with 17 chemicals that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reprotoxic substances. Formaldehyde was found to be released from 12 of 21 products that use novolak resin. Conclusion: We confirmed that several PRs contain carcinogens, and some were not specified in the toxicological information in the MSDS. Hazardous chemicals, including benzene and formaldehyde, are released from PRs products as by-products. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a systematic management system for chemical compounds and the working environment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.74-92
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• 2000

This study was performed to evaluate the working conditions In construction workers through measurements of working environments and to improve the working conditions and to design the appropriate environmental and health management system. The results of measurement for working environments in construction work are as following: 1. The excess rate of noise and dust concentration in express highway construction, road construction, building construction and interior painting was 28.6% and 24.5% respectively. 2. The excess rate of mixed organic solvents concentration in interior painting was 39.3%. 3. The chain type bulldozer has the highest level of vibration; the excess rate was 85.7%, and among the vibration instruments, the level of left hand's vibration of all vibrators exceeded the criterion and in the case of drilling all the level of vibration exceeded the criterion in both hands. On the basis of the results in this research the environmental and health management system for construction workers must be considered. Therefore, it is necessary to be introduced the special medical examination and measurement of working environments in construction industry. In defining "the working place" of Article 39 of Enforcement regulations of industrial safety and health act, the word "indoors" should be deleted. Then the eligible industry for measurement of working environment must be extended. And it is also necessary for construction industry to be performed group health management service by agencies such as other manufacturing industry.