• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.536-546
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• 2014

Objectives: The major objective of this paper is compare the exposure work hours and experieence of ill health symptoms among under and over employment and matched group. Workers with over employment have more exposed to hazards than that with under employment because that workers with over employment work more than those with ender employment. Methods: This study as heuristics one used the third Korean Working Conditions Survey done by Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute in 2011. The sample size is 50,023 economic active persons. Over and under employment were measured by matching method of preferred and actual work hours. The exposed work hours to hazards were measured according to 13 hazardous factors and the experience of ill health symptoms were scaled by the number of experienced 14 ill health symptoms. To compare the exposure and the symptoms experience were compared by mean difference test with F test. Results: The proportion of over employment in male employees is 32.1% and that in female employees is 29.3% and under employment rate is 11.2% in mae and 13.9% in female employees. There is significant difference of the rate of over and under emplyment among age groups, industrial sectors, occupational groups and the state of employment. The difference of the exposed work hours to hazards among under, over and matched group were statistically significant in all hazards by gender. The exposed work hours to hazards in over employment were more than those in under employment. The number of experienced symptoms in over employment is statistically significantly more than that in under employment. Conclusions: Workers with over employment may be vulnerable group in the criteria of hazard exposure and health status. The results have some implications and limitations because that this study is heuristic one. The mismatch of preferred and actual working hours may be unfavorable work condition that has impact on safety and health of workers. The impact mechanism may be investigated as future study, Because that this study used cross sectional survey data, some causal relationships cannot be evaluated.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.512-517
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• 2019

Background: Rest breaks at work are reported to reduce fatigue and job stress. Apartment janitors in Korea who perform night shift work and work long hours can be exposed to various health problems (HPs). However, few studies have evaluated relationships between their rest breaks and HPs. This study was conducted to examine the relationships between long working hours, shift work, and insufficient rest breaks and HPs among Korean apartment janitors. Methods: Data on 1,212 selected male apartment janitors were obtained from the 3rd and 4th Korean Working Conditions Surveys. Demographic and occupational characteristics were collected using self-reported questionnaires. Rest breaks at work were classified as "sufficient" or "insufficient." Long working hours were considered as working more than 60 hours per week. Zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression was performed to investigate the effects of shift work and long working hours on HPs and the effects of rest breaks on relationships between HPs and long working hours and shift work. Results: Among those with insufficient rest breaks at work, significant associations were found between long working hours and the risk of HPs [odds ratio (OR) = 1.489; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.038-2.136] and work-related HPs (WRHPs) [OR 1.621; 95% CI = 1.156-2.272], and between shift work and HPs [OR = 1.603; 95% CI = 1.084-2.372]. These relationships became nonsignificant when sufficient rest breaks were provided. Conclusion: It is important to provide breaks at work to reduce HPs because of long working hours and shift work among aged workers such as apartment janitors.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.356-359
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• 2018

This case report attempts to present a case of acute toxic hepatitis in fire extinguisher manufacturing workers exposed to 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoro-ethane (HCFC-123) in August 2017 in Korea. Twenty-two-year-old male workers were exposed to HCFC-123 for 1.5 hours one day and for 2.5 hours the other day, after which one worker died, and the other recovered after treatment. The workers were diagnosed with acute toxicity of hepatitis. However, exposure levels of HCFC-123 were not known with no work environment measurement done. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the exposure concentration of HCFC-123 via a job simulation experiment. In the simulation, the HCFC-123 exposure concentration was measured with the same working practice and working time as with the workers aforementioned. As a result, the workers who infused HCFC-123 into storage tanks were estimated to be exposed to HCFC-123 at a concentration of $20.65{\pm}10.81ppm$, and a mean concentration of area samples within a working radius were estimated as $70.30{\pm}18.10ppm$. Valve assembly workers working on valves of a fire extinguisher filled with HCFC-123 were exposed to HCFC-123 at concentrations of $91.65{\pm}4.03ppm$ and $115.55{\pm}7.28ppm$, respectively, in the simulation, and area samples simulated within the working radius were also found to be high with concentrations of $122.75{\pm}91.15ppm$ and $126.80{\pm}60.25ppm$, respectively. Nitrogen gas packing workers, who did not handle HCFC-123 directly, were exposed to the agent at a concentration of $71.80{\pm}8.49ppm$. These results suggest that exposure to HCFC-123 at high concentrations for 1.5-2.5 hours caused acute toxic hepatitis in two workers.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.28.1-28.12
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• 2023

Background: Owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, being exposed to work from home and work during nonwork time simultaneously can lead to sleep disturbance; however, their combined effect is unclear. We aimed to investigate the combined effect of work from home and work during nonwork time on sleep disturbance. Methods: This study used data from the Sixth Korean Working Condition Survey and included 27,473 paid workers. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between work from home, work during nonwork time, and sleep disturbance according to sex. We re-classified participants into 4 groups based on their working from home (No/Yes) and working during nonwork time (No/Yes). The relative excess risk due to interaction was calculated to examine the effect of exposure to both telecommuting and non-regular work hours on sleep disturbance. Results: Workers exposed to work from home and work during nonwork time had significantly higher risks of sleep disturbance for all, men, and women workers (OR [95% CI]: 1.71 [1.46-2.02], 1.79 [1.43-2.23], and 1.64 [1.29-2.08] for work from home and 3.04 [2.70-3.42], 3.61 [3.09-4.22], and 2.41 [2.01-2.90] for work during nonwork time, respectively). Compared to those who were not exposed to both factors, when workers had both job factors, the ORs (95% CI) of sleep disturbance for all, men, and women were 3.93 (2.80-5.53), 5.08 (3.21-8.03), and 2.91 (1.74-4.87), respectively. The relative excess risk due to interaction of work from home and work during nonwork time was not significant for sleep disturbance. Conclusions: Work from home and work during nonwork time were each associated with sleep disturbance, but the interaction between the two factors on sleep disturbance was not observed in both men and women.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2004

As a part of In-service Inspection works in a nuclear power plant, Eddy Current Testing through all the outage of nuclear power plants has been controlled by the radiation management. From the case study about the periodical ECT work, the exposed dose rate of worker has announced over the organized dose rate before the radiation work, it affects the personnel exposed dose management and radiation work permit issue. It is not easy to get some information about ECT related working hours, scope of work and how many workers to forecast the radiation working and the predict dose exposure. It should be need the data accumulation about ECT related radiation work to prepare the ALARA achievement and the radiation work plan for dose mitigation. We can discuss a few information about ECT related radiation working issue for the application of predict dose exposure on this paper.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.61-89
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• 1998

Having taken as cause of dental technicians separation from their service a variety of individual idiosyncrasies, function-related factors, external environment factors, functional satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intention to remain, the present study conducted a mail questionnaire poll and interviews on those dental technicians who are mow in the service with private dental technical workshops and dental technical workshops in general hospitals and private dental clinics. The resultant findings from analysis of the repondent's general characteristics of cause of separation form service were revealed, as follows : 1) It was shown that the higher the academic career, the considerably higher cause of position commitment among causes of individual idio-syncrasies, reflecting a statistically significant result(P<0.05) 2) The less the number of working hours as viewed from the average number of working hours per day, the higher the positive emotion, reflecting a significant relation(P<0.01) 3) Causes from performing duties among function-related causes diclosed a statistically significant relation among marital status, career, monthly income, and positions(P<0.01) 4) Causes from wages showed a statistically significant relation in the average number of working hours per day(P<0.01), monthly income(P,0.05), and positions(P<0.05) 5) Causes from supervision exposed a significant relation in workplaces(P<0.01) 6) Causes from promotion represented a significant relation in positions(P<0.001) 7) Causes from opportunnities for taking a job as seen from external environment causes also disclosed a statistically significant relation in workplaces(P<0.05) 8) Reponsibility for family sustenace reflected a statistically significant relation in sex, age, marital status, career, monthly income, work fields, term of employment, positions, and experience of separation(P<0.001) 9) Functional satisfaction showed a statistically significant relation in marital status, career, monthly income, and the average number of hours a day(P<0.05) 10) Oraganizational commitment disclosed a statistically significant relation in work experience, monthly income, term of employment, positions(P<0.05) and the average number of working hours a day(P<0.001) 11) The intention to remain indicated a statistically significant relation in age, marital status, work experience, monthly income, positions(P<0.001) and term of employment. the average number of working hours a day(P<0.01), and in the performing work field(P<0.05)

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.237-250
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• 2007

This study was to provide date for developing a effective educational program which would be helpful for teachers to understand children's daily activities more properly. From two kindergartens, 20 children were observed for 3 consecutive hours. The observer followed the target child, gathering data during 30-second "windows". This observation lasted for three hours per day and each child was observed 60 times. The proportion of major activities such as education, play, work, and conversation in children's daily activities was compared. Results showed that children of Waldorf program were more exposed to and engaged in play than children of Theme-based program, whereas children of theme-based program were exposed to and engaged in academic activities than those of Waldorf program.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.224-231
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the psychosocial working environment and mental health of financial workers, and analyze the impact of the former on the latter. Methods: Data of 257 financial clerks were extracted from the 2017 5th Korean Working Conditions Survey. Psychosocial working environment was divided into five fields: demands at work, work organizations, interpersonal relations, workplace violence, and working hour quality. Mental health included sleeping problems, psychological well-being, and job stress. Results: A total of 6.1% subjects reported sleep problems, 28.2% experienced poor psychological well-being, and 39.6% had job stress. More than half the subjects were exposed to tight deadlines, complex tasks, hiding feelings at work, fair treatment, fair distribution of work, colleagues' support, and managers' support. Tight deadlines, workplace violence, long working hours, hiding feelings at work, and managers' support had a significant impact on the mental health of financial clerks. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, we propose that employers, workers, and health managers in the financial industry should work together to establish a respectful organizational culture, prevent long working hours through recruitment, and conduct programs to protect emotional health.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.16-30
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• 2008

Rapid change of surroundings has been influencing the work environment for cooks, making it more convenient; however, there are still many difficulties to improve. Especially, cooks are exposed to lots of occupational diseases due to tension and pressure as well as noise, high temperature and humidity in their work place. This study examines cooks' operational exhaustion caused by cooking operation and cooking circumstances. The analyzed result shows the job fatigue related to the general features of the cooks(such as charged cooking part, types of engaged business, class of position, cooking career, and working hours). For example, pains on the neck, back, arms and wrist are mostly affected by the charged cooking parts. Effects related to the types of engaged business, backaches usually occurred in Catering, pains in shoulder from serving at hotels and eye-tiredness from meal serving. As for working hours, most of backaches occurred from over 13-hour-work, and pains in shoulder and eye-tiredness under 8-hour-work. Pains in legs, tiredness, and the change of weight do not have any relations withthe general features of the cooks statistically(p>0.05).

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.89-112
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• 2000

Although dental laboratory technicians are prone to be exposed to various work-related health hazardous materials such as dusts, chemicals, etc., the prevalence and nature of work-related health problems of them have not been a matter of great concern in the field of occupational health service in Korea. The purpose of the present investigation was to describe a collected profile of subjective health symptoms and their attributable factors in Korean dental laboratory technicians. A questionnaire listing five groups of health symptoms and five health symptom-related factors was mailed to randomly selected 1,900 dental laboratory technicians. Among them, 1,344 dental laboratory technicians filled out the questionnaires and returnde them. Five groups of health symptoms included musculoskeletal symptom, dermal symptoms, respiratory symptoms, eys symptoms, and ear symptoms. Five health symptom-related factors were occupational environment-related health risk factors, work history, health related habits and status, use of personal protective equipment and general characteristics. Detailed parameters of health risk factors were work posture, vibration, and chemical or physical hazards such as dust, fume, vapor, solvent, light, and noise for occupational environment-related factors; work place, area, number of employees, work hours, career, work part, and work load for work history; Broca's index, hours of sleep, eating, smoking, alcohol, exercise, health examination, and self assessed health status for health habits and status; face masks, goggles, and so on for use of personal protective equipment, and; age, sex, marital status, and education for general characteristics. Before the start of main survey, a pilot survey was carried out for validity and reliability tests of the questionnaire. All the data obtained were coded and analyzed with PC/SAS 6.12 program. The prevalence of health symptoms was the highest in musculoskelton (87.3%), and followde by eyes (78.9%), respiratory organs (64.3%), ears (57.8%), and skin (52.2%) in descending order. Statistically significant risk factors by multiple logistic regression analyses were sex, health examination, self assessed health status, and hand/finger posture in musculoskeletal symptoms; sex, self assessed health status, career, acid gas, and hand contact with resin mixture in deraml symptoms; Broka's smoking, exercise, self assessed health status, and face mask in respiratory symptoms; sex, hours of sleep, self assessed health status, work hours, work load, plaster dust, inadequate lighting, and goggle in eys symptoms, and eating, smoking, self assessed health status, and work load in ear symptoms. With the above considerations in mind, prevalence of subjective symptoms among Korean dental laboratory technicians was relatively high, and they were attributable to most of the occupational environment-related factors, work history, use of personal protective equipment, health habits and status, and general characteristics. Particularly, it is suggested that health promotion programs for promoting self- assessed health status and smoking cessation, preventive measures for protection of the female technicians’health, and reducing work load be necessary, since those factors were associated with more than one subjective symptom.