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Original Article
Occupational disease issues in high-tech industries of South Korea: analysis of governmental data on the semiconductor and display industries
Chungsik Yoon, Jinjoo Chung, Jongran Lee, Kwonchul Ha, Joseph DiGangi, Jeong-Ok Kong
Ann Occup Environ Med 2025;37:e6.   Published online March 24, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/aoem.2025.37.e6
AbstractAbstract AbstractAbstract in Korean PDF
Background
This study analyzed occupational diseases compensated through the government system in the Korean electronics industry and observed changes in the rationale for compensation.
Methods
Data from the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (KWCWS) from 2012 to 2023 were analyzed to examine occupational disease issues in South Korea's semiconductor and display industries.
Results
KWCWS received 174 occupational disease claims between 2012 and 2023, with 88 (50.6%) approved. The case of a 22-year-old semiconductor worker who died from leukemia has raised awareness and appears to be leading to more claims and higher approval rates. Cancer-related claims, particularly for breast and blood cancers, were the most common. Since 2018, the approval rate for occupational diseases has increased to 60%, which may have been influenced by the Supreme Court's Principle of Presumption of Occupational Diseases and the government’s reduction of the burden of proof. However, approval rates remain lower in small- and medium-sized enterprises (38.0%) compared to large corporations (55.6%), likely because of better documentation and unionization in the latter. The semiconductor industry had more claims and approvals than the LCD industry, primarily due to its longer operational history and greater chemical exposure.
Conclusions
In South Korea, the increasing approval rate of occupational diseases in the electronics industry from 2012 to 2023 appears to reflect changes in how causal relationships and occupational health policies have been implemented and this is likely due to stakeholder involvement and relevant legal decisions.
반도체 및 디스플레이 산업의 정부자료 분석으로 본 한국 첨단 산업에서의 직업병 이슈
목적
본 연구는 한국 전자산업에서 산재보험 보상 승인된 직업병을 분석하고 보상 근거의 변화를 관찰하였다.
방법
2012년부터 2023년까지 근로복지공단의 데이터를 분석하여 한국의 반도체 및 디스플레이 산업에서 직업병의 신청과 승인을 연도별, 업종별, 규모별로 분석하였다.
결과
2012년부터 2023년까지 근로복지공단에 접수된 직업병 산재보상 신청은 174건이고 이 중 88건(51%)이 승인되었다. 2007년 한 반도체 노동자의 백혈병 사망을 계기로 직업병에 대한 인식이 높아져, 산재보상 신청 건수가 증가하고 승인률도 높아진 것으로 추정된다. 신청 상병은 암, 특히 유방암과 혈액암이 가장 많았다. 대법원이 직업병 추정 원칙을 판시하고 정부가 입증 부담을 완화한 것이 2018년 이후 직업병 승인률을 60%까지 증가하는데 기여하였다. 그러나 중소기업(38%)의 승인률은 대기업(56%)에 비해 여전히 낮은데, 이는 대기업에서 기록을 더 잘 보관하고 노조 조직률도 더 높은 것이 영향을 주었을 것이다. 반도체 산업은 LCD 산업보다 산재 신청 건수와 승인 건수가 더 많은데, 이는 반도체 산업의 역사가 더 길며 화학물질 노출이 더 크기 때문으로 추정된다.
결론
연구 기간 동안 전자업체에서의 대부분 직업병은 혈액암과 유방암과 같은 암이었고 직업병 산재 승인의 증가는 이해관계자의 참여와 사회 이슈화, 유연해진 법원 판결, 산재보험제도 등이 큰 영향을 미쳤을 것이다.
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Original Article
Dynamics of pre-shift and post-shift lung function parameters among wood workers in Ghana
John Ekman, Philip Quartey, Abdala Mumuni Ussif, Niklas Ricklund, Daniel Lawer Egbenya, Gideon Akuamoah Wiafe, Korantema Mawuena Tsegah, Akua Karikari, Håkan Löfstedt, Francis Tanam Djankpa
Ann Occup Environ Med 2023;35:e39.   Published online September 12, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/aoem.2023.35.e39
AbstractAbstract PDF
Background

Diseases affecting the lungs and airways contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. The problem in low- and middle-income countries appears to be exacerbated by a shift in global manufacturing base to these countries and inadequate enforcement of environmental and safety standards. In Ghana, the potential adverse effects on respiratory function associated with occupational wood dust exposure have not been thoroughly investigated.

Methods

Sixty-four male sawmill workers and 64 non-woodworkers participated in this study. The concentration of wood dust exposure, prevalence and likelihood of association of respiratory symptoms with wood dust exposure and changes in pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters in association with wood dust exposure were determined from dust concentration measurements, symptoms questionnaire and lung function test parameters.

Results

Sawmill workers were exposed to inhalable dust concentration of 3.09 ± 0.04 mg/m3 but did not use respirators and engaged in personal grooming habits that are known to increase dust inhalation. The sawmill operators also showed higher prevalence and likelihoods of association with respiratory symptoms, a significant cross-shift decline in some PFT parameters and a shift towards a restrictive pattern of lung dysfunction by end of daily shift. The before-shift PFT parameters of woodworkers were comparable to those of non-woodworkers, indicating a lack of chronic effects of wood dust exposure.

Conclusions

Wood dust exposure at the study site was associated with acute respiratory symptoms and acute changes in some PFT parameters. This calls for institution and enforcement of workplace and environmental safety policies to minimise exposure at sawmill operating sites, and ultimately, decrease the burden of respiratory diseases.


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Original Article
Particulate matter concentration effects on attention to environmental issues: a cross-sectional study among residents in Korea’s Pohang Industrial Complex
Hye-seung Ryu, Jea Chul Ha, Insung Chung, Seonhee Yang, Hyunjoo Kim, Sung-Deuk Choi
Ann Occup Environ Med 2023;35:e31.   Published online August 10, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/aoem.2023.35.e31
AbstractAbstract AbstractAbstract in Korean PDFSupplementary Material
Background

With modernization, air pollution has become increasingly serious, and its effects on health have been revealed. As a result, public interest in environmental pollution has become critical for regulating air pollution. In our study, we aim to evaluate the impact of air pollution levels on public attention to environmental issues and examine whether awareness of the residential environment’s impact on health acts as a mediator in this relationship.

Methods

We conducted an analysis on 400 individuals surveyed in the preliminary feasibility study on adverse health effects in the Pohang Industrial Complex, to examine the relationship between particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and attention to environmental issues. Logistic regression analysis was performed, and mediation analysis was used to determine whether awareness of the residential environment’s impact on health mediated the relationship.

Results

The logistic regression analysis results showed that PM2.5 levels were associated with attention to environmental issues (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3–3.5; p = 0.003) and awareness of health impacts (AOR: 3.4; 95% CI: 1.6–7.1; p = 0.001). The PM2.5 levels showed 9.9% (95% CI: 5.4–14.0) increase in the prevalence of high attention to environmental issues, of which, only 1.0% (95% CI: 0.2–2.3) were mediated by health impact awareness. In the overall analysis, 10% of the total effect of PM2.5 on attention to environmental issues was mediated by health impact awareness.

Conclusions

According to this study’s results, there was a correlation between air pollution levels and attention to environmental issues. Awareness of the health impacts of air pollution partially mediated the effect of air pollution levels on attention to environmental issues. In future studies, it is recommended to identify other mediators to further understand this structure.

미세먼지(Particular matter)농도가 환경문제에 대한 관심에 미치는 영향 : 포항시 거주민을 대상으로 한 단면연구
목적
근현대화가 진행되어오면서 대기오염은 심각해지고 대기오염에 의한 건강영향이 밝혀지면서 대기오염을 규제하기위해 환경오염에 대한 대중의 관심도가 중요해졌다. 이번 연구에서는 대기오염 수치가 환경오염에 대한 관심도에 미치는 영향을 평가하고 그 구조로써 건강영향에 대한 인식이 매개체로써 작용하는지 탐구하고자 하였다.
방법
포항 산업단지 건강피해 예비타당성 위해소통 설문조사에서 파악된 400명에 대하여 분석을 시행하였다. PM2.5와 환경오염에 대한 관심의 관계에 대해서 보기위해 로지스틱 회귀분석을 시행하였고, 그 구조를 파악하기 위해 매개분석을 사용하여 건강영향에 대한 인식이 매개체로써 작용하는지 확인하였다.
결과
로지스틱 분석 결과 PM2.5 수치는 환경에 대한 관심과 관련이 있었고([AOR]: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.3, 3.5, P = 0.003), 건강영향에 대한 인식도와도 관련이 있었다(AOR: 3.4, 95% CI: 1.6, 7.1, P = 0.001). PM2.5수치는 전체 환경에 대한 관심도에 비교위험(%)이 9.9 (95 % CI: 5.4, 14.0)인데 전체에서 1.0 (95 % CI: 0.2, 2.3) 만이 건강영향 인식도에 의해 매개되는 비교위험이다. 전체 분석 결과에서 PM2.5가 환경에 대한 관심에 미치는 전체 영향의 10%가 건강영향 인식에 매개되었다.
결론
연구결과에 따르면 대기오염 수준은 환경오염에 대한 관심도와 관련이 있었다. 건강영향에 대한 인식은 대기오염수준이 환경오염에 대한 관심도에 미치는 영향의 일부를 매개하였다.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  
  • Long-term joint exposure of outdoor air pollutants and impaired kidney function in Korean adults: A mixture analysis based on a nationwide sample (2007–2019)
    Seong-Uk Baek, Jin-Ha Yoon
    Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology.2025; 116: 104712.     CrossRef
  • Association between exposure to ambient particulate matter and high sensitivity C-reactive protein: A nationwide study in South Korea, 2015–2018
    Seong-Uk Baek, Jong-Uk Won, Yu-Min Lee, Jin-Ha Yoon
    Atmospheric Environment.2024; 339: 120856.     CrossRef
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Special Article
Problems and suggested improvement plans for occupational health service in Korea
Dongmug Kang
Ann Occup Environ Med 2023;35:e10.   Published online May 11, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/aoem.2023.35.e10
AbstractAbstract AbstractAbstract in Korean PDFSupplementary Material

The purpose of this paper was to review the problems relating to Korea’s occupational health services and suggest ways to improve them. Korea can be classified as a welfare state type of conservative corporatism partially interwoven with liberalism. While experiencing compressed economic growth, the economic sectors of developed (excess areas) and developing (deficient areas) countries are interwoven. Therefore, it is necessary to perfect conservative corporatism along with a complementary reinforcement of liberal contents and to apply a multilayered approach focusing on complementing the deficient areas. It is essential to form a national representative indicator related to occupational health, and a strategy for selection and concentration is needed. The proposed central indicator is the occupational health coverage rate (OHCR), which is the number of workers who have applied for mandatory occupational health services under the Occupational Safety and Health Act in the numerator with the total working population in the denominator. This paper proposes ways to raise the OHCR, which is currently at the level of 25%–40%, to 70%–80%, which is the level of Japan, Germany, and France. To achieve this target, it is necessary to focus on small businesses and vulnerable workers. This is an area of market failure and requires the active input of community-oriented public resources. For access to larger workplaces, the marketability of services should be strengthened and personal intervention using digital health resources should be actively attempted. Taking a national perspective, work environment improvement committees with tripartite (labor, management, and government) participation for improvement of the working environment need to be established at the center and in the regions. Through this, prevention funds linked to industrial accident compensation and prevention could be used efficiently. A national chemical substance management system must be established to monitor the health of workers and the general public.

한국의 직업보건서비스의 문제점과 개선 방안
한국의 직업보건서비스의 문제점을 살펴보고 개선 방안을 제시하고자 하였다. 발간된 논문과 보고서 및 2022년의 산업보건환경 변화에 따른 대응방안 연구(정책포럼)1의 결과를 중심으로 조사하였다. 한국은 보수적조합주의를 근간으로 한 자유주의가 가미된 형태의 복지국가유형으로 분류할 수 있고, 압축적 경제성장을 경험하면서 선진국과 개발도상국의 영역이 섞여 있어 과잉과 결핍이 혼재되어 있다. 따라서 한국의 직업보건서비스의 발전을 위해서는 보수조합주의적 완성도를 높이면서 부수적으로 자유주의적 내용을 보완하여야 하며, 동일한 발전단계에 대한 단일한 접근법 보다는 결핍영역에 대한 보완을 중심으로 한 중층적 접근법이 필요하다. 직업보건관련 중심적 지표를 형성하고 이에 대한 선택과 집중전략이 필요하며, 중심지표로는 현재 25~40% 수준에 머물러 있는 직업보건 적용율을 독일, 프랑스, 일본 수준인 70~80% 수준으로 제고하는 것을 목표로 삼기를 제안한다. 이렇게 하기 위해서는 소규모 사업장과 취약한 노동자에 대해 집중하여야 하며, 이 영역은 시장실패영역으로서 지역중심의 공공자원의 적극적 투입이 필요한데, 전국 보건소 숫자인 256개 정도의 지역에 지역 직업보건 지원센터를 건립할 것을 제안한다. 중규모 이상의 사업장에 대한 접근으로는 서비스의 수요에 기반한 시장성을 강화하고 디지털헬스를 이용한 개인영역의 중재를 적극 시도하여야 한다. 전국적차원에서 사업장 작업환경개선과 중재를 위한 노사정이 참여하는 작업환경개선위원회를 중앙과 지역에 설치하고, 이를 통해 산재보상과 예방을 연계한 예방기금을 효율적으로 사용하도록 한다. 국가 차원의 화학물질 관리체계를 구축하고, 근로자와 일반국민의 건강을 모니터링할 수 있어야 한다

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  
  • Perspectives from the new president of the Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Medicine: future strategies for occupational and environmental medicine
    Sang Baek Ko
    Ann Occup Environ Med.2025; 37: e1.     CrossRef
  • Occupational disease monitoring by the Korea Occupational Disease Surveillance Center: a narrative review
    Dong-Wook Lee, Inah Kim, Jungho Hwang, Sunhaeng Choi, Tae-Won Jang, Insung Chung, Hwan-Cheol Kim, Jaebum Park, Jungwon Kim, Kyoung Sook Jeong, Youngki Kim, Eun-Soo Lee, Yangwoo Kim, Inchul Jeong, Hyunjeong Oh, Hyeoncheol Oh, Jea Chul Ha, Jeehee Min, Chul
    The Ewha Medical Journal.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Challenges from 14 years of experience at Workers' Health Centers in basic occupational health services for micro and small enterprises in Korea: a narrative review
    Jeong-Ok Kong, Yeongchull Choi, Seonhee Yang, Kyunghee Jung-Choi
    The Ewha Medical Journal.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Association of Precarious Employment With Unmet Healthcare Needs and Health Checkup Participation
    Seong-Uk Baek, Jin-Ha Yoon
    American Journal of Preventive Medicine.2025; 68(6): 1120.     CrossRef
  • Precarious employment and the onset of depressive symptoms and problematic alcohol use in middle-aged or older workers: A Korean longitudinal study (2006–2022)
    Seong-Uk Baek, Yu-Min Lee, Jong-Uk Won, Jin-Ha Yoon
    Social Science & Medicine.2024; 357: 117170.     CrossRef
  • Association of precarious employment with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among female workers: Findings from a nationwide longitudinal study in Korea
    Seong-Uk Baek, Yu-Min Lee, Jin-Ha Yoon
    Journal of Affective Disorders.2024; 351: 931.     CrossRef
  • Association between precarious employment and the onset of depressive symptoms in men and women: a 13-year longitudinal analysis in Korea (2009–2022)
    Seong-Uk Baek, Jong-Uk Won, Yu-Min Lee, Jin-Ha Yoon
    Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Association between life satisfaction, self-esteem, and health checkup participation: A population-based longitudinal study in South Korea
    Seong-Uk Baek, Jin-Ha Yoon
    Preventive Medicine.2024; 189: 108127.     CrossRef
  • Multidimensional typologies of precarious employment and their relationships with mental well-being in Korean wageworkers: A latent class analysis based on the Korean Working Conditions Survey (2020–2021)
    Seong-Uk Baek, Jong-Uk Won, Jin-Ha Yoon
    Preventive Medicine.2023; 177: 107787.     CrossRef
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Special Article
Approval status and characteristics of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among Korean workers in 2020
Eun-woo Cha, Sae-mi Jung, Il-ho Lee, Dae Hwan Kim, Eui Hyek Choi, In-ah Kim, Yong-kyu Kim, Kyung-joon Lee, Yang Won Kang, Ho-gil Kim, Young-ki Kim
Ann Occup Environ Med 2022;34:e31.   Published online October 26, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/aoem.2022.34.e31
AbstractAbstract AbstractAbstract in Korean PDF
Background

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) in occupational disease claims and identify patterns of WRMSDs for each body part by industry and occupation.

Methods

This study analyzed the raw data of occupational disease claims for musculoskeletal disorders deliberated by the Occupational Disease Decision Committee of the Korea Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service in 2020. The data was classified into 6 body parts with the highest numbers of occupational disease cases by using the complete enumeration data on principal diagnoses and 4 types of subdiagnoses in the raw data. The characteristics and approval rates of WRMSDs by body part, industry and occupation were examined and summarized.

Results

A total of 13,015 occupational disease cases for WRMSDs were classified, and lumbar spinal (back) diseases accounted for the largest proportion of claimed diseases, followed by shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, and neck diseases in a descending order. The occupations with the highest and second highest numbers of occupational disease cases by body part were found to be automobile assemblers and production-related elementary workers for the neck, school meal service workers and cooks for the back, construction frame mold carpenters and school meal service workers for the shoulder, elementary workers in mining and food service workers for the elbow, food service workers and automobile parts assemblers for the wrist, and ship welders and school meal service workers for the knee.

Conclusions

This study examined the characteristics and approval status of WRMSDs by body part and occupation. Based on the study results, management strategies for the prevention of WRMSDs should be established regarding occupations with a high risk of WRMSDs for each body part.

업무상 근골격계질환의 2020년 산업재해 승인 현황과 특성
목적
본 연구는 업무 관련 근골격계 질환(WMSD)의 특성과 신체 부위에 따른 업종 및 직종별 WMSD 승인율을 분석하기 위해 실시됐다.
방법
2020년 근로복지공단 업무상질병판정위원회에서 심의된 근골격계질환 신청건의 원자료를 활용하여 분석하였다. 원자료의 주상병과 네가지 부상병 정보 전수를 활용하여, 상병신청건수가 많은 6개의 신체부위로 구분하였다. 각 부위별로 업종 및 직종에 대하여 특성과 승인율을 정리 하였다.
결과
WMSD 신청건수는는 총 13015건이 분류되었고, 이중 요추질환이 가장많았고, 어깨, 팔, 손목, 무릎, 경추 순으로 이어졌다. 부위별로 신청건수가 많았던 직종으로 경추는 자동차조립, 제조관련단순종사원, 요추는 급식조리사, 조리사, 어깨는 건설형틀목공, 급식조리사, 팔은 광업단순종사원, 급식조리사, 손목은 급식조리사, 자동차부품조립, 무릎은 조선용접공, 급식조리사로 조사됐다.
결론
신체 부위별 직종에 따른 WMSD의 특성 및 승인율 등을 살펴보았다. 이러한 결과를 바탕으로 신체 부위별 고위험 직종에 대하여 WMSD 예방을 위한 관리 전략이 수립되어야 한다.

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  • Self-Esteem Trajectories After Occupational Injuries and Diseases and Their Relation to Changes in Subjective Health: Result From the Panel Study of Workers’ Compensation Insurance (PSWCI)
    Seong-Uk Baek, Won-Tae Lee, Min-Seok Kim, Myeong-Hun Lim, Jin-Ha Yoon, Jong-Uk Won
    Journal of Korean Medical Science.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among workers in the automobile manufacturing industry in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis
    Xiongda He, Bin Xiao, Junle Wu, Chunshuo Chen, Wankang Li, Maosheng Yan
    BMC Public Health.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
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Case Report
Nickel dust-induced occupational contact dermatitis by welding and grinding work in shipyard workers: a report of nine cases
Daehwan Kim, A Ram Kim, Hanjun Kim, Sunghee Lee, Byeonghak Seo, Ho Seok Suh, Chang Sun Sim, Heun Lee, Cheolin Yoo
Ann Occup Environ Med 2022;34:e7.   Published online March 24, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/aoem.2022.34.e7
AbstractAbstract AbstractAbstract in Korean PDF
Background

Occupational skin diseases are skin conditions that occur or worsen in relation to work and known to be the second most common type of occupational disease affecting individuals in the United States. In Korea, epidemiological reports related to occupational skin diseases are rare. But, no cases of occupational contact dermatitis caused by welding and grinding work have been reported previously.

Case presentation

Nine male workers working in the production department for liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships in Ulsan complained of erythematous papules/patches and itching in various areas of the body after welding and grinding work. The work environment monitoring report revealed that the amount of nickel dust exceeded the time weighted average (TWA) and poor local ventilation status. Based on the symptoms and the overall results of surveys, several tests, and work environment monitoring report, the 2 workers who had positive patch-test reactions to nickel were diagnosed with nickel dust-induced allergic contact dermatitis. The other 7 workers were diagnosed that there was a high probability that they had nickel dust-induced irritant contact dermatitis. The 2 workers who had nickel dust-induced allergic contact dermatitis were recommended to switch their jobs.

Conclusions

Nickel is one of the most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis. In this case, the dust was assumed to be created by welding work with a high nickel content new welding rod and subsequent grinding work, and the concentration of this dust exceeded the time weighted average. Thus, it is thought that the nickel dust may have caused contact dermatitis through continuous contact with the workers' exposed skin in a poorly ventilated space. Currently, several domestic shipbuilding companies are manufacturing LNG tankers using a new construction method. Consequently, it is highly likely that similar cases will occur in the future, which makes this case report meaningful.

조선소에서 용접 및 그라인더 작업 중 발생한 니켈 분진에 의한 직업성 접촉피부염 사례 : 9 cases
배경
직업성 피부질환은 업무와 관련되어 발생하거나 악화하는 피부질환을 말하며 미국에서 직업성 질환 중 2번째로 흔한 질환으로 알려져 있다. 국내에서는 직업성 피부질환과 관련하여 역학적인 보고는 가끔 있었으나, 용접/사상 작업을 하는 근로자들에게서 니켈에 의한 직업성 접촉피부염이 발생한 보고는 없었다.
증례
울산 소재의 한 조선회사의 LNG선 생산부에 근무 중인 9명의 남성 근로자가 용접/사상 작업 후 여러 국소 부위에 발진 및 가려움을 호소했다.
작업환경측정 보고에 따르면 니켈 분진의 양이 한계 수준을 초과했고 국소 환기 상태가 불량한 것으로 나타났다.
직업성 피부염의 증상, 문진, 여러 검사 결과, 작업환경측정 결과 등을 고려하였을 때 우리는 니켈에 양성 반응을 보인 2명을 니켈 분진에 의한 알레르기접촉피부염으로 진단하였다. 다른 7명은 니켈 분진에 의한 자극접촉피부염 가능성이 높음으로 진단하였다. 니켈 분진에 의한 알레르기접촉피부염으로 진단한 2명에게 작업 전환을 권고하였다.
고찰
니켈은 직업 환경 및 일반 인구에서 피부에 노출 시 발생하는 알레르기접촉피부염의 가장 흔한 원인이다. 본 사례에서 높은 니켈함유량을 가진 새로운 용접봉을 이용한 용접작업 및 이어진 사상 작업으로 인해 고농도의 니켈 분진이 발생한 것으로 추정되며, 이 분진의 농도는 기준치를 초과했다. 따라서 환기가 잘 되지 않는 공간에서 니켈 분진이 근로자들의 노출된 피부에 지속적으로 닿아 접촉피부염을 일으켰을 것으로 생각된다. 현재 국내 여러 조선사들이 새로운 공법으로 LNG 탱크를 생산하고 있다. 결과적으로 우리의 사례와 유사한 여러 사례가 향후 발생할 가능성이 매우 높아 이를 보고하는 바이다.

Citations

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  • Numerical simulation of the collection efficiency of welding fume particles in electrostatic precipitator
    Yindong Song, Yuni Zhang, Yiliang Liu, Wangyang Long, Kun Tao, Kambiz Vafai
    Powder Technology.2023; 415: 118173.     CrossRef
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Review
A work-relatedness assessment in epidemiological case investigation of occupational cancers: II. Practice: an upper urinary tract cancer in a dyer
Kihun Kim, Hyeoncheol Oh, Jungwon Kim
Ann Occup Environ Med 2020;32:e31.   Published online September 1, 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/aoem.2020.32.e31
AbstractAbstract PDF

An epidemiological case investigation of occupational cancer is conducted to determine the causation between the cancer and the worker's job. This review describes the overall process of work-relatedness assessment of the epidemiological case investigation through a case of upper urinary tract cancer (UUTC) in benzidine exposed worker in dyeing industry. Medical referrals, occupational history, material safety data sheet, and working environment monitoring submitted by the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service were reviewed. We further investigated literatures about the cotton dyeing industry, the domestic law and working environment monitoring reports. Benzidine was listed as an International Agency for Research on Cancer risk factor only for bladder cancer among urinary tract cancers, requiring different logical grounds for establishing causation. A literature review was conducted on the metabolic pathways of benzidine to establish biological plausibility. In addition, several papers were investigated that UUTC and bladder cancer share risk factors to extrapolate the epidemiological studies of bladder cancer. Epidemiologic studies of benzidine and bladder cancer were investigated. The worker is a 71-year-old man and performed dyeing and transporting at several dyeing factories for 29 years. The worker was diagnosed with UUTC based on radiologic and histologic results. It was critical to consider that he worked as a dyer for 3 years. The cancer was diagnosed in 2018, with a latent period of approximately 35 years. The worker performed cotton dyeing, and benzidine-based dye was mainly used. The quantitative exposure level of benzidine was reported from non-detection to 397.4 µg/m3. In biological metabolisms, N-acetylhydroxylamine changes DNA structure of urothelium. As a result of reviewing 4 epidemiological studies, the standardized incidence ratio and standardized mortality ratio were significantly high with 3 years of exposure. Work-relatedness was finally assessed as probable based on biological mechanisms and epidemiological evidence. This review will help solutions for work-relatedness assessment processes.


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Case Report
A case of acute organic solvent poisoning during epoxy coating
Sujin Lee, Inah Kim, Dooyong Park, Jaechul Song, Sang Gil Lee
Ann Occup Environ Med 2019;31:e9.   Published online June 18, 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/aoem.2019.31.e9
AbstractAbstract PDF
Background

In the construction industry, maintaining health and safety of workers often challenging. Among the workers at construction sites, painters are at particular risk of respiratory diseases and neurotoxicity. However, in Korea there is weak enforcement of workers' health and safety practices in the construction industry in Korea. Poisonings frequently occur at (semi)closed construction sites. In this study, we report a case of acute organic solvent poisoning during construction site painting.

Case presentation

A 71-year-old man was found unconscious at a construction site and immediately transferred to the emergency room. The consciousness level was 'stupor state' and the body temperature was hypothermic, at 32 degrees (Celsius). There were no acute brain or cardiac lesions that would have accounted for the faintness. In addition, blood and urine tests did not indicate a cause of loss of consciousness. He had been painting epoxy to waterproof the basement floor before fainting. According to exposure simulation, the patient was overexposed to various organic solvents, such as approximately 316–624 ppm toluene during the work before fainting. Considering the ventilation status of the workplace and the status of no protection, it is considered that exposure through the respiratory tract was considerable.

Conclusions

The patient in this case lost consciousness during the epoxy coating in a semi-enclosed space. It can be judged as a result of acute poisoning caused by organic solvent exposure and considered to be highly related to work environment.


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  • Physical and Chemical Interactions of the Polar and Nonpolar Solvents on the Mesoporous Silica Material to Developing Solvent Sensors.
    Yesmin Panecatl‐Bernal, Joaquín Alvarado, Josué Ortiz‐Medina, Iván Fuentecilla‐Carcamo, Rodolfo Lima‐Juárez, Daladier‐Alonso Granada‐Ramírez, Melissa Chávez‐Portillo, Lucero Esquina‐Arenas, Sergio Hernández‐Corona, Elder Alpes de Vasconcelos, Walter Mende
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Research Article
The role of customer service manual on workplace emotional burden in nationwide cross sectional study
Sehyun Yun, Sung-Shil Lim, Jihyun Kim, Young-Kwang Kim, Jong-Uk Won, Jin-Ha Yoon
Ann Occup Environ Med 2019;31:5.   Published online February 12, 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-019-0285-9
AbstractAbstract PDF
Background

We aim to discuss the overall effect of customer service manual (CSM) on service industry workers using Korean Working Condition Survey.

Methods

Out of 50,007 total survey participants, 11,946 customer service workers were included in the current study (5613 men, 6333 women). Answers to survey questions were used to define the use of CSM, emotional burden, emotional dissonance, engaging angry customers and other covariates. Emotional burden included either depressive event or stress level. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of experiencing emotional burden was calculated by logistic regression model. Interaction effect between CSM and engaging angry customer on emotional burden was also estimated.

Results

Out of 11,946 subjects, total of 3279 (27.4%) have experienced emotional burden. OR (95% CI) of experiencing emotional burden was 1.40 (1.19–1.64) in men and 1.25 (1.09–1.44) in women. There was gender difference in interaction effect between the use of CSM and engaging angry customers. In men, OR (95% CI) was 3.16 (1.38–7.23) with additive effect when always engaging angry customers with CSM compared to rarely engaging without CSM, while in women OR (95% CI) was 8.85 (3.96–19.75) with synergistic effect. Moreover, the risk of depressive event increased only in women with OR (95% CI) 2.22 (1.42–3.48).

Conclusions

Our current study highlighted association between emotional burden and CSM in both men and women service workers. Furthermore, women were affected more severely by CSM. The results from current study suggest that CSM should be changed appropriately to benefit workers.


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    Eliana Ruetti, Sofia Pirotti
    International Journal of Disability, Development and Education.2025; 72(4): 737.     CrossRef
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    Heliyon.2024; 10(16): e36228.     CrossRef
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    Benedict Ogbemudia Imhanrenialena, Ozioma Happiness Obi-Anike, Chikodili Nkiruka Okafor, Ruby Nneka Ike, Chinedu Obiora-Okafo
    Journal of Financial Services Marketing.2022; 27(2): 136.     CrossRef
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    Gintarė Kalinienė, Dalia Lukšienė, Rūta Ustinavičienė, Lina Škėmienė, Vidmantas Januškevičius
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2021; 18(11): 5603.     CrossRef
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    Jungsun Park, Yangho Kim
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    Sehyun Yun, Minsuk Kim, Won-Tae Lee, Jin-Ha Yoon, Jong-Uk Won
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2021; 18(4): 1517.     CrossRef
  • Effects of Emotional Labor Factors and Working Environment on the Risk of Depression in Pink-Collar Workers
    Hae-ryoung Chun, Inhyung Cho, Youngeun Choi, Sung-il Cho
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2020; 17(14): 5208.     CrossRef
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    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2019; 16(18): 3309.     CrossRef
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Case Report
Ovarian cancer in a former asbestos textile factory worker: a case report
Sunwook Park, Jaechan Park, Eunsoo Lee, Huisu Eom, Mu Young Shin, Jungwon Kim, Dongmug Kang, Sanggil Lee
Ann Occup Environ Med 2018;30:65.   Published online November 16, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-018-0277-1
AbstractAbstract PDF
Background

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) defined that asbestos is a group 1 substance that causes lung cancer, mesothelioma (pleura and peritoneum), laryngeal cancer, and ovarian cancer in humans. Many studies on lung cancer, and mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure have been conducted, but there was no case report of ovarian cancer due to asbestos exposure in Korea. We describe a case of ovarian cancer caused by asbestos exposure in a worker who worked at an asbestos textile factory for 3 years and 7 months in the late 1970s.

Case presentation

A 57-year-old woman visited the hospital because she had difficulty urinating. Ovarian cancer was suspected in radiologic examination, and exploratory laparotomy was performed. She was diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer. The patient did not undergo postoperative chemotherapy and recovered. She joined the asbestos factory in March 1976 and engaged in asbestos textile twisting and spinning for 1 year, 2 years and 7 months respectively. In addition, she lived near the asbestos factory for more than 20 years. There was no other specificity or family history.

Conclusion

Considering the patient’s occupational and environmental history, it is estimated that she had been exposed to asbestos significantly, so we determined that ovarian cancer in the patient is highly correlated with the occupational exposure of asbestos and environmental exposure is a possible cause as well. Social devices are needed to prevent further exposure to asbestos. It is also necessary to recognize that ovarian cancer can occur in workers who have previously been exposed to asbestos, and the education and social compensation for those workers are needed.


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    Wasey Ali Yadullahi Mir, Ayusha Poudel, Anurag Adhikari, Dhan Bahadur Shrestha, Yubraj Sedhai, Peter LaCamera, Andrew Moraco
    Current Pulmonology Reports.2023; 12(4): 244.     CrossRef
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Research Article
Relationship between job stress and functional dyspepsia in display manufacturing sector workers: a cross-sectional study
Younghyeon Nam, Soon-Chan Kwon, Yong-Jin Lee, Eun-Chul Jang, Seung-hwan Ahn
Ann Occup Environ Med 2018;30:62.   Published online October 19, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-018-0274-4
AbstractAbstract PDF
Background

Job stress has been reported as a risk factor of psychological changes, which have been shown to be related to gastrointestinal diseases and symptoms such as functional dyspepsia. However, few studies have assessed the relationship between job stress and functional dyspepsia. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between job stress and functional dyspepsia in South Korea.

Methods

This study was conducted between May 23 and July 6, 2016 and included 901 workers in the display manufacturing sector. Subjects completed self-reported questionnaires, regarding Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS), functional dyspepsia, Insomnia Severity Index-K, and health-related behaviors and job characteristics. Subjects were divided into functional dyspepsia-positive and -negative groups based on the Rome III criteria. The KOSS high-risk group was defined as subjects with KOSS score above the 75 percentile of KOSS reference value. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between job stress and functional dyspepsia.

Results

In women, the risk of functional dyspepsia was significantly higher in the high-risk groups of the following KOSS subcategories in unadjusted model: job demand (OR 3.282, 95% CI 1.181–9.126), and occupational climate (OR 2.665, 95% CI 1.041–6.823). Even in adjusted model, the risk was significantly higher in the high-risk groups of the following KOSS subcategories: job demand (OR 3.123, 95% CI 1.036–9.416) and occupational climate (OR 3.304, 95% CI 1.198–9.115). In men, the risk of functional dyspepsia was not significant in all KOSS subcategories.

Conclusions

This study showed that job demand and occupational climates were associated with functional dyspepsia in female display manufacturing sector workers. Therefore, both clinical and mental health approaches should be used in the management of functional dyspepsia in women.


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Research Article
Association between air pollution in the 2015 winter in South Korea and population size, car emissions, industrial activity, and fossil-fuel power plants: an ecological study
Hyeran Choi, Jun-Pyo Myong
Ann Occup Environ Med 2018;30:60.   Published online October 5, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-018-0273-5
AbstractAbstract PDFSupplementary Material
Background

Compared to 10 years ago, the ambient particulate matter 10 (PM10) and carbon monoxide (CO) levels in South Korea have decreased. However, compared to many other OECD countries, these levels are still too high. Concentration of air pollutants such as PM10 is especially higher during winter than during summer. The first step to rationally solving the air pollution problem in Korea is to identify the key air pollution sources during each season. This ecological study was performed to assess the association between the number of days the accepted PM10 and CO thresholds were exceeded and the concentration of potential emission sources in winter season 2015.

Methods

An emission inventory of the PM10 and CO emissions in the 232 administrative South Korean districts in January, 2015, and February, 2015 and December, 2015, and the population density, number of car registrations, number of car accidents, industrial power usage, and presence of a fossil-fuel power plant in each district was established on the basis of official web-page data from the government. For all emission source variables except power plants, the administrative districts were grouped into quartiles. Districts were also divided according to whether a power plant was present or not. Negative binomial regression was performed to assess the associations between the PM10 and CO air pollution (defined as ≥100 g/m3 and ≥ 9 ppm, respectively) and the concentration of each emission source.

Results

Compared to the districts with the lowest population density, the districts with the third highest population density associated most strongly with air pollution. This was also observed for industrial power usage. Car accident number and car registration numbers showed a linear relationship with air pollution. Districts with power plants were significantly more likely to have air pollution than districts that lacked a plant.

Conclusions

Greater car numbers, industrial activity, and population density, and the presence of fossil-fuel plants associated with air pollution in the 2015 winter in South Korea. These data highlight the contaminant sources that could be targeted by interventions that aim to reduce air pollution, decrease the incidence of exposure, and limit the impact of pollution on human health.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40557-018-0273-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.


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  • A review of factors influencing sensitive skin: an emphasis on built environment characteristics
    Xiangfeng Chen, Jing Wen, Wenjuan Wu, Qiuzhi Peng, Xiangfen Cui, Li He
    Frontiers in Public Health.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Application of machine learning to predict hospital visits for respiratory diseases using meteorological and air pollution factors in Linyi, China
    Jing Yang, Xin Xu, Xiaotian Ma, Zhaotong Wang, Qian You, Wanyue Shan, Ying Yang, Xin Bo, Chuansheng Yin
    Environmental Science and Pollution Research.2023; 30(38): 88431.     CrossRef
  • Premature mortality attributable to NO2 exposure in cities and the role of built environment: A global analysis
    Jian Song, Yuling Wang, Qin Zhang, Wei Qin, Rubing Pan, Weizhuo Yi, Zhiwei Xu, Jian Cheng, Hong Su
    Science of The Total Environment.2023; 866: 161395.     CrossRef
  • Investigating relationship between particulate matter air concentrations and suicides using geographic information system
    Anna Gładka, Jan Blachowski, Joanna Rymaszewska, Tomasz Zatoński
    Psychology, Health & Medicine.2022; 27(10): 2238.     CrossRef
  • Using an Exposome-Wide Approach to Explore the Impact of Urban Environments on Blood Pressure among Adults in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei and Surrounding Areas of China
    Jian Song, Peng Du, Weizhuo Yi, Jing Wei, Jianlong Fang, Rubing Pan, Feng Zhao, Yi Zhang, Zhiwei Xu, Qinghua Sun, Yingchun Liu, Chen Chen, Jian Cheng, Yifu Lu, Tiantian Li, Hong Su, Xiaoming Shi
    Environmental Science & Technology.2022; 56(12): 8395.     CrossRef
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    Yeong Jun Ju, Joo Eun Lee, Soon Young Lee
    Environmental Science and Pollution Research.2021; 28(24): 31289.     CrossRef
  • Association between perceived environmental pollution and poor sleep quality: results from nationwide general population sample of 162,797 people
    Yeong Jun Ju, Joo Eun Lee, Dong-Woo Choi, Kyu-Tae Han, Soon Young Lee
    Sleep Medicine.2021; 80: 236.     CrossRef
  • Report of Particulate Matter Emissions During the 2015 Fire at Fuel Tanks in Santos, Brazil
    Daniela Oliveira da Silva, Bruna Hayashida Arôxa, Virginia Klausner, Eduardo Jorge de Brito Bastos, Alan Prestes, Alessandra Abe Pacini
    Air, Soil and Water Research.2020;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Using Bayesian spatio-temporal model to determine the socio-economic and meteorological factors influencing ambient PM2.5 levels in 109 Chinese cities
    Jie-Qi Jin, Yue Du, Li-Jun Xu, Zhao-Yue Chen, Jin-Jian Chen, Ying Wu, Chun-Quan Ou
    Environmental Pollution.2019; 254: 113023.     CrossRef
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Research Article
An overview of compensated work-related injuries among Korean firefighters from 2010 to 2015
Hyung Doo Kim, Yon Soo An, Dong Hyun Kim, Kyung Sook Jeong, Yeon Soon Ahn
Ann Occup Environ Med 2018;30:57.   Published online September 3, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-018-0268-2
AbstractAbstract PDF
Background

Although one in two firefighters in South Korea have experienced work-related injuries, there are few studies which show the overview description on work-related injuries and its analysis regarding such causes. Therefore, we aimed to show the overview of compensated work-related injuries in order to serve fundamental data for establishing prevention policies on work-related injuries for Korean firefighters.

Methods

We requested the all claimed work-related injury data of Korean firefighters from 2010 to 2015 to the Korean National Fire Agency (NFA). The data from NFA including 2457 claimed cases was analyzed and we confirmed, 2154 approved work-related injuries for the kinds of job activities, cause of accident and type of injuries. Among 2154 approved cases, we analyzed more variables for the sex, age, and job duration of 1344 compensated cases through served text file on summary of accident.

Results

The Government Employees Pension Service (GEPS) recognized 2154 (87.7%) approved work-related injuries among 2457 claimed cases. The incidence of work-related injuries per 1000 firefighters was 9.8 persons. By region, the incidence of work-related injuries per 1000 firefighters ranged from a maximum of 14.5 to a minimum of 4.0. The most common job activity caused the accident was fire suppression (18.0%), followed by Emergency medical services (EMS) (17.5%) and training (10.7%). The most common cause of these accident was movement imbalance (30.3%), followed by falls (18.9%) and traffic accident (13.4%). In these work-related injuries, sprains and bruises were the most common type of injury (27.2%), and the most commonly injured body site was the upper and lower back (25.3%). Data from identified 1344 firefighters showed that 1264 (94.0%) were male and 80 (6.0%) were female. Age group was the highest in the 40s with 623 cases (46.4%), and job duration was the highest with 650 cases in 5–10 years (48.4%).

Conclusion

In this study, we could obtain the preliminary data necessary to establish preventive measures, including the cause of accident and region with high accident rates. However, the number of applications for compensated injuries was very small compared to the frequency of injuries found in previous studies. The lack of appropriate treatment suggested that many firefighter injuries can become chronic. In this study, we suggest that it is necessary to introduce an injury monitoring system and improve the accessibility of compensated injuries.

Trial registration

CR318031. Registered 20 June 2018.


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    Eshetu Abera Worede, Kedir Yesuf, Lidetu Demoze, Gelila Yitageasu, Bikes Destaw Bitew
    Scientific Reports.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • The Impact of Firefighters’ Emotional Labor on Job Performance: The Moderating Effects of Transactional and Transformational Leadership
    Hyeong-Su Park, Kuk-Kyoung Moon, Tae-Soo Ha
    Fire.2024; 7(8): 291.     CrossRef
  • Cohort Profile: The Registry-based Epidemiological Study of Cancer in Fire Unit and Emergency Officers (RESCUE) cohort
    Wonjeong Jeong, Yoon A Kim, Soo Yeon Song, Dong-Hee Koh, Hyoung-Ryoul Kim, Jae-Lim Cho, Changsoo Kim, Jae Kwan Jun
    International Journal of Epidemiology.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Peripheral vestibular loss in noise-exposed firefighters
    Hillary Anne Snapp, Lindsey Vanlooy, Brianna Kuzbyt, Courtney Kolberg, Denise Laffitte-Lopez, Suhrud Rajguru
    Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
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    Hoyol Jhang, Wonjeong Jeong, Hyun-Soo Zhang, Dong-Woo Choi, Hyejung Kang, Sohee Park
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    Noah J. Carr-Pries, Shannon C. Killip, Joy C. MacDermid
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  • Subclinical Hearing Deficits in Noise-Exposed Firefighters
    Hillary A. Snapp, Natasha Schaefer Solle, Barbara Millet, Suhrud M. Rajguru
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2022; 19(17): 11028.     CrossRef
  • The effects of psychological risk factors at work on cognitive failures through the accident proneness
    Milad Abbasi, Mohsen Falahati, Masoumeh Kaydani, Rohollah Fallah Madvari, Ahmad Mehri, Maryam Ghaljahi, Saeid Yazdanirad
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    Wei-Ching Hsu, Chun-Hsiang Wang, Kang-Ming Chang, Li-Wei Chou
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  • Cohort Profile: Firefighter Research on the Enhancement of Safety and Health (FRESH), a Prospective Cohort Study on Korean Firefighters
    Yun Tae Kim, Woo Jin Kim, Jee Eun Choi, Mun-joo Bae, Heeseon Jang, Chan Joo Lee, Hye-Jeong Lee, Dong Jin Im, Byoung Seok Ye, Mi-Ji Kim, Yeoju Jeong, Sung Soo Oh, Young-Chul Jung, Eun Seok Kang, Sungha Park, Seung Koo Lee, Ki Soo Park, Sang Baek Koh, Chang
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    Juha Park, Yeon-Soon Ahn, Min-Gi Kim
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Research Article
Thyroid cancer among female workers in Korea, 2007–2015
Seonghoon Kang, Jinho Song, Taehwan Koh, One Park, Jong-Tae Park, Won-Jin Lee
Ann Occup Environ Med 2018;30:48.   Published online July 16, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-018-0259-3
AbstractAbstract PDFSupplementary Material
Background

Prevalence of thyroid cancer has been increasing rapidly worldwide, especially among women. There has been a debate as to whether such an increase represents consequences of over-diagnosis or a true increase. To find the occupational risk of Korean female workers in different industry sectors, we analyzed the data of Korean female workers.

Methods

National Female Worker Cohort data that contain information on total female workers were used for our analysis of prevalence of thyroid cancer (C73 according to KCD-5, 6 code) derived from National Health Insurance data. By combining industrial codes from National Health Insurance Service and those from Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service, the classification of industrial codes became to consist of the total of thirty three representing both non-office (NO) and office (O) categories. Both an internal comparison among female workers within the cohort and an external comparison to compare female workers with Korean general female population were carried out.

Results

Among 149,258 female workers, 2,641 cases of thyroid cancers were identified. Differences in prevalence of thyroid cancer between female workers (40.5%) and general Korean female population (32.6%) were observed; however, the differences in prevalence of thyroid cancer between NO workers and O workers were not apparent. An analysis involving workers in Financial and insurance activities sector revealed that, standardized prevalence rate (SPR) of both NO (2.96, 95% CI = 2.01–4.20) and O workers (3.68, 95% CI = 3.10–4.33) increased significantly and that an AOR (adjusted odds ratio) increased marginally (1.38, 95% CI = 0.97–1.96). Further, when stratified in respect to the duration of employment, an AOR of female workers having been employed for more than 8 years showed a significant increase (1.63, 95% CI = 1.07–2.49).

Conclusions

Female workers had a higher risk of thyroid cancer than general female population but the difference between NO workers and O workers was not found to be significant in most industrial sectors. Further studies using data with information regarding specific occupational exposures are needed.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40557-018-0259-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.


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  • Thyroid Cancer Diagnostics Related to Occupational and Environmental Risk Factors: An Integrated Risk Assessment Approach
    Gabriela Maria Berinde, Andreea Iulia Socaciu, Mihai Adrian Socaciu, Andreea Cozma, Armand Gabriel Rajnoveanu, Gabriel Emil Petre, Doina Piciu
    Diagnostics.2022; 12(2): 318.     CrossRef
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    Won Jin Lee, Dale L. Preston, Eun Shil Cha, Seulki Ko, Hyeyeun Lim
    Environmental Health.2019;[Epub]     CrossRef
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Research Article
Differences in the performance of health officers at the workplace according to their qualifications
Yeong-Kwang Kim, Jin-Ha Yoon, Wanhyung Lee, Jihyun Kim, Sung-Shil Lim, Jong-Uk Won
Ann Occup Environ Med 2018;30:35.   Published online May 30, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-018-0246-8
AbstractAbstract PDF
Background

Health officers are an integral part of the occupational health service, and there have been studies to identify and improve the role of health officers in the workplace in order to improve the level of health care in the workplace. This study aimed to determine the contribution of health officers to the role of a health officer as prescribed by law and the percentage of health management work performed during work according to their qualifications.

Methods

Questionnaires were distributed to a total of 4584 workplaces where health officers were hired, and a total of 806 copies (17.58%) were returned. Of these, 336 questionnaires were finally analyzed, after excluding questionnaires missing the main variables. Using the data, the difference of role contributions and the percentage of health care work performed during the whole day according to the qualification of the health officer was analyzed.

Results

Nurses were highly rated in the field of medical care, and industrial hygienists and air environmental engineers were highly rated in terms of chemicals and risk factor management. The percentage of health care work performed during the whole day differed according to the size of the workplace and industrial classification, but it was generally the lowest among air environmental engineers.

Conclusions

Health officers play a very different role in the workplace depending on their qualification, and they need support for areas of other qualification. In order to effectively manage the health of the staff at a workplace, it is necessary to consider the development of a support system for small- and medium-sized enterprises and adjust the conditions of employment of the health officer according to the law.


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Research Article
Mental disorders among workers in the healthcare industry: 2014 national health insurance data
Min-Seok Kim, Taeshik Kim, Dongwook Lee, Ji-hoo Yook, Yun-Chul Hong, Seung-Yup Lee, Jin-Ha Yoon, Mo-Yeol Kang
Ann Occup Environ Med 2018;30:31.   Published online May 3, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-018-0244-x
AbstractAbstract PDF
Background

Numerous studies have shown that healthcare professionals are exposed to psychological distress. However, since most of these studies assessed psychological distress using self-reporting questionnaires, the magnitude of the problem is largely unknown. We evaluated the risks of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and any psychiatric disorders in workers in healthcare industry using Korea National Health Insurance (NHI) claims data from 2014, which are based on actual diagnoses instead of self-evaluation.

Methods

We used Korea 2014 NHI claims data and classified employees as workers in the healthcare industry, based on companies in the NHI database that were registered with hospitals, clinics, public healthcare, and other medical services. To estimate the standardized prevalence of the selected mental health disorders, we calculated the prevalence of diseases in each age group and sex using the age distribution of the Korea population. To compare the risk of selected mental disorders among workers in the healthcare industry with those in other industries, we considered age, sex, and income quartile characteristics and conducted propensity scored matching.

Results

In the matching study, workers in healthcare industry had higher odds ratios for mood disorders (1.13, 95% CI: 1.11–1.15), anxiety disorders (1.15, 95% CI: 1.13–1.17), sleep disorders (2.21, 95% CI: 2.18–2.24), and any psychiatric disorders (1.44, 95% CI: 1.43–1.46) than the reference group did. Among workers in healthcare industry, females had higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders than males, but the odds ratios for psychiatric disorders, compared to the reference group, were higher in male workers in healthcare industry than in females.

Conclusions

The prevalence of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and all psychiatric disorders for workers in the healthcare industry was higher than that of other Korean workers. The strikingly high prevalence of sleep disorders could be related to the frequent night-shifts in these professions. The high prevalence of mental health problems among workers in healthcare industry is alarming and requires prompt action to protect the health of the “protectors.”


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Research Article
The relationship between spontaneous abortion and female workers in the semiconductor industry
Heechan Kim, Ho-Jang Kwon, Jeongbae Rhie, Sinye Lim, Yun-Dan Kang, Sang-Yong Eom, Hyungryul Lim, Jun-Pyo Myong, Sangchul Roh
Ann Occup Environ Med 2017;29:49.   Published online October 9, 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-017-0204-x
AbstractAbstract PDF
Background

This study investigated the relationship between job type and the risk for spontaneous abortion to assess the reproductive toxicity of female workers in the semiconductor industry.

Methods

A questionnaire survey was administered to current female workers of two semiconductor manufacturing plants in Korea. We included female workers who became pregnant at least 6 months after the start of their employment with the company. The pregnancy outcomes of 2,242 female workers who experienced 4,037 pregnancies were investigated. Personnel records were used to assign the subjects to one of three groups: fabrication process workers, packaging process workers, and clerical workers. To adjust for within-person correlations between pregnancies, a generalized estimating equation was used. The logistic regression analysis was limited to the first pregnancy after joining the company to satisfy the assumption of independence among pregnancies. Moreover, we stratified the analysis by time period (pregnancy in the years prior to 2008 vs. after 2009) to reflect differences in occupational exposure based on semiconductor production periods.

Results

The risk for spontaneous abortion in female semiconductor workers was not significantly higher for fabrication and packaging process workers than for clerical workers. However, when we stratified by time period, the odds ratio for spontaneous abortion was significantly higher for packaging process workers who became pregnant prior to 2008 when compared with clerical workers (odds ratio: 2.21; 95% confidence interval: 1.01–4.81).

Conclusions

When examining the pregnancies of female semiconductor workers that occurred prior to 2008, packaging process workers showed a significantly higher risk for spontaneous abortions than did clerical workers. The two semiconductor production periods in our study (prior to 2008 vs. after 2009) had different automated processes, chemical exposure levels, and working environments. Thus, the conditions prior to 2008 may have increased the risk for spontaneous abortions in packaging process workers in the semiconductor industry.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40557-017-0204-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.


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  • Associations between maternal occupational exposures and pregnancy outcomes among Chinese nurses: a nationwide study
    Zhaoqiang Jiang, Junfei Chen, Lingfang Feng, Mingying Jin, Shuang Liu, Lina Wang, Jing Wang, Changyan Yu, Jianhong Zhou, Yan Ye, Liangying Mei, Wenlan Yu, Xing Zhang, Jianlin Lou
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    Kyung-Taek Rim
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    Kyungsik Kim, Ho Kyung Sung, Jieun Jang, Eunyoung E. Suh, Kwan Lee, Sue K. Park
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2022; 19(10): 6286.     CrossRef
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    Weitao Liang, Tianyuan Zhu, Na Tan, Guangzhuang Jing, Li'ao Xie, Yuhui Dang, Zhilan Li
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    Angela Alibrandi, Lavinia Merlino, Claudio Guarneri, Ylenia Ingrasciotta, Agata Zirilli
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Research Article
Characteristics of occupational musculoskeletal disorders of five sectors in service industry between 2004 and 2013
Hyun-Woo Choi, Young-Ki Kim, Dong-Mug Kang, Jong-Eun Kim, Bo-Young Jang
Ann Occup Environ Med 2017;29:41.   Published online September 19, 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-017-0198-4
AbstractAbstract PDF
Background

‘Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs)’ have been mostly reported in the manufacturing industry but recently the occurrence of industrial injuries has been constantly increasing in the service industry. This research is going to analyze the data about workers’ compensation for WRMSDs in five different service sectors and identify characteristics of occupations with the highest approved occupations.

Methods

According to the data released from the Korea Worker’s Compensation & Welfare Service, the overview of 12,730 cases of workers’ compensation for WRMSDs in five service sectors from 2004 to 2013 is going to be analyzed and the source data is going to be classified by the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations to select the top five occupations that have the highest number of approval.

Results

After selecting each five occupations from the service sector that have work related musculoskeletal disorders, the result showed that the occupation with the highest number of approval in the health and social care sector were the early childhood educators, cooks in the school canteens in education services sector, garbage collectors in the sanitation and similar services sector, deliverymen in wholesale and retail, consumer goods repair and building cleaners in general management businesses such as those in building maintenance. The major event observed in the top five occupations was the overexertion and reaction as a cause of WRMSDs. The day when the WRMSDs mostly occurred was on Monday and the most likely time was 10 am. The median days away from work and lost working days are 29–90 days and 0–50 days respectively. The difference in each occupation was observed in year of service, age, and gender.

Conclusions

83.21% of the approved cases of workers’ compensation for WRMSDs occurred in the top 25 occupations in all of the five service sectors, which meant that the approval of workers’ compensation is concentrated in specific occupations. This research is going to suggest preventive measures for work related musculoskeletal disorders in the service industry and to help prioritize the preventive measures.

Trial registration

Not applicable.


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    Ruiqiu Zhang, Minxin Huang
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    Katarzyna Kliniec, Mateusz Mendowski, Patrycja Zuziak, Mateusz Sobieski, Urszula Grata-Borkowska
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    Melkamu Alie, Yohannes Abich, Solomon Fasika Demissie, Fkrte Kebede Weldetsadik, Tesfa Kassa, Kassaw Belay Shiferaw, Balamurugan Janakiraman, Yohannes Awoke Assefa
    BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
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Research Article
Levels of blood lead and urinary cadmium in industrial complex residents in Ulsan
Sang Hoon Kim, Yang Ho Kim, Hyun Chan An, Joo Hyun Sung, Chang Sun Sim
Ann Occup Environ Med 2017;29:26.   Published online June 26, 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-017-0179-7
AbstractAbstract PDF
Background

Populations neighboring industrial complexes are at an increased health risk, due to constant exposure to various potentially hazardous compounds released during industrial production activity. Although there are many previous studies that focus on occupational exposure to heavy metals, studies that focused on environmental exposure to lead and cadmium are relatively rare. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the extent of the environmental exposure of heavy metals in residents of industrial area.

Methods

Four areas in close proximity to the Ulsan petrochemical industrial complex and the Onsan national industrial complex were selected to be included in the exposure group, and an area remotely located from these industrial complexes was selected as the non-exposure group. Among the residents of our study areas, a total of 1573 subjects aged 20 years and older were selected and all study subjects completed a written questionnaire. Blood and urine samples were obtained from about one third of the subjects (465 subjects) who provided informed consent for biological sample collection. Total 429 subjects (320 subjects from exposure area, 109 subjects from non-exposure area) were included in final analysis.

Results

The geometric mean blood lead level among the subjects in the exposed group was 2.449 μg/dL, which was significantly higher than the non-exposure group’s level of 2.172 μg/dL. Similarly, the geometric mean urine cadmium levels between the two groups differed significantly, at 1.077 μg/g Cr. for the exposed group, and 0.709 μg/g Cr. for the non-exposure group.

In a multiple linear regression analysis to determine the relationship between blood lead level and related factors, the results showed that blood lead level had a significant positive correlation with age, the male, exposure area, and non-drinkers. In the same way, urine cadmium level was positively correlated with age, the female, exposure area, and smokers.

Conclusions

This study found that blood lead levels and urine cadmium levels were significantly higher among the residents of industrial areas than among the non-exposure area residents, which is thought to be due to the difference in environmental exposure of lead and cadmium. Furthermore, it was clear that at a low level of exposure, differences in blood lead or urine cadmium levels based on age, gender, and smoking status were greater than the differences based on area of residence. Therefore, when evaluating heavy metal levels in the body at a low level of exposure, age, gender, and smoking status must be adjusted, as they are significant confounding factors.


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Case Report
A case of laryngeal cancer induced by exposure to asbestos in a construction site supervisor
Sooyong Roh, Soyong Park, Gyeong Tae, Jaechul Song
Ann Occup Environ Med 2016;28:34.   Published online August 8, 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-016-0114-3
AbstractAbstract PDF
Background

Construction site supervisors are exposed to many chemicals, dusts, and metals including asbestos. Asbestos is a hazardous chemical that is carcinogenic. Laryngeal cancer is not a rare disease in Korea. The most common causes of this disease are tobacco and alcohol, and representative occupational cause is asbestos. However, up to now, no case of laryngeal cancer induced by asbestos has been reported in Korea. In this study, we report such a case in a construction site supervisor.

Case presentation

A 60-year-old man who had been experiencing hoarseness for 2 months was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. The pathologic diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma in situ, based on examination of a biopsy specimen obtained by resection of the lesion. The patient had been exposed to asbestos for 38 years at construction sites where he worked until diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. He had been exposed to asbestos when demolishing buildings and inspecting materials.

Conclusion

The patient in this case worked with construction materials including asbestos and supervised construction for 38 years, and was thus exposed to asbestos at construction sites. Much of the asbestos was highly concentrated especially during demolition processes. We therefore consider the laryngeal cancer of this patient to be a work-related disease.


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    Enlin Ye, Jiasheng Huang, Jia Wang, Yumei Zhao, Dongdong Niu, Jie Liu, Xueying Huang, Suru Yue, Xuefei Hou, Jiayuan Wu
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    Dong-Mug Kang, Jong-Eun Kim, Yong-Jin Lee, Hyun-Hee Lee, Chang-yeol Lee, Seong-Jae Moon, Min-Sung Kang
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Research Article
Factors related to the physician and the employer influencing successful return to work in Korea: results from the first panel study of workers’ compensation insurance (PSWCI)
Wanhyung Lee, Jin-Ha Yoon, Jaehoon Roh, Yeong-Kwang Kim, Hongdeok Seok, June-Hee Lee, Jong-Uk Won
Ann Occup Environ Med 2015;27:27.   Published online December 11, 2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-015-0076-x
AbstractAbstract PDF
Objectives

This study aims to investigate associated factors including the physician and the employer of successful return to work (RTW) in occupationally injured workers.

Methods

This study is based on the first panel study of workers’ compensation insurance (PSWCI), published in June 2014. The PSWCI is a sample survey of occupationally injured workers who completed medical care in 2012 (89,921 people). A total of 2000 subjects were sampled based on sex, age, nine metropolitan-based regions, disability ratings, duration of rehabilitation, and whether vocational rehabilitation service was used. We divided the study population into two groups: return to work (RTW) group (job retention, reemployment, unpaid family worker, and self-employment), and non-RTW group (joblessness and economical inactivity). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) related to differences in basic characteristics, part of physician and employer-related factors between those who succeeded to RTW and those who did not were measured using multivariable logistic regression model.

Results

The success of RTW is 70.6 % (n = 1412) among participants. The ORs (95 % CI) of the participants belonging to RTW who received periodic recovery assessment from the medical care institution and the physician are 1.51 (1.07–2.13). The ORs (95 % CI) are 1.68 (1.05–2.69) for the RTW group who received work ability assessment and referral for vocational return. When the employer maintains the relationship with the occupationally injured worker, the worker has 1.39 times higher odds (95 % CI: 1.41–2.26) of the RTW group compared to the non-RTW group.

Conclusions

The physician and the employer have a significant impact on the RTW.


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  • Income Changes Due to Disability Ratings and Participation in Economic Activities Caused by Industrial Accidents: A Population-Based Study of Data from the Fourth Panel Study of Workers’ Compensation Insurance (PSWCI)
    Suk Won Bae, Sehyun Yun, Ye Seol Lee, Jin-Ha Yoon, Jaehoon Roh, Jong-Uk Won
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2018; 15(11): 2478.     CrossRef
  • Prediction of Return-to-original-work after an Industrial Accident Using Machine Learning and Comparison of Techniques
    Jongin Lee, Hyoung-Ryoul Kim
    Journal of Korean Medical Science.2018;[Epub]     CrossRef
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Research Article
Prevalence and determinants of work related injuries among small and medium scale industry workers in Bahir Dar Town, north west Ethiopia
Getnet Abebe Molla, Waju Beyene Salgedo, Yohannes Kebede Lemu
Ann Occup Environ Med 2015;27:12.   Published online April 8, 2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-015-0062-3
AbstractAbstract PDF
Objectives

To assess the prevalence and determinants of work-related injuries among small and medium scale industrial workers in Bahir Dar town, northwest Ethiopia.

Method

Cross sectional comparative study design was used. Purposive sampling method was used to choose the specific Kebele 14 of the study area, for its relatively high number of industries. The study units were stratified into small and medium scale industries. All workers who were available at the time of interview were included in the study. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using SPSS for windows 16.0.

Result

A total of 328 and 655 workers from small and medium-scale industries respectively participated in the study. Seven hundred sixty nine (78.2%) were males. Three hundred thirty six workers (34.2%) reported that they had experienced work-related injuries. Sex, monthly salary, age, work experience and use of personal protective equipment were found to be different in the small and medium industries (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

There was a high prevalence of work related injuries. Sociodemographic, socioeconomic, personal work behavior and the working environment have contributed for the injuries. Work-related injuries are assumed to be preventable with the provision of occupational health programs in workplaces. Thus it is recommended that the owners of industries need to focus on training and installing safer work environment and Further studies with large-scale coverage and prospective study designs are warranted.


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    Belete Girma, Amanuel Ejeso, Zemachu Ashuro, Mekonnen Birhanie Aregu
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    Mitiku Bonsa Debela, Muluken Azage, Negussie Deyessa, Achenef Motbainor Begosaw
    BMC Public Health.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
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    Mitiku Bonsa Debela, Muluken Azage, Achenef Motbainor Begosaw
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    Mitiku Bonsa, Getachew Redae Taffere, Mulubirhan Assefa Alemayehu
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    Nagasa Dida, Jiregna Darega, Feyisa Lemesa, Jeylan Kassim, Bedasa Woldemichael
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    Chimere May Ohajinwa, Peter M van Bodegom, Martina G Vijver, Adesola O Olumide, Oladele Osibanjo, Willie J G M Peijnenburg
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Original Article
Comparison of Cardiovascular Disease Status Between Large Scale Industry Office and Self Employed Male Workers
Keun Ho Jang, Won Ju Park, Myeong Bo Kim, Dae Kwang Lee, Hong Jae Chae, Jai Dong Moon
Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2011;23(2):130-138.   Published online June 30, 2011
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2011.23.2.130
AbstractAbstract PDF
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study is to compare the cardiovascular disease status between large scale industry office and self employed male workers who have gaps in their intensive health management.
METHODS
The cross sectional study was carried out with subjects composed of 244 shipyard office male workers and 381 self employed male workers, aged 30 to 55 years. They were given a health exam in a general hospital from January 2007 to June 2009. Information was based on data from self-administered questionnaires, physical examination and laboratory results on blood samples. The degree of coronary artery calcification and stenosis was evaluated by a 64 channel multi-detector computed tomography angiography.
RESULTS
The prevalence of hypertension(p<0.01) and diabetes mellitus(p=0.02) and waist circumference(p<0.01) was significantly lower in the shipyard office workers than in self employed workers. Proper drinking(p<0.01) was more commmon in shipyard office workers. The rates of coronary artery calcification and stenosis were estimated to be 18.4% and 11.5% respectively for shipyard office workers and were significantly lower than the 26.5% and 21.5% for self employed workers. After adjustment for age, the probability of coronary artery stenosis in shipyard office workers was lower than in self employed workers (OR=0.56, 95% CI=0.35~0.90).
CONCLUSIONS
The study results verified the benefits of a health promotion and intervention program and the healthy worker effect for cardiovascular diseases. More specifically, it verified the benefits regarding coronary artery stenosis in large scale industry office workers. This result should encourage the establishment of health promotion programs and the study of occupational epidemiology.

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  • The effect of employment transitions on physical health among the elderly in South Korea: A longitudinal analysis of the Korean Retirement and Income Study
    Juyeon Lee, Myoung-Hee Kim
    Social Science & Medicine.2017; 181: 122.     CrossRef
  • Association of Work-related Characteristics and Hypertension among White Collar Workers
    Chae-Bong Kim, KyooSang Kim
    Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.2015; 25(3): 418.     CrossRef
  • Comparison of oral health status by metabolic syndrome risk factors in workers
    In-Young Ku, Seon-Jeong Moon, Myeong-Seon Lee, Kyung-Hwan Ka
    Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene.2013; 13(4): 581.     CrossRef
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Original Article
Cognition and Practice on Medical Information Protection of Iudustrial Health Care Manager of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises
Soo Jin Jeong, Min Kim, Chae Kwan Lee, Chang Hee Lee, Byung Chul Son, Dae Hwan Kim, Jeong Ho Kim, Jong Tae Lee, Goo Rak Chang, Ki Hun Hong, Chun Hui Suh
Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2011;23(1):53-63.   Published online March 31, 2011
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2011.23.1.53
AbstractAbstract PDF
OBJECTIVES
This research aimed to know the actual condition and problems of medical information protection at a workplace with the target of industrial health care managers of small and medium-sized enterprises.
METHODS
A self-administered questionnaire was given to industrial health-care managers of 216 enterprises from March 15 to May 17, 2010. The questionnaire was produced by referring to the Act on Personal Information Protection of Public Institutions, etc. This research evaluated agreement of cognition and practice according to 10 items of medical information protection using kappa and cross-analysis of significant factors between cognition and practice of medical information protection and general characteristics.
RESULTS
Cognition about medical information protection appeared to be 85.4-97.1% and its practice appeared to be 44.1-95.3%, so practice was lower than cognition. In addition, the agreement of cognition and practice appeared significantly low (kappa 0.082-0.387). The practice of medical information protection tended to be lower when the managers were older and held a higher job title. Health examination results were being delivered only to workers except for an employer (94.2%), but there were many industrial health-care managers who felt discomfort about their work in group occupational health-care systems (58.1%).
CONCLUSIONS
The practice of protecting medical information by industrial health-care managers was clearly lower than the cognition. Therefore, introduction of educational programs about personal information protection and provision of an independent place for group occupational health care service is urgent. In addition, in order to use the health examination results conveniently in group occupational health services, an institutional complement is necessary.

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    Jiwon Kang, GyeongAe Seomun
    Advances in Nursing Science.2021; 44(1): 16.     CrossRef
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    Hyun Sang Park, Kwang Il Kim, Jae Young Soh, Young Ho Hyun, Sae Kyun Jang, Sol Lee, Ga Young Hwang, Hwa Sun Kim
    JMIR mHealth and uHealth.2020; 8(6): e16723.     CrossRef
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    Seon Young Choi, Do Yeon Lim, Il Sun Ko, In Oh Moon
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    Miok Kim
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Original Article
Clusters of Pneumoconiosis among Residents Near Cement Factories
Jong Han Leem, Jae Hwa Cho, Eui Cheol Lee, Jeong Hoon Kim, Dong Hoon Lee, Seung Jun Lee, Ji Young Lee, Hwan Cheol Kim
Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2010;22(2):140-145.   Published online June 30, 2010
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2010.22.2.140
AbstractAbstract PDF
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated case clusters of pneumoconiosis among residents near cement factories in Young_Wol, Korea.
METHODS
There were 1,396 residents of a total 3,418 residents surveyed for this study. Informations on demographics, health-related behaviors (smoking and drinking), past medical history, and clinical symptoms were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. All study participants underwent a physical examination, including chest X-ray, and physicians' interview. Chest CT (computerized tomography) was taken if there was abnormal finding on chest X-ray and physicians' interview.
RESULTS
We detected 5 cases of pneumoconiosis. 2 cases were related to occupational exposure to dust, such as underground mining and the breaking up of concrete. However, 3 cases were not related to occupational or environmental exposure, except that persons were living near cement factories and limestone mines.
CONCLUSION
This study suggests that the long-term exposure of cement dust among residents near cement factories and mines may lead to the development of pneumoconiosis.

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    Hyun Seung Lee, Chul Gab Lee, Dong Hun Kim, Han Soo Song, Min Soo Jung, Jae Yoon Kim, Choong Hee Park, Seung Chul Ahn, Seung Do Yu
    Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2016;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Ventilation impairment of residents around a cement plant
    Sul Ha Kim, Chul Gab Lee, Han Soo Song, Hyun Seung Lee, Min Soo Jung, Jae Yoon Kim, Choong Hee Park, Seung Chul Ahn, Seung Do Yu
    Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2015;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • A Study on the Results of Questionnaire Survey and Health Examination for Respiratory Disease among Residents in Briquette Fuel Complex in Ansim, Daegu
    Kwan Lee, Hyun-Sul Lim, Min-Gi Kim, Young-Sun Min, Young-Hyun Lee, Sung-Woo Kim, Hye-Sook Choi, Yeon-Soon Ahn, Joon Sakong, Seung-do Yu, Geun-Bae Kim, Mi-Ra Yoon
    Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.2015; 25(3): 355.     CrossRef
  • Cement dust and environmental diseases
    Jong-Han Leem
    Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2012; 55(3): 230.     CrossRef
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Case Report
A Case of Silicosis and Pneumothorax in a Workplace Producing Dental Porcerlain
Youngjoong Kang, Won Jun Choi, Sang Yun Lee, Jong Wan Yun, Hyung Sik Kim, Jong Uk Won, Sang Hwan Han
Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2010;22(1):58-63.   Published online March 31, 2010
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2010.22.1.58
AbstractAbstract PDF
BACKGROUND
Silicosis is more likely to occur in people working in the mining industry. However, workers suffering from silicosis have recently been reported frequently in other areas. We present a case of silicosis occuring in a 43-year-old man who had worked for 20 years in a workplace producing dental porcelain.
CASE
The man was admitted to the emergency room with acute chest pain caused by pneumothorax. Chest X-ray indicated numerous small opacities spread over the whole lung field and a large opacity in the right middle lung field. According to ILO classification, the shape of the small opacities was t/s, the profusion rate was 2/3 and the large opacity was classified into the B category. Following this diagnosis of silicosis, the patient's medical history and work exposure history were examined. According to his medical history, he had undergone closed thoracostomy in 2006 because he had suffered pneumothorax twice (in 2005 and 2006) and his smoking history was 7 pack years. In particular, he had been exposed to silica dust for 20 years in his workplace.
CONCLUSION
Despite the absence of any specific risk factor that caused pneumothorax, the patient suffered this condition three times. All clinical results and the progress of his physical symptoms, including radiologic findings from chest X-ray and computed tomography, clearly supported the diagnosis of silicosis. Except for exposure to silica dust in the workplace, no other risk factors causing silicosis were found. Therefore, he was finally diagnosed as having silicosis caused by exposure to silica dust in the workplace and followed by pneumothorax.

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Original Article
Occupational Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Cases Evaluated by Workers' Compensation in Korea
Hwa Pyung Lee, Dong Hee Koh, Eui Cheol Lee
Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2009;21(1):53-62.   Published online March 31, 2009
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2009.21.1.53
AbstractAbstract PDF
OBJECTIVES
To analyse the characteristics of occupational COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) cases that were evaluated by the Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute (OSHRI) of the Korea Occupational Safety & Health Agency (KOSHA).
METHODS
Using the OSHRI database from KOSHA, we collected 13 cases of occupational COPD that had been evaluated from 1998 to 2007.
RESULTS
Four cases had been evaluated as occupational COPD: 1) a nonsmoking road sweeper exposed to automobile exhaust gases and trash dust; 2) an oxygen welding worker exposed to cadmium fumes; 3) a cotton mill air conditioner cleaning worker exposed to cotton dust; and 4) a foundry grinding worker exposed to dust, gases, vapors and fumes. Nine cases had been evaluated as non-occupational COPD: 1) 4 cases in which smoking was determined to be the main cause rather than occupational exposure; 2) 1 case that was evaluated as another respiratory disease (severe tuberculosis sequelae); 3) 1 case that had been misdiagnosed as COPD; 4) 2 cases in which the exposure levels in the workplace environments were too low; and 5) 1 case that had developed before the employment. Among these 13 cases, a shipyard grinding worker had been evaluated in 2006 as having had a low occupational hazard, but a similar case (a foundry grinding worker) was evaluated as having had a high hazard in 2007.
CONCLUSIONS
Proper evaluation of occupational COPD demands an accurate diagnosis of COPD itself and also the exclusion of other respiratory diseases that have similar symptoms; an investigation of the relevant occupatioonal hazards and the amount of the exposure; and a consideration of smoking history. The evaluation should also take into account any substantial loss of life due to occupational hazards as well as any disease-free periods.

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  • Characteristics of forklift accidents in korean industrial sites
    Kwan Woo Kim
    Work.2021; 68(3): 679.     CrossRef
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    Jahyun Kim, Young Wook Kim, Chang Ho Chae, Jun Seok Son, Chan Woo Kim, Jun Ho Lee, Hyung Wook Park, Byung Mann Cho
    Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.2015; 25(4): 525.     CrossRef
  • Work-related COPD after years of occupational exposure
    YounMo Cho, JongIn Lee, Min Choi, WonSeon Choi, Jun-Pyo Myong, Hyoung-Ryoul Kim, Jung-Wan Koo
    Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2015;[Epub]     CrossRef
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Original Article
The Status and Characteristics of Industrial Accidents for Migrant Workers in Korea Compared with Native Workers
Sun Wung Lee, Kyoo Sang Kim, Tae Woo Kim
Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2008;20(4):351-361.   Published online December 31, 2008
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2008.20.4.351
AbstractAbstract PDF
OBJECTIVES
To analyze the status and characteristics of the industrial accidents of migrant workers with comparison to those of native workers.
METHODS
The industrial accident rate of migrant workers was estimated by the annual number of industrial accidents divided by the total number of annual labor population multiplied by the annual admission rate of industrial accident insurance. The characteristics of industrial accidents for total migrant workers were assessed and compared with those of total native workers (from 2004 to 2006). In addition, we compared the industrial accidental characteristics of the 7,210 native workers and the 458 migrant workers employed in the Incheon area who received compensation from the industrial accident insurance in 2006.
RESULTS
In 2004, 2005 and 2006, the total annual industrial accident rates of the migrant workers were 0.93%, 0.90%, and 1.06%, the injury accident rates were 0.90%, 0.86%, and 1.00%, the number of injury deaths per 10,000 persons were 2.29, 2.22, and 2.39, and the disease rates were 0.011%, 0.014%, and 0.027%, respectively. As for the cause of injury, rolled/jammed and cutting-type injuries were more prevalent in the migrant workers. With the standardization of job category, industry size and work tenure, the rolled/jammed-type injury was still significantly more prevalent in the migrant workers.
CONCLUSIONS
Even considering the exclusion of the possible missing numbers of the submission of industrial accident cases, and the numbers of workplaces not registered for industrial accident insurance, the publicized statistics confirm the higher industrial accident rate of migrant workers compared to ative workers. Especially, the injury death rate was 2.2 times higher for migrant workers than for native workers in 2006. In addition, the remarkably lower occupational disease rate of the migrant workers compared to that of the native workers, suggested that numerous cases of disease were not reported. Finally, the lack of communication and former education that usually lead to the most prevalent injury type, i.e., the rolled/jammed type, supported our conclusion that the migrant workers were in need of more education regarding workplace safety.

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    Kyung-Eun Lee, Kayoung Park, Dong Joon Park, Sungkyun Park
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2022; 19(20): 13450.     CrossRef
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    Kwan Woo Kim
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    Madhu Sudhan Atteraya, Nasser B. Ebrahim, Shreejana Gnawali
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    Jinseon Yi, Insook Lee
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    Kyoung-Ok Park
    Journal of Occupational Health.2018; 60(1): 94.     CrossRef
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    Hyeonkyeong Lee, Duckhee Chae, Kwan Hyung Yi, Soye Im, Sung Hye Cho
    Workplace Health & Safety.2015; 63(1): 18.     CrossRef
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    Hyeonkyeong Lee, Duckhee Chae, JoEllen Wilbur, Arlene Miller, Kyongeun Lee, Hwaeun Jin
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    Wook-Sung Kim, Young-Bok Cho, Seok-Jae Kim, Kyong-Jin Ryu, Yoo-Won Lee
    Journal of the Korean society of Fisheries Technology.2014; 50(4): 614.     CrossRef
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    Hyeonkyeong Lee, Duckhee Chae, Kyongeun Lee, Meenhye Lee
    Journal of Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing.2013; 24(2): 185.     CrossRef
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    Choong-Hyung Lee, Jae-Moon Yun, Jong-Soo Han, Sang-Min Park, Young-Su Park, Seung-Kwon Hong
    Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2012; 33(1): 34.     CrossRef
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    Hyeonkyeong Lee, Duckhee Chae, Kyongeun Lee, Meenhye Lee
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    Kyung Mee Kim
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    Kyung-Jae Lee, Joo Ja Kim, Jeung-Im Kim
    Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing.2011; 17(5): 484.     CrossRef
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    Hyeonkyeong Lee, Hyunmi Ahn, Chang Gi Park, Sun Jung Kim, Sun Hye Moon
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Case Report
A Case-study of a Plastering and Waterproof Worker Suffering from Silicosis and Lung Cancer
Kyoo Sang Kim, Min Heui Jo, Byung kyu Kim
Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2008;20(2):153-159.   Published online June 30, 2008
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2008.20.2.153
AbstractAbstract PDF
OBJECTIVES
We report on a case-study of a silicosis sufferer with lung cancer, who was exposed to cement dust through plastering and waterproof work in the construction industry.
METHODS
We reviewed his personal history including employment, medical record and estimated level of carcinogenic materials in the work place in order to evaluate the possible source of his lung cancer.
RESULTS
The patient was a non-smoker and there was no family history of lung cancer. His medical record did not reveal anything of concern. He was exposed to cement dust while he had worked for 20 years as a plasterer and waterproof worker. After complaining of chest pain, he was examined and subsequently diagnosed with lung cancer (RUL, adenocarcinoma; cT4N2M1). He was treated in a hospital for 3 months before passing away. Radiological evaluation by high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) revealed micronodules with a profusion category 1 (p/p, 1/1) in the perilymphatic distribution, which indicated silicosis. Small amounts of cement dust which included silica was identified by environmental evaluation of his work place. He never worked with asbestos related material, which was confirmed by HRCT examination.
CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that the patient's silicosis with lung cancer was an occupational-caused disease due to exposure to cement dust.

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    Hye-Sun Jung, Jee-Seon Yi, In-Jae Shin, Eun-Hi Choi
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    Tae-Kyung Lim, Sang-Min Park, Dong-Eun Lee
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Original Article
Five-year Industrial Accidents of Ship-building Workers at a Ship-Yard
Chang Yoon Kim, Man Joong Jeon, Dae Hee Byun
Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2003;15(4):436-445.   Published online December 31, 2003
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2003.15.4.436
AbstractAbstract PDF
OBJECTIVES
This study evaluated the status of industrial accidents at a ship-yard in Korea in order to provide the basic materials for preventing further industrial accidents.
METHODS
This study reviewed and analyzed the records of 252 industrial accidents that occurred in a ship-yard at Ulsan city from January 1 1997 until December 31st, 2001 according to age, the work career, the job department, the day of the week, the occurrence time, the part of body injured, and the accident type.
RESULTS
There were a total of 252 industrial accidents over the five years. The incidence of industrial accidents per year were 17.38, 26.99, 16.44, 11.35, 14.50 per 1,000 persons from 1997 to 2001, respectively. The frequency of industrial accidents per year were 11.56, 11.23, 6.27, 4.42, 5.79 per one million man hours from 1997 to 2001, respectively. The intensity of industrial accidents per year was 1.67, 0.18, 4.32 per 1,000 man hours from 1999 to 2001, respectively. The highest incidence occurred in the over 50 age group (33.87 per 1,000 persons). Regarding the incidence according to the work career, it was highest in those who had worked for less than 1 year (39.76 per 1,000 persons). The incidence in those working in high places and those using heavy materials were higher than the others. The most frequent day of the week was Monday (19.8%), which was followed by Friday (16.7%) and Saturday (15.9%). The most frequent time of an accident was 15:00-16:59(25.8%), which was followed by 08:00-09:59(24.2%), 10:00-11:59(20.2%). The most frequent part of the body injured was the low back (28.6%), which was followed by the lower extremities (24.2%), and the upper extremities (23.0%). The types of industrial accidents were stenosis (27.0%) to have been happened most and upset (19.8%), fall down (14.7%), hard movement (12.3%), and falling (9.1%).
CONCLUSIONS
The above results suggests that a more precise system of reporting industrial accidents will be needed in order to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the industrial accident statistics. In addition, the preventive activities for back injury, stenosis, and fall down are needed in order to prevent industrial accidents at ship-yards in Korea. Furthermore, the strengthening of a continuous health education program will be necessary for beginners, older workers, and those working in high places and using heavy materials.

Citations

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