Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Boyoung Han

1 Article

Hazards and health problems in occupations dominated by aged workers in South Korea: Jungsun Park, Soo Geun Kim, Jong-shik Park, Boyoung Han, Kab Bae Kim, Yangho Kim; Ann Occup Environ Med 2017;29:27. Published online June 26, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-017-0177-9

Background

South Korea’s population is aging more rapidly than any other country. Aging of the productive population will lead to shortage of labor and the decreasing quality of the labor force in South Korea. South Korea needs health care strategies to support the establishment of work environments that are appropriate for elderly workers who have reduced physical capacity. This paper aims to identify occupations that are dominated by aged workers and assess the exposure to hazards and work-related health problems of aged workers in these occupations.

Methods

We identified the 20 occupations in South Korea that employ the most aged workers (at least 55 years-old), among all 149 occupations that are defined as minor categories (identified by three digits) by the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations (KSCO). Exposure to hazards and work-related health problems of individuals in these occupations were evaluated by analyzing the results of the fourth Working Conditions Survey of 2014.

Results

Among the 20 occupations that employ the most aged workers, ‘Elementary Occupations’, which the KSCO classifies as major category (9), had the largest proportion of aged workers. After this, there were five occupations of skilled manual workers and six occupations of skilled non-manual workers. Aged workers in elementary and skilled manual occupations reported frequent exposure to job-specific hazards, such as noise, vibrations, high and low temperatures, solvents, and chemicals. Relative to other workers, aged workers in the occupations reported more frequent exposure to ergonomic hazards, such as tiring or painful positions, carrying or moving heavy loads, and repetitive movements, and also reported more work-related musculoskeletal disorders and general fatigue. Injury due to accident was common in machinery-handling occupations.

Conclusion

Job-specific hazards should be reduced to prevent occupation-related disorders in elementary and skilled manual occupations that are dominated by aged workers.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Factors affecting work-related non-fatal injuries among aged workers in South Korea
Jungsun Park, Jong-shik Park, Younghoon Jung, Minoh Na, Yangho Kim
Frontiers in Public Health.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Characteristics of Work-related Fatal Injuries Among Aged Workers in Republic of Korea
Jungsun Park, Jong-shik Park, Younghoon Jung, Minoh Na, Yangho Kim
Safety and Health at Work.2024; 15(2): 158. CrossRef
National trend of the treatment for chronic venous diseases in Korea between 2010 and 2020
SooBum Shon, Hyangkyoung Kim, Hyeong Cheol Kim, Sungsin Cho, Seung Hwan Lee, Jin Hyun Joh
Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research.2023; 104(1): 27. CrossRef
Impact of a passive upper-body exoskeleton on muscle activity, heart rate and discomfort during a carrying task
Gabriela Garcia, Paul Gonzalo Arauz, Isabel Alvarez, Nicolas Encalada, Shirley Vega, Bernard J. Martin, Ryan T. Roemmich
PLOS ONE.2023; 18(6): e0287588. CrossRef
Cleaning in the 21st Century: The musculoskeletal disorders associated with the centuries-old occupation – A literature review
Jia-Hua Lin, Wonil Lee, Caroline K. Smith, Nanette L. Yragui, Michael Foley, Gwanseob Shin
Applied Ergonomics.2022; 105: 103839. CrossRef
Association between Whole-Body Vibration exposure and musculoskeletal disorders among dumper operators: A case-control study in Indian iron ore mines
Rahul Upadhyay, Ashis Bhattacherjee, Aditya Kumar Patra, Nearkasen Chau
Work.2022; 71(1): 235. CrossRef
Older Female Farmers and Modeling of Occupational Hazards, Wellbeing, and Sleep-Related Problems on Musculoskeletal Pains
Dong Seok Shin, Byung Yong Jeong
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2022; 19(12): 7274. CrossRef
A population-based study of health-promoting behaviors and their predictors in Iranian males, 2019
Fovziye Sanaati, Mehrnaz Geranmayeh, Zahra Behboodi Moghadam, Armin Zareiyan, Keshvar Samadaee Gelehkolaee, Mojgan Mirghafourvand
Archives of Public Health.2021;[Epub] CrossRef
Precarious Employment and Increased Incidence of Musculoskeletal Pain among Wage Workers in Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study
Sungjin Park, June-Hee Lee
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2021; 18(12): 6299. CrossRef
Aging at Work: A Review of Recent Trends and Future Directions
Jasmina Barakovic Husic, Francisco José Melero, Sabina Barakovic, Petre Lameski, Eftim Zdravevski, Petra Maresova, Ondrej Krejcar, Ivan Chorbev, Nuno M. Garcia, Vladimir Trajkovik
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2020; 17(20): 7659. CrossRef
Factors Related to Physical and Mental Health in Workers With Different Categories of Employment
Jungsun Park, Yangho Kim
Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.2020; 62(7): 511. CrossRef
Analysis of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Muscle Stresses on Construction Workers’ Awkward Postures Using Simulation
Shraddha Palikhe, Mi Yirong, Byoung Yoon Choi, Dong-Eun Lee
Sustainability.2020; 12(14): 5693. CrossRef
Comparison of occupational health problems of employees and self-employed individuals who work in different fields
Jungsun Park, Boyoung Han, Yangho Kim
Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health.2020; 75(2): 98. CrossRef
Association of Exposure to a Combination of Ergonomic Risk Factors with Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Korean Workers
Jungsun Park, Yangho Kim
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2020; 17(24): 9456. CrossRef
Non-Standard Workers Have Poorer Physical and Mental Health Than Standard Workers
Jaeouk Ahn, Nam-Soo Kim, Byung-Kook Lee, Jungsun Park, Yangho Kim
Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.2019; 61(10): e413. CrossRef
The history of occupational health in South Korea
Jungsun Park, Yangho Kim
Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health.2019; 74(1-2): 50. CrossRef
Association of Job Satisfaction and Security With Subjective Health and Well-Being in Korean Employees
Jungsun Park, Boyoung Han, Yangho Kim
Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.2018; 60(10): e525. CrossRef
Measuring Industrial Health Using a Diminished Quality of Life Instrument
Zuzhen Ji, Dirk Pons, John Pearse
Safety.2018; 4(4): 55. CrossRef

64 View
0 Download
22 Web of Science
18 Crossref

Author index