• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.282-294
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• 2010

The purpose of SAICM (Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management) is to minimize the health and environmental hazards from the production and the consumption of chemicals by improving the chemicals management capability of developing countries and implementing a system of the risk assessment and the management based on the precautionary principle until 2020. To achieve this purpose, the UN has prescribed the principles, objectives and establishment of an action plan for the chemicals management strategy which must be carried out at international, local, and national levels, and requested the implementation of the Global Plan of Action (GPA) comprising of 273 recommendations in 36 work areas. SAICM is currently based on voluntary participation, but is expected to become the basic framework of international order in relation to chemicals management in the future. This study aims to analyze the practice in the occupational safety and health area relating to implement 273 recommendations of the GPA, and propose complementary measures for the system in order to provide political advices for establishing future plans to manage industrial chemicals. Twenty three areas of total 36 work areas and 161 items of 273 recommendations have relevance to occupational safety and health areas. We have found that, as a national implementation level, 157 of 161 industrial safety and health items are being implemented at a satisfactory level in regard to the implementation of the GPA, while 4 items, including the ratification of the ILO Conventions 170, 174, 184, and support for GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of chemicals) implementation of developing countries, require additional complementary measures for the system and operation.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.19-27
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• 2024

This study analyzes the impact of occupational health risk assessments on the safety and health levels and the safety behaviors of workers in manufacturing workplaces. An online survey was conducted among 3,172 companies, yielding 637 responses. The statistical analysis on the collected responses revealed three key findings. First, the safety and health levels (safety importance, safety comprehension, safety awareness) positively influence the outcomes of occupational health risk assessments(safety practice, safety management, safety improvement) and safety behaviors (activity change, safety check). Second, the effectiveness of occupational health risk assessments has a positive impact on safety behaviors. Lastly, the effectiveness of occupational health risk assessments partially mediate the relationship between safety and health levels and safety behaviors. These findings are expected to contribute to the promotion of risk assessments in the field of industrial health and to enhancing safety performance by improving workplace safety, health levels, and safety behavior.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.9-18
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• 2009

The safety & health can not be accomplished by only one side's effort of labor and management. To establish high level of occupational safety & health system, we have to recognize the extent of participance and need to study about how to keep the labor-management cooperation in good condition. The purpose of this paper is to make better suggestions such as how to improve the labor-management cooperation and how to establish the efficient occupational safety & health law through studying the labor-management cooperation system in the occupational safety & health.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2020

Objectives: We investigated the status of accidents and deaths caused by chemical leakage and skin contact in Korea. The purpose of this study was to produce and provide technical reference data for the efficient management of accidents and the rational management of accidental chemicals. Methods: Accidents and deaths caused by chemical leakage and skin contact in industry were investigated. Based on 68 accident reports related to chemical leakage and skin contact, the causes of accidental deaths were analyzed. In addition, we investigated the chemical substances and articles that caused these accidents and deaths. Based on the results of the investigation, the causes of accidents caused by chemical leakage and skin contact were identified and practical management measures for the chemicals were suggested. Results and Conclusions: In 2018, 372 people suffered from chemical leaks and skin contact, up by 123 (about 49.4%) from the previous year. The number of accident deaths was 14, an increase of five (about 55.6%) from the previous year. In the last three years (2016-2018), 91 chemical substances and article groups were involved in accidents caused by chemical leakage and skin contact. There were 16 chemical substance and article groups involved in accidental deaths. There were ten cases of accidents involving two or more casualties due to chemical leakage and skin contact, and 23 deaths occurred. Most of these accidental deaths were caused by subcontractor workers outsourcing risks. Therefore, there is an apparent need to strengthen the responsibility for safety and health among subcontractors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.190-195
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• 2012

This study is aimed to investigate the occupational safety and health management of contractor company in the steel industry. Many companies now only carry out core functions inhouse and ancillary functions have been outsourced. This results in transferring risk to the contractor. The questionnaire survey was conducted on the suppliers and contractors of steel industry. Data were collected from 29 companies and their 240 contractor companies. From the survey result, it was found that the level of safety and health management is above the average. To strengthen the relationship for safety and health management, the supplier should provide more data and design a curriculum to train workers of contractor company. Also it is needed that the supplier company employ the person in exclusive charge to support contractor.

• 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 Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.63-73
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• 2003

Occupational illness analyses are used to identify common factors contributing to occupational illness and to give recommendations for illness prevention. We discuss safety and health management policies based on the present status of MSDS(Musculoskeletal Disorders) characteristics and the actual safety and health problems. These results can be used to develop more effective occupational safety and health management policies for the prevention of MSDS.

• 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 Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 2014

The occupational health and safety accidents were continuously increased during handling, usage and manufacturing the chemical materials according to increase of small and medium sized enterprises in domestic industries. These accidents mainly resulted from insufficient occupational health and safety management and deteriorative facilities and focused on corresponding operation to minimize the damage of accidents after occurrence. But, it was required that we grasped the occurrence causes of occupational health and safety risk in handling, usage and manufacturing the chemical materials and develop the adequate corresponding operation and system according to the possible occurrence of occupational health and safety risk. This study deals with the development of risk assessment model to derive the risk and important risk of occupational health and safety and then help to construct the self-controlled occupational health and safety system for small and medium sized enterprises handling the chemical materials.

• 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.