• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.68-83
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• 2003

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2011

Korea enacted the occupational safety and health law in order to prevent industrial accidents in 1981. Led by ministry of labor, occupational safety and health support services policy has been built through government-affiliated organizations, research institutions and academic research. Korea's accident rate has remained at 0.7% for last 10 years despite continuous efforts over the last 30 years. These results means that the occupational safety and health support services policy conducted by the government have reached their limits. Therefore, the necessity of assessment about occupational safety and health support services policy is proposed. The main objective of this study, through the IPA analysis, is to grasp the point of worker's needs about occupational safety and health support services policy and to help formulate the efficient policy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.229-234
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• 2001

The EDXRF(Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer) technique was applied to the determination of heavy metals in welding fume. The EDXRF method designed in this study was a non-destructive analysis method. Samples were analyzed directly by EDXRF without any pre-treatment such as digestion and dilution. The samples used to evaluate this method were laboratory samples exposed in a chamber connected with a welding fume generator. The samples were first analyzed using a non-destructive EDXRF method. The samples subsequently were analyzed using AAS method to verify accuray of the EDXRF method. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possibility of the non-destructive analysis of heavy metals in welding fume by EDXRF. The results of this study were as follow: 1.When the samples were collected under the open-face sampling condition, a surface distribution of welding fume particles on sample filters was uniform, which made non-destructive analysis possible. 2. The method was statistically evaluated according to the NIOSH(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) and HSE(Health and Safety Executive) method. 3. The overall precision of the EDXRF method Was calculated at 3.45 % for Cr, 2.57 % for Fe and 3.78 % for Mn as relative standard deviation(RSD), respectively. The limits of detection were calculated at $0.46{\mu}g$/sample for Cr, $0.20{\mu}g$/sample for Fe and $1.14{\mu}g$/sample for Mn, respectively. 4. A comparison between the results of Cr, Fe, Mn analyzed by EDXRF and AAS was made in order to assess the accuracy of EDXRF method. The correlation coefficient between the results of EDXRF and AAS was 0.9985 for Cr, 0.9995 for Fe and 0.9982 for Mn, respectively. The overall uncertainty was determined to be ${\pm}12.31%$, 8.64 % and 11.91 % for Cr, Fe and Mn, respectively. In conclusion, this study showed that Cr, Fe, Mn in welding fume were successfully analyzed by the EDXRF without any sample pre-treatment such as digestion and dilution and a good correlation between the results of EDXRF and AAS was obtained. It was thus possible to use the EDXRF technique as an analysis method of working environment samples. The EDXRF method was an efficient method in a non-destructive analysis of heavy metals in welding fume.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.30-38
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• 2019

Background: Police officers' stress perception, frequency of stressful events (stressors), and police work characteristics may contribute to poor sleep quality through different mechanisms. Methods: We investigated associations of stress severity (measured by stress rating score) and frequency of stressors with sleep quality and examined the influence of police work characteristics including workload, police rank, prior military experience, and shift work on the associations. Participants were 356 police officers (256 men and 100 women) enrolled in the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress Study from 2004 to 2009. A mean stress rating score and mean frequency of stressors occurring in the past month were computed for each participant from the Spielberger Police Stress Survey data. Sleep quality was assessed using the global score derived from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index survey. Linear associations of the stress rating score and frequency of stressors with sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score) were tested. Age, sex, race/ethnicity, and smoking status were selected as potential confounders. Results: The stress rating score was positively and independently associated with poor sleep quality (${\beta}=0.17$, p = 0.002). Only workload significantly modified this association (${\beta}=0.23$, p = 0.001 for high workload group; p-interaction = 0.109). The frequency of stressors was positively and independently associated with poor sleep quality (${\beta}=0.13$, p = 0.025). Only police rank significantly modified the association (${\beta}=0.007$, p = 0.004 for detectives/other executives; p-interaction = 0.076). Conclusion: Both police officers' perception of stress severity and the frequency of stressors are associated with poor sleep quality. Stress coping or sleep promotion regimens may be more beneficial among police officers reporting high workloads.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.156-163
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• 2012

Objectives: The aim of the present study was undertaken to investigate the association between communication for chemical hazard information and characteristics of occupational safety and health managers. Subjects and Methods: We surveyed 78 occupational safety and health managers(64 male and 14 female) in 78 chemical manufacturing plants. Data were obtained using a self-reported questionnaire about size and type of company, products, communication system for chemicals and work-related characteristics of occupational safety and health managers. All analyses in this study were performed using SPSS program 12.0. Results: 64.1% of the study participants were occupational health managers aged 39.3 years on average and were graduated from college and university around 90%. 30.0% and of them were majoring in chemistry (engineering chemistry), 18.0% occupational health, 16% nursing and 30.0% others. Occupational safety managers were aged 39.4 years on average, 42.9% of them were majoring in chemistry (engineering chemistry), 21.4% environmental engineering, 10.7% occupational safety and 25% others. 86% of occupational health managers and 71.4% of occupational safety managers were classified as office job. Over 94% of the hazards information for chemicals were delivered by occupational safety and health managers, but about 28.2% workers preferred outside experts who have a profound knowledge about occupational safety and health and understandable. Occupational safety and health managers and workers had difficulties in understanding toxicological information, hazards identification, stability/reactivity, composition/information on ingredients, physical/chemical properties and ecological information. On multiple logistic regression analysis for the 16 heading of material safety data sheet, content of material safety data sheet was significantly associated with education level (odds ratio=0.286, 95% confidence interval=0.105-0.780). The hazard identification (odds ratio=3.947, 95% confidence interval=1.092-14.271) and toxicological information (odds ratio=0.841, 95% confidence interval=0.705-0.998) were significantly associated with type of occupation. Conclusions: This finding implies that the education level, type of occupation and speciality of occupational safety and health managers may affects hazards information delivery.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.91-102
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• 2014

Objectives: This study was performed in order to devise a procedure for supplementing the Special Management Materials in the Occupational Safety and Health Act and recommend candidate materials. The results are expected to be used as fundamental data for classification and criteria necessary to manage Special Management Materials in workplaces. Also, they are expected to be used as a basis for selecting target materials to nominate as additional Special Management Material. Methods: We investigated the selection standards for candidates and review ranges of data sources to nominate Special Management Materials. The substances classified as GHS(Globally Harmonized System of classification and labeling of chemicals) category 1A(known to have carcinogenic potential and reproductive toxicity for humans) or 1B(presumed to have carcinogenic potential and reproductive toxicity for humans) carcinogens and reproductive toxicants among the Controlled Hazardous Substances of the Regulation on Occupational Safety and Health Standards and substances with OELs(Occupational Exposure Limits) were inspected as the candidates for Special Management Materials. Conclusions: A seven-step procedure for selecting candidates to designate as Special Management Materials was suggested, including the setting of target chemicals for evaluation, classification of CMR(Carcinogens, Mutagens or Reproductive toxicants) by GHS classification and criteria, suggestion and selection of the candidates, and more. This study recommends 58 chemicals as qualified candidates to supplement the Special Management Materials.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.63-71
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• 2009

Safety is totally established through not only legal regulations and system but the establishment of safety culture. As a foundation of safety culture, safety and health communication is the essential condition. Therefore, in the case of researching safety culture the communication network of a organization is a crucial factor. This study has analysed the structure of occupational safety and health communication between domestic and foreign corporations comparatively by the statistical analysis. The occupational safety and health communication is composed of four sub-dimensions: general communication in working site, using safety information communication, communication with the board of directors, and communication with labor union. The nationality of corporations influences the safety communication significantly except for communication with labor union. Consequently it is possible to infer that the nationality of corporations is a significant factor for safety communication network.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.507-511
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• 2022

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) often encounter rapidly changing and uncontrolled situations that expose them to various hazards. A law enforcement agency requested an evaluation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) when multiple LEOs reported illness after executing a search warrant and taking a suspect into custody. NIOSH investigators interviewed LEOs and reviewed medical records, forensic laboratory results for collected evidence, and environmental testing results of samples taken after the operation. Two-thirds (25 of 38) of LEOs who participated in the operation reported ≥1 symptom. Eleven LEOs met a case definition for influenza-like illness (ILI). Members of one unit were more likely to have ILI than non-members (prevalence ratio (PR), 4.1; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-13.0; p = 0.01). Influenza vaccination was associated with a lower prevalence of ILI (PR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.9; p = 0.02). Preventing employees from working while ill and annual influenza vaccination might prevent similar occurrences.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2019

Background: Increasing the establishment of integrated management systems (IMSs) is done with the purpose of leaving traditional management methods and replacing them with modern management methods. Thus, the present study sought to analyze the events and investigate the impact of IMS on health and safety performance indices in an Iranian combined cycle power plants. Methods: This case study was conducted in 2012 in all units of the Yazd Combined Cycle Power Plant on accident victims before and after the implementation of IMS. For data analysis and prediction of indices after the implementation of IMS, descriptive statistics and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Chi-square, linear regression, and Cubic tests were conducted using SPSS software. Results: The number of people employed in the power plant in an 8-year period (2004-2011) was 1,189, and 287 cases of work-related accidents were recorded. The highest accident frequency rate and accident severity rate were in 2004 (32.65) and 2008 (209), respectively. Safe T-score reached to below -3 during 2010-2011. In addition, given the regression results, the relation between all predictor variables with outcomes was significant (p < 0.05), except for the variable $X^1$ belonging to the accident severity rate index. Conclusion: The implementation of safety programs especially that of IMS and its annual audits has had a significant impact on reducing accident indices and improving safety within the study period. Accordingly, health and safety management systems are appropriate tools for reducing accident rate, and the use of regression models and accident indices is also a suitable way for monitoring safety performance.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 2024

Objectives: The aim of this study is to develop a comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) guide for maintenance tasks in semiconductor processing, specifically focusing on etching, deposition, and ion implantation processes. Methods: The development of the OSH guide involved a literature review, consultations with industry experts, and field investigations. It concentrates on Maintenance Work (MW) operations in these specialized areas. Results: The result is a detailed OSH guide tailored to MW in etching, deposition, and ion implantation facilities within semiconductor processing. This guide is structured to assist maintenance workers through pre-, during and post-MW phases, ensuring easy comprehension and adherence to safety protocols. It highlights the necessity of safety and health measures throughout the MW process to protect personnel. The guide is enriched with real-life scenarios and visual aids, including cartoons and photographs, to aid in the understanding and implementation of safety and health principles. Conclusions: This OSH guide is designed to enhance the protection of workers engaged in maintenance activities in the electronics sector, particularly in semiconductor manufacturing. It aims to improve compliance with safety and health standards in these high-risk environments.