• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.504-511
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• 2019

Objectives: We evaluated the physical and mental health problems of waged workers in Korea who had different classes of occupation. Methods: We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2017) to examine 22,788 workers who were waged employees and categorized these workers into 5 occupational classes. Results: "Unskilled manual workers" were more likely to be older, less educated, have lower monthly income, and work fewer hours per week. Among men and relative to "managers and professionals" (reference group), "skilled manual workers" were more likely to have physician-diagnosed osteoarthritis, "clerks" were less likely to report suicidal ideation, and "unskilled manual workers" were more likely to report suicidal ideation. Among women and relative to "managers and professionals" (reference group), "service and sales workers" and "unskilled manual workers" were more likely to report physician-diagnosed osteoarthritis, depressive feelings, and suicidal ideation. However, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases did not differ among the occupational classes for men and women. Conclusion: We identified differences between men and women and among those in different occupational classes regarding employment status, physical health, and mental health. "Unskilled manual workers" of both genders were more likely to be older, less educated, have less monthly income, work fewer hours per week, and have suicidal ideation. Female "service and sales workers" were more likely to have osteoarthritis, depressive feelings, and suicidal ideation.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.106-111
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• 2014

Background: The manufacture of paint involves a variety of processes that present with medical hazards. Safety initiatives are hence introduced to limit hazard exposures and promote workplace safety. This aim of this study is to assess the use of available control measures/initiatives in selected paint factories in Lagos West Senatorial District, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 400 randomly selected paint factory workers were involved in the study. A well-structured World Health Organization standard questionnaire was designed and distributed to the workers to elicit information on awareness to occupational hazards, use of personal protective devices, and commonly experienced adverse symptoms. Urine samples were obtained from 50 workers randomly selected from these 400 participants, and the concentrations of the heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium) were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results: The results show that 72.5% of the respondents are aware of the hazards associated with their jobs; 30% have had formal training on hazards and safety measures; 40% do not use personal protective devices, and 90% of the respondents reported symptoms relating to hazard exposure. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) increase in the mean heavy metal concentrations in the urine samples obtained from paint factory workers as compared with nonfactory workers. Conclusion: The need to develop effective frameworks that will initiate the integration and ensure implementation of safety regulations in paint factories is evident. Where these exist, there is a need to promote adherence to these practice guidelines.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.269-286
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• 1992

The purpose of this study is to investigate the present state of worker's recognition and attitude about hazard materials and occupational disease in his workplace. In general worker's view of hazard materials and occupational disease that sis recognition and attitude is related to worker's health behavior for preventing occupational disease and improving his health status. The study subject is composed of workers in the asbestos related industry for example brake lining manufacturing industry, asbestos fiber manufacturing industry, and asbestos slate manufacturing industry. The result of the study are follows : 1. The most of workers in the asbestos related industry have taken health education and safety education, and the more than half of workers recognized the usefulness of preventive device, and ventilatory device in workplace. 2. About 70% of workers have always taken the preventive device. 3. About 80% of workers have recognized occupational disease in the asbestos related industry, and about 64% of workers have recognized that hls workplace have harmful effect on his health. 4. Recognition about the usefulness of ventilatory device in work place has not related with any variables. But recognition about the usefulness of repiratory protector has related with recognition of hazard materials in his workplace, for example asbestos. 5. Attitude about severity and susceptability of occupational disease in the asbestos related industry have related with knowledge about hazard materials and occupational disease.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권6호
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• pp.3379-3391
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• 2013

The usage and types of chemicals being developed, with diversified new exposure of workers, are of natural concern to occupational disease. In Korea, with industrialization, application of many chemicals has increased. A large proportion of mortality and disease is due to cancer, and the causal hazardous agents include chemical agents, like heavy metals and so on. Due to the long latency period with malignancies and the fact they are usually found after workers' retirement, it is suggested that management policies must be established to prevent occupational cancers occurring among workers in Korea. To give a general description about the efforts to prevent the occupational cancer with exposure to chemicals, articles on the trends of occupational cancers were reviewed and summarized with related research and efforts for prevention in Korea. It is important to improve the understanding of occupational cancer and help to maintain sustainable and appropriate measures to guarantee workers safety and health.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.101-108
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• 2018

Background: Work and work environment have a critical influence on adolescent workers' health. They are subjected to more risks than adults. The aim of this study is to examine psychological health outcomes in adolescent workers in the areas of depression, somatization, anxiety, hostility, and negative self-concept, and to investigate any related factors. Methods: This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. Research samples were collected from adolescent workers between 15 and 18 years old attending a 1-day mandatory education course at vocational training centers, working 5 days per week in small enterprises. Data were collected using the following instruments: Brief Symptom Inventory, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Descriptive Characteristics of Children's Assessment Form. Results: The investigation covers 837 young workers, of whom 675 were males and 162 were females. The majority of the families had low incomes (68.1%). Overall, 33.5% of the adolescents had been hospitalized because of health problems. Their average weekly working hours were $78.1{\pm}10.7$. Almost 50% of adolescent workers scored above the mean average in the Brief Symptom Inventory, indicating serious pschological health symptoms. Those who scored high for hostility, depression, negative self-concept, anxiety, and somatization were between 45.4% and 48.9% of the sample. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the underlying factors: a perception of "feeling very bad" health conditions was 2.07-fold whereas the rate of "no annual leave" was 0.73-fold, and both were found to be effective on psychological problems. Conclusion: In this study, it seems likely that psychological health problems are the result of multiple adverse factors including working conditions, annual leave, and health considerations.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.277-281
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• 2005

Air-line mask is an important personal protective equipment for workers working under hazardous surroundings in which a fixed ventilation system is difficult to be installed. If the air-line mask make loud noise, works wearing the mask may be faced with health problems such as noise induced hearing loss(NIHL). The purpose of this study is to introduce a low noisy technology for workers using air-line mask. A traditional type air-line has been improved to an advanced air-line mask with lesser noise. In the mask, air suppling conduits consists of multi tubes are placed inside of the front of the safety helmet. The noise level reduced from 80dB(A) to less than 80dB(A) when measured by KS A 0701 method at Center for Safety Inspection, Testing and Certification for KOSHA. It is suitable for related regulation[Article 35 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act(Test of Personal Protective Equipment)]. While workers working in noise level of over 90dB(A), they may expose to 82dB(A) or less when they wear the advanced masks. This type masks can be an alternative for works suffering from loud noise generated by traditional air-line masks.

• 대한안전경영과학회지
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.131-137
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• 2015

Last five years, Occupational injury rate is declining but still a standstill as 2%, if the rate of deaths all people from 2% to 1% in 2013, but decreased as, occupational safety and health in terms industrial accidents yet has a very weak structure in very small Manufacturing workplace. The purpose of this study was to survey a 1:1 directly person interviews with a structured questionnaire intended for 150 a very small manufacturing workplace. In the results, working with non-regular(informal) workers is one in 10 persons 11.7% and female workers is about three people on 10 persons with 31.0%, and that 75% of non-regular workers who are mainly engaged in the production line appeared. And the work-related injury and accident experience was 4.0% and the occupational injury rate was 1.24%, especially occupational injury rate of older workers was 3.65%, a female workers 1.72%. Workplace risk assessment carried out in response that it was very low as 9.3% of the total. In the technology and funding programs that are supported by the government, was highest with 62.7% of the clean support program awareness, awareness of the rest of the programs is about 10-14% lower. And the satisfaction of supporting a clean support program were the highest 81.3%.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.108-113
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• 2021

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between changes in employment status and new-onset depressive symptoms through a one-year follow-up of permanent waged workers. Methods: We analyzed the open-source data from the Korea Welfare Panel Study. Using the 2017 data, we selected 2,314 permanent waged workers aged 19 to 59 years without depressive symptoms as a base group. The final analysis targeted 2,073 workers who were followed up in 2018. In 2018, there were five categories of employment status for workers who were followed up: permanent, precarious, unemployed, self-employed, and economically inactive. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the association between employment status change and new-onset depressive symptoms. Results: Adjusted multiple logistic regression analysis showed that among male workers, workers who went from permanent status to being unemployed (odds ratio: 4.50, 95% confidence interval: 1.19 to 17.06) and from permanent status to being precarious workers (odds ratio: 3.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.30 to 7.65) had significantly high levels of new-onset depressive symptoms compared with those who retained their permanent employment status. There were no significant increases in new-onset depressive symptoms of male workers who went from permanent status to being self-employed or economically inactive. On the other hand, no significant differences were found among female workers. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the change of employment status to precarious workers or unemployment can cause new-onset depressive symptoms in male permanent waged workers.

• 대한안전경영과학회지
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.15-24
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• 2008

This study was to investigate the relationship of VDT(visual display terminal) work condition and fatigue severity in the financial office workers. Questionnaires were completed by 662 persons in VDT workers of Post Office from January to May 2006. Multidimensional Fatigue Scale(MFS) that was developed in Korea Occupational Safety &Health Agency to estimate the degree of fatigue was used for study. In results, 149 persons(22.5%) in VDT workers were felt low fatigue severity, 351 workers(53.0%) were middle, and 162 workers (24.5%) were high. So it was appeared that one in four VDT workers felt the high fatigue severity. And woman VDT workers felt more fatigue severity than man. Also, fatigue severity was increased with increasing work time. Our findings suggest that VDT workers in financial office need proper health program to prevent occupational fatigue and disease.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.75-75
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• 2015