• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제4권1_2호
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• pp.55-65
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• 1989

Nevertheless the serious environmental pollution in Korea has been discussed in concern with health effect, the significant effect are not determined easily. Toxicological method has been used to establish safe levels of exposure for environmental pollutants to have threshold health effect below which significant effects are unlikely to occur. However the conventional method cannot to establish safe levels of exposure for non-threshold pollutants have been used to express comprehensive pollution degree, not in detailed toxic effects. Acceptable exposure or risk levels are decides by policymakers who consider descriptions and estimates of risks together with social and economic benefits. This paper focuses on the concept development of risk assessment and describes some risks of environmental pollution based on the surveyed date in Korea. The current concepts of risk assessment in policy descisions can be explored and areas for possible improvement, given current scientific knowledge are identified. The experience of foreign countries can provide a realistic basis for evaluating the existing data of environmental pollutants. To improve the environmental quality, risk regulation should be managed as soon as possible in Korea.

• 한국안전학회지
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.90-98
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of employment type(direct employment, dispatch and service supplier) on risk factor exposure, health and satisfaction. The data of the 4th wave of Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS) conducted by Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) in South Korea was used. Business support service industry and manufacturing industry were selected as appropriate industries for analysis. In the final analysis, 5,865 in the manufacturing industry and 1,361 in the service support industry were included. Various variables related risk, safety, satisfaction and health such as risk factor exposure, MSDs exposure, work environment satisfaction, injury probability, dangerous work, workload, physical health problem, perceived health, positive emotions, stress, participation for decision making and experience of accident/disease were analyzed and company size and age was controled. An ANCOVA was conducted to identify significant mean differences of risk, safety, satisfaction and health related variables among direct employed workers, dispatch and service supplier workers. The results showed that all the variables except stress showed a significant difference depending on employment type in the service supply industry. In the manufacturing industry, there were significant difference in the risk factor exposure, MSDs exposure, work environment satisfaction, workload, physical health problem, perceived health, and participation depending on employment type. These results indicated that the risks are unloaded to subcontract and outsourcing company workers. Based on these results, the implications of this study and suggestions for future research were discussed.

• 환경영향평가
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.211-221
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• 2001

Recognizing interaction between the environment and humans, the EIA(environmental impact assessment) movement has sought to promote more environmentally sound and informed decisions for the sake of human welfare. Therefore, most EIA programs require the consideration of human health impacts. Yet relatively few EIA documents adequately address those impacts. This study was carried out to investigate the role of EIA for reuniting the environment and human health, for preventing and reducing significant health risks, and for improving human health impact assessment by means of risk assessment. Risk assessment consists of 4 components; hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment and risk characterization. Since most people spent their times in indoor, indoor air quality modelling can be used in exposure assessment and risk assessment. In this study, indoor $NO_2$ concentration and personal $NO_2$ exposure were estimated by Box Model using mass balance equation and time weighted average, respectively. The estimated indoor $NO_2$ concentration and the personal $NO_2$ exposure were compared by those measured, respectively. Subsequntly, health effect was assessed with these results. Consequently, exposure assessment and risk assessment using indoor air quality model may be considered to be applicable to EIA.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.290-295
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• 2018

Background: There is little information on the dose-response relationship between exposure to occupational carcinogenic agents and mesothelioma. This study aimed to investigate this association as well as the existence of agents other than asbestos that might cause mesothelioma. Methods: The Swedish component of the Nordic Occupational Cancer (NOCCA) study consists of 6.78 million individuals with detailed information on occupation. Mesothelioma diagnoses recorded in 1961-2009 were identified through linkage to the Swedish Cancer Registry. We determined cumulative exposure, time of first exposure, and maximum exposure intensity by linking data on occupation to the Swedish NOCCA job-exposure matrix, which includes 29 carcinogenic agents and corresponding exposure for 283 occupations. To assess the risk of mesothelioma, we used conditional logistic regression models to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: 2,757 mesothelioma cases were identified in males, including 1,416 who were exposed to asbestos. Univariate analyses showed not only a significant excess risk for maximum exposure intensity, with a hazard ratio of 4.81 at exposure levels 1.25-2.0 fb/ml but also a clear dose-response effect for cumulative exposure with a 30-, 40-, and 50-year latency time. No convincing excess risk was revealed for any of the other carcinogenic agents included in the Swedish NOCCA job-exposure matrix. Conclusion: When considering asbestos exposure, past exposure, even for short periods, might be enough to cause mesothelioma of the pleura later in life.

• 대기
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.1-21
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• 2024

Private companies are increasingly required to take more substantial actions on climate change. This study introduces the principle and cases of climate (physical) risk estimation for 11 private companies in Korea. Climate risk is defined as the product of three major determinants: hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. Hazard is the intensity or frequency of weather phenomena that can cause disasters. Vulnerability can be reflected in the function that explains the relationship between past weather records and loss records. The final climate risk is calculated by multiplying the function by the exposure, which is defined as the area or value of the target area exposed to the climate. Future climate risk is estimated by applying future exposure to estimated future hazard using climate model scenarios or statistical trends based on weather data. The estimated climate risks are developed into three types according to the demand of private companies: i) climate risk for financial portfolio management, ii) climate risk for port logistics management, iii) climate risk for supply chain management. We hope that this study will contribute to the establishment of the climate risk management system in the Korean industrial sector as a whole.

• 환경영향평가
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• 제14권5호
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• pp.347-353
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• 2005

The risk assessment is the qualitative or quantitative evaluation of the risk posed to human health and the environment by the actual or potential presence or release of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) is assessed by the environmental criteria, and risk assessment is assessed by the risk rate. Risk rate based on dose-response values may not be easy to apply on regulatory basis like EIA for uncertainty. Internationally there is an example of OECD program. Risk assessment of High Production Volume (HPV) Chemicals has started since the OECD Program with the 1990 Council Act on the Co-operative Investigation and Risk Reduction of Existing Chemicals. These HPV chemicals include all chemicals produced or imported at levels greater than 1,000 tonnes per year in at least one Member country or in the European Union region. The SIDS called the Screening Information Data Set is regarded as the minimum information needed to assess an HPV chemical to determine whether any further work should be carried out or not. All the data elements of SIDS including assessment for environment and health are prepared as three formats of the full SIDS Dossier, the SIDS Initial Assessment Report (SIAR), and the SIDS Initial Assessment Profile (SIAP) of an HPV chemical. In 1998 the global chemical industry through the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) has joined to work with OECD. The OECD has assessed approximately 1,000 chemicals from 1991 through 2004 with ICCA. Till the February of 2005, 592 chemicals of those chemicals completed SIDS reports. Member countries have been targeted the goal of 1,000 new chemicals from 2005 to 2010 and Korea shared 36 chemicals from the 1,000 new chemicals. Currently Korea has completed SIDS reports of 7 chemicals among sponsored 24 chemicals. In conclusion SIDS project will be linked to national program for outputs application with more reliable production. Both the OECD and industry will carry out their commitment to complete assessments for more and the remaining chemicals assessment. The major outputs will contribute to cope with international chemical management.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.1-26
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• 2008

Rapid progress of information technology and widespread use of the personal computers have brought various conveniences in our life. But this also provoked a series of problems such as hacking, malicious programs, illegal exposure of personal information etc. Information security threats are becoming more and more serious due to enhanced connectivity of information systems. Nevertheless, users are not much aware of the severity of the problems. Using appropriate password is supposed to bring out security effects such as preventing misuses and banning illegal users. The purpose of this research is to empirically analyze a research model which includes a series of factors influencing the effectiveness of passwords. The research model incorporates the concept of risk based on information systems risk analysis framework as the core element affecting the selection of passwords by users. The perceived risk is a main factor that influences user's attitude on password security, security awareness, and intention of security behavior. To validate the research model this study relied on questionnaire survey targeted on evening class MBA students. The data was analyzed by AMOS 7.0 which is one of popular tools based on covariance-based structural equation modeling. According to the results of this study, while threat is not related to the risk, information assets and vulnerability are related to the user's awareness of risk. The relationships between the risk, users security awareness, password selection and security effectiveness are all significant. Password exposure may lead to intrusion by hackers, data exposure and destruction. The insignificant relationship between security threat and perceived risk can be explained by user's indetermination of risk exposed due to weak passwords. In other words, information systems users do not consider password exposure as a severe security threat as well as indirect loss caused by inappropriate password. Another plausible explanation is that severity of threat perceived by users may be influenced by individual difference of risk propensity. This study confirms that security vulnerability is positively related to security risk which in turn increases risk of information loss. As the security risk increases so does user's security awareness. Security policies also have positive impact on security awareness. Higher security awareness leads to selection of safer passwords. If users are aware of responsibility of security problems and how to respond to password exposure and to solve security problems of computers, users choose better passwords. All these antecedents influence the effectiveness of passwords. Several implications can be derived from this study. First, this study empirically investigated the effect of user's security awareness on security effectiveness from a point of view based on good password selection practice. Second, information security risk analysis framework is used as a core element of the research model in this study. Risk analysis framework has been used very widely in practice, but very few studies incorporated the framework in the research model and empirically investigated. Third, the research model proposed in this study also focuses on impact of security awareness of information systems users on effectiveness of password from cognitive aspect of information systems users.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.273-281
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• 2011

Objectives: Studies examining healthcare workers' exposure to antineoplastic drugs have focused on the drug preparation or drug administration areas. However, such an approach has probably underestimated the overall exposure risk as the drugs need to be delivered to the facility, transported internally and then disposed. The objective of this study is to determine whether drug contamination occurs throughout a facility and, simultaneously, to identify those job categories that are potentially exposed. Methods: This was a multi-site study based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Interviews were conducted to determine the departments where the drugs travel. Subsequent site observations were performed to ascertain those surfaces which frequently came into contact with antineoplastic drugs and to determine the job categories which are likely to contact these surfaces. Wipe samples were collected to quantify surface contamination. Results: Surface contamination was found in all six stages of the hospital medication system. Job categories consistently found to be at risk of exposure were nurses, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy receivers. Up to 11 job categories per site may be at risk of exposure at some point during the hospital medication system. Conclusion: We found drug contamination on select surfaces at every stage of the medication system, which indicates the existence of an exposure potential throughout the facility. Our results suggest that a broader range of workers are potentially exposed than has been previously examined. These results will allow us to develop a more inclusive exposure assessment encompassing all healthcare workers that are at risk throughout the hospital medication system.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.78-84
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• 1997

The specific purpose of this study is to develop the numerical guide for the cost-benefit analysis of ORE ($/person-Sv reduction) to meet the criterion of ALARA in the design stage of the KNGR. In deriving the guide, the risk factor which is defined by the risk to unit collective radiation exposure dose (deaths/person-Sv) and the monetary value of human life ($/death) are required. The risk factor has been estimated from various clinical data accumulated for a number of years and continuously modified. And the monetary value of human life is usually quantified using the human capital approach. In this study, the risk to radiation exposure perceived by a group of people is investigated through an extensive poll survey conducted among university students in order to modify the existing risk factor for radiation exposure. And in evaluating the monetary value of human life, the QOL factor is introduced in order to incorporate the degree of public welfare or quality of life. As a result of study, a value within the range of 151, 000~172, 000 dollars per person-Sv reduction is recommended as the appropriate interim numerical guide for cost-benefit analysis of ORE to meet the criterion of ALARA in the design stage of the KNGR. A poll survey was also conducted in order to see whether the public acceptance cost of nuclear power should be incorporated in developing the guide, and the result of study shooed that such a cost does not need to be considered.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.261-267
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• 2021

Background: The series of serious industrial accidents in recent years at contractors to large companies has highlighted risk outsourcing as a real and urgent problem. This study aims to review the difference in the degree of risk exposure and the occurrence of industrial accidents depending on the type of company relations. Among in-house contractors, the focus will be on those handling hazardous chemicals that include companies for which outsourcing requires approval. Methods: This study uses the 9th wave of the Industrial Safety and Health Survey (2018). For determining the degree of risk exposure, the occurrence of industrial accidents, and industrial accident rate, multivariate, logistic, and fractional logit, regression analyses were used, respectively. Results: First, In-house contractors' degree of risk exposure is higher than that of the client companies. In particular, this gap is even greater for companies dealing with chemicals. Second, among only those that handle hazardous chemicals, in-house contractors do show a significantly higher rate of industrial accident occurrence. Third, In-house contractors have a significantly higher rate of industrial accidents from diseases than client companies. Conclusion: The analysis supports the intent of the legal amendment that strengthens the protection of in-house contracted workers who handle hazardous chemicals. Second, the results of this study suggest that safety and health management must go beyond legal compliance and ensure that it has substance and effectiveness. Last, there should be policy consideration is necessary to reduce attempts to hide industrial accidents.