• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.313-320
• /
• 2011

Objectives: To analyze the association between changes in perceived physical and psychosocial working conditions and change of sickness absence days in younger and older (< 50 and ${\geq}50$ years) food industry employees. Methods: This was a follow up study of 679 employees, who completed working conditions survey questionnaires in 2005 and 2009 and for whom the requisite sickness absence data were available for the years 2004 and 2008. Results: Sickness absence increased and working conditions improved during follow-up. However, the change of increased sickness absence days were associated with the change of increased poor working postures and the change of deteriorated team spirit and reactivity (especially among < 50 years). No other changes in working conditions were associated with the changes in sickness absence. Conclusion: Sickness absence is affected by many factors other than working conditions. Nevertheless, according to this study improving team spirit and reactivity and preventing poor working postures are important in decreasing sickness absence.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.125-137
• /
• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the influences of hospital employees' daily life posture habits and work-related factors upon musculoskeletal subjective symptoms. Methods: This study was a descriptive survey study. Data were collected using structured a self-report questionnaire between April 1 and May 31, 2015. One hundred and ninety two employees were recruited in three hospitals. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ${\chi}^2$ test, t-test, and binomial logistic regression. Results: The habit of leaning on one side and the habit of bending the back in an improper posture are key postures based on lifestyle affecting musculoskeletal subjective symptoms in neck, shoulders, arms, waist, and legs. Labours accompanying repeated arm movements for a long time are key work-related risk factors affecting musculoskeletal subjective symptoms in arms. Conclusion: The results of this study confirmed that, to prevent musculoskeletal diseases, it is necessary to identify and mediate personal factors like daily life posture habits as well as work-related risk factors. They may be utilized as basic materials for education of musculoskeletal health promotion and development of life guidance programs.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.509-515
• /
• 2011

Objective: The study was performed to suggest factors to consider when making or selecting protective clothing to enhance farmers' health. The purpose of this study was to review and summarize the agricultural safety technology on clothing including hat, gloves, and shoes. Background: The farmers' work clothing has to meet a multitude of requirement. Risk factors in farm-work were identified by previous researches. Agricultural safety clothing needs to be introduced. Method: We reviewed previous papers regarding the agricultural workers' health, safety clothing to protect body from excessive heat and humid environment, ultraviolet(UV) protection, and hazardous body working postures. Also the UV cut effect, pesticideproof clothing, and preventable farm work related musculoskeletal disorders were discussed. Results: The agricultural safety clothing needs to be developed to provide comfort and to be resistant against heat. The UV protection function on skin and eyes has not been fully researched in safety clothing studies yet. Conclusions and Application: The farmers' work-related body posture needs to be studied in order to make and design agricultural safety clothing. The safety issues on agricultural work shoes are also needed to be included in future studies.

• Journal of Fashion Business
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.13-31
• /
• 2012

The purpose of the study was to analyze the work clothes' clothing comfort and wearer mobility of painting workers with the consideration of the work environment features in the machine and shipbuilding industries in South Korea. A questionnaire survey was conducted for the study, which consisted of questions on the clothing comfort and wearer mobility aspects of painting work clothes by clothes types and body parts. The work clothes' clothing comfort and wearer mobility levels were scaled in 5 points i.e. 1(: very tight/very uncomfortable) to 5(: very slack/very comfortable). The painting work environmental hazardous features were considered as high impact levels of workplace temperature, oxygen deficiency, organic solvent, toxic gas factors while metal fragment factor only impacts 'low' in the painting processes with the findings throughout this study. Since the painting work consisted of surface washing and the spray and touch-up painting processes, which was carried out in an outdoor work place, the painting work clothes should meet high performance of waterproofing from the painting material and air permeability specially in summer as well as thermal performance in winter. The subjects painting workers' assessment of the existing work clothes' clothing oppression was in the levels between 3 (i.e. moderate) and 4 (i.e. comfortable) in a range of 1 to 5 points. The existing painting work clothes' wearer mobility was evaluated 'very uncomfortable' in all work clothes parts, especially, armhole length, biacromial breadth, sleeve length of the jumper; and body rise, waist, hip, thigh and knee circumferences of the pants.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
• /
• 2017.05a
• /
• pp.629-630
• /
• 2017

Recently, the number of patients with habitual vertebrae is increasing due to inappropriate postures and habits while sitting on a chair for a long time, because modern people have a great deal of work and studying due to a lot of work and study. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent such a disease through real-time monitoring and to present a guide for the user to recognize the importance of correct posture. In this study, we implemented a posture discrimination system which can help users to calibrate posture by judging the user's sitting position and feedback by using a pressure sensor based weight distribution system. We analyzed the distribution pattern of body weight to determine one normal posture and six abnormal postures. If the abnormal posture is maintained constantly, the implementation of the application that induces the right posture by ringing the notification is described.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.325-339
• /
• 2022

Objective: This study was to perform to identify the distribution characteristics and related factors of work-related low back pain among manufacturing workers in Korea. Methods: We analyzed the third(2011) through sixth(2020) Korean Working Conditions Survey. This study examined changes in the prevalence of work-related low back pain among manufacturing workers and related factors, including demographic characteristics and working conditions. Results: The prevalence of work-related low back pain showed a general tendency to increase during the study periods except for the 5th wave. The prevalence of work-related low back pain was higher in women than in men. The prevalence increased with increasing age and decreased with higher educational attainment. This trend was observed in all survey waves. The prevalence ratios for work-related low back pain according to working conditions varied over the survey period. In general, workers with manual jobs, long working hours, and exposure to tired or painful postures showed relatively higher prevalence ratios than did their counterparts. Providing Information on health and safety, perception that work affects health, and experience of presenteeism were identified as influencing factors for work-related low back pain. Although the working environment is improving, work-related back pain is on the rise. A multifaceted study on risk factors for work-related low back pain is needed. Conclusion: Work-related low back pain is a significant factor affecting the working population's quality of life. The prevalence of work-related low back pain showed a tendency to increase during the study periods. A multifaceted study on risk factors for work-related low back pain is needed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.110 no.2
• /
• pp.210-216
• /
• 2021

Musculoskeletal disorders affect workers' safety in most industries, and forest operations are classified as a musculoskeletal burden according to the Occupational Safety and Health Act in South Korea. In particular, felling and delimbing operations are mainly conducted by manpower, and then, it is necessary to evaluate ergonomic risk assessment for safety of felling and delimbing workers. Three ergonomic risk assessment methods, such as Ovako Working posture Analysis System (OWAS), Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), and Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), are available for assessing exposure to risk factors associated with timber harvesting operations. Here, three ergonomic risk assessment methods were applied to examine ergonomic risk assessments in chainsaw felling and delimbing operations. Additionally, exposure to risk factors in each method was analyzed to propose an optimal working posture in felling and delimbing operations. The risk levels of these operations were evaluated to be highest in the RULA method, followed by the OWAS and REBA methods, and most of the exposed working postures were examined with a low-risk level of two and three without requiring any immediate working posture changes. However, two significant working postures, including the bending posture of the waist and leg in felling operation and standing posture on the fallen trees in delimbing operation, were assessed as the high-risk level and needed immediate working posture changes. Low-risk work levels were examined in the squatting posture for felling operation and the straightened posture of the waist and leg for delimbing operation. Moreover, the slope in felling operation and the tree height in delimbing operation significantly affected risk level assessment of working posture. Therefore, our study supports that felling and delimbing workers must operate with low-risk working postures for safety.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
• /
• 2003.05a
• /
• pp.29-35
• /
• 2003

Recently, WRMSD(Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders) related to simple and repetitious works has been become big issue and has been studying actively by many korean researchers. However, it is that the researches has been depended on foreign ones because the basic data in each field is short in Korea. In this study, we tried to search the actual conditions and factors on WRMSD of pressing workers. In addition, we tried to search the actual conditions and factors on WRMSD of pressing workers. In addition we examined how the contents of works and postures of workers affected at the disease. Accordingly, these research data will be used for planning the preventive program on WRMSD effectively and implement its program.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
• /
• 2011.05b
• /
• pp.73-75
• /
• 2011

Unlike other craft workers, construction craft workers perform their work under diverse working conditions, which means that their working pattern and postures continuously change. While construction craft workers are vulnerable to musculoskeletal disorders, due to the unique factors of their working conditions, their actual condition has not yet been accurately investigated. For this reason, this research aims to develop a method of measuring the musculoskeletal load of construction workers by reviewing various motion measuring methods to which state-of-the-art sensors are applied. This research is expected to serve as the basis for developing a system to measure the musculoskeletal load of construction workers.

• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
• /
• 1997.10a
• /
• pp.433-436
• /
• 1997

Automobile assembly tasks consist of many kinds of manual work which are very stressful to workers because of repetitive poor working postures and dealing heavy weights. To decrease the level of workload, it is necessary to evaluate the workload quantitatively. In this study, a workload evaluation method based on EMG was experimentally evaluated. We measured EMG at 6 main muscles with 2 healthy male workers during doing 9 assembly tasks, which were selected as high workload jobs. The tasks were decomposed into 36 elementary tasks. The workload was calculated through an equation with %MVIS and work duration time. To evaluate the result, subjective discomfort on the tasks was assessed by 29 workers. By the calculated workload, we were able to ranked the workload of tasks, elementary tasks. The comparison between the EMG-based workload and subjective rating showed a positive correlation(P-value=0.0246). We think it is possible to adapt the EMG-based workload evaluation technique to all assembly tasks by expending the experi- ment size.