Farm work accidents in Korea

Kanwoo Youn,Hyeseon Chae,Kyungsuk Lee 대한직업환경의학회 2011 대한직업환경의학회 학술대회 논문집 Vol.2011 No.11

농작업 손상에 대한 주관적 부담의 종류 및 특성

윤간우(Kanwoo Youn),임상혁(Sanghyuk Im),박진우(Jinwoo Park),이경숙(Kyungsuk Lee),채혜선(Hyeseon Chae) 한국농촌의학 지역보건학회 2016 농촌의학·지역보건 Vol.41 No.1

농업인의 안전보건 정책 수립에 있어 농작업 재해 규모 및 특성 파악뿐만 아니라 손상 부담평가도 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 농작업 재해자를 대상으로 주관적인 손상 부담 종류 및 그 특성을 파악해 보았다. 2013년 농업인 업무상 손상 조사에서 파악된 재해자를 대상으로 손상 이후 발생되는 부담을 의료비등 직접 비용과 관련된 1개 항목과 생산성 감소, 인건비 증가 등 간접 비용과 관련된 5개 항목으로 파악하였다. 항목별 분포를 비교하였고, 로지스틱 회귀분석을 통해 농업인의 특성 및 농 작업 손상 특성에 따라 부담 항목에 차이가 있는지 살펴보았다. 457명의 농작업 재해자에서 주관적 손상 부담중 ‘치료기간 중 일을 쉼(휴업)으로 인해 농업에 차질’이 가장 많았으며, 다음으로 ‘가족에 농업활동 과중 부담 초래’, ‘치료비로 인한 가계 압박’, ‘작업이 지체되어 생산물의 품질 저하’, ‘고용 인건비 증가’, ‘농업 규모 축소’순이었다. 주관적 손상 부담 항목별로 영향을 미치는 주요특성은 다음과 같다. ‘치료기간 중 일을 쉼(휴업)으로 인해 농업에 차질’은 연령, 재해 발생시기, 휴업 치료 기간, 농기계 사용여부이며, ‘가족에 농업 활동 과중 부담 초래’는 가족수, 농작업 기간, 휴업 치료기간이었다. ‘치료비로 인한 가계 압박’은 입원 치료 여부와 년간총수입에 따라 차이가 있었다. 기존에 신체 제한이 있었던 경우에는 모든 항목의 주관적 손상 부담이 증가하였다. 우리나라 농작업 재해자의 경우, 의료비와 같은 직접 비용에 대한 부담보다는 간접 비용에 대한 부담이 더 높은 것으로 파악되었고, 농업인의 특성 및 농작업 재해 특성 따라 부담 항목별로 차이가 있음을 알 수 있었다. 농작업 재해가 발생한 농업인에 대한 지원에 있어 간접 비용 부담을 줄이려는 목표와 함께 구체적인 방법이 마련되어야 할 것으로 판단된다. Objectives: In establishing policies for agricultural safety, evaluating injury burdens as well as investigating the rates and characteristics of work injury is important. This study investigated the types and characteristics of agricultural injury subjective burdens. Methods: By analyzing the injured farmers identified in the 2013 Korean Farmers’ Occupational Injury Survey, the burdens caused by injuries were categorized using one direct cost item (medical costs) and five indirect cost items (including productivity decreases and wage increases). Statistical differences among the burden items were analyzed using logistic regression analysis according to the characteristics of the farmers and their farm injuries. Results: Among the subjective burdens indicated by the 457 injured farmers, disruption to work was most common. The major influences on each subjective burden item are as follows: for the item of disruption to work, age, time of injury occurrence, treatment period, and farming machine use were influential; for an increased family member"s burden of farm works, the number of family members and treatment period were influential. Regarding cost burden of treatment, the results varied according to whether or not the patient was hospitalized and annual income. Conclusion: Subjective burdens induced by indirect costs rather than those induced by direct costs were found to be higher in ratio. In regard to each burden item, the results varied according to the characteristics of the farmers and their farm injuries. To support injured farmer, setting goals to reduce indirect cost burdens and preparing concrete methods is necessary.

Carbon disulfide exposure estimate and prevalence of chronic diseases after carbon disulfide poisoning-related occupational diseases

Hweemin Chung,Kanwoo Youn,Kyuyeon Kim,Kyunggeun Park 대한직업환경의학회 2017 대한직업환경의학회지 Vol.29 No.-

Background: In Korea, Carbon disulfide (CS₂) toxicity was an important social problem from the late 1980s to the early 1990s but there have been few large-scale studies examining the prevalence of diseases after CS₂ exposure discontinuance. So we investigated past working exposure to CS₂ characteristics from surviving ex-workers of a rayon manufacturing plant including cumulative CS₂ exposure index. Furthermore, we studied the prevalence of their chronic diseases recently after many years. Methods: We interviewed 633 ex-workers identified as CS₂ poisoning-related occupational diseases to determine demographic and occupational characteristics and reviewed their medical records. The work environment measurement data from 1992 was used as a reference. Based on the interviews and foreign measurement documents, weights were assigned to the reference concentrations followed by calculation of individual exposure index, the sum of the portion of each time period multiplied by the concentrations of CS₂ during that period. Results: The cumulative exposure index was 128.2 ppm on average. Workers from the spinning, electrical equipment repair, and motor repair departments were exposed to high concentrations of ≥10 ppm. Workers from the maintenance of the ejector, manufacturing of CS₂, post-process, refining, maintenance and manufacturing of viscose departments were exposed to low concentrations below 10 ppm. The prevalence for hypertension, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, arrhythmia, psychoneurotic disorder, disorders of the nervous system and sensory organ were 69.2%, 13.9%, 24.8%, 24.5%, 1.3%, 65.7%, 72.4% respectively. Conclusions: We estimated the individual cumulative CS₂ exposure based on interviews and foreign measurement documents, and work environment measurement data. Comparing the work environment measurement data from 1992, these values were similar to them. After identified as CS₂ poisoning, there are subjects over 70 years of average age with disorders of the nervous system and sensory organs, hypertension, psychoneurotic disorder, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and arrhythmia. Because among ex-workers of the rayon manufacturing plant, only 633 survivors recognized as CS₂ poisoning were studied, the others not identified as CS₂ poisoning should also be investigated in the future.

Risk factors for lesions of the knee menisci among workers in South Korea’s national parks

Donghee Shin,Kanwoo Youn,Eunja Lee,Myeongjun Lee,Hweemin Chung,Deokweon Kim 대한직업환경의학회 2016 대한직업환경의학회지 Vol.28 No.-

Background: This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of the menisci lesions in national park workers and work factors affecting this prevalence. Methods: The study subjects were 698 workers who worked in 20 Korean national parks in 2014. An orthopedist visited each national park and performed physical examinations. Knee MRI was performed if the McMurray test or Apley test was positive and there was a complaint of pain in knee area. An orthopedist and a radiologist respectively read these images of the menisci using a grading system based on the MRI signals. To calculate the cumulative intensity of trekking of the workers, the mean trail distance, the difficulty of the trail, the tenure at each national parks, and the number of treks per month for each worker from the start of work until the present were investigated. Chi-square tests was performed to see if there were differences in the menisci lesions grade according to the variables. The variables used in the Chi-square test were evaluated using simple logistic regression analysis to get crude odds ratios, and adjusted odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals were calculated using multivariate logistic regression analysis after establishing three different models according to the adjusted variables. Results: According to the MRI signal grades of menisci, 29 % were grade 0, 11.3 % were grade 1, 46.0 % were grade 2, and 13.7 % were grade 3. The differences in the MRI signal grades of menisci according to age and the intensity of trekking as calculated by the three different methods were statistically significant. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed for three models. In model 1, there was no statistically significant factor affecting the menisci lesions. In model 2, among the factors affecting the menisci lesions, the OR of a high cumulative intensity of trekking was 4.08 (95 % CI 1.00–16.61), and in model 3, the OR of a high cumulative intensity of trekking was 5.84 (95 % CI 1.09–31.26). Conclusion: The factor that most affected the menisci lesions among the workers in Korean national park was a high cumulative intensity of trekking.

Estimated rate of agricultural injury

Hyeseon Chae,Kyungdoo Min,kanwoo Youn,Jinwoo Park,Kyungran Kim,Hyocher Kim,Kyungsuk Lee 대한직업환경의학회 2014 대한직업환경의학회지 Vol.26 No.-

Objectives: This study estimated the rate of agricultural injury using a nationwide survey and identified factors associated with these injuries. Methods: The first Korean Farmers’ Occupational Disease and Injury Survey (KFODIS) was conducted by the Rural Development Administration in 2009. Data from 9,630 adults were collected through a household survey about agricultural injuries suffered in 2008. We estimated the injury rates among those whose injury required an absence of more than 4 days. Logistic regression was performed to identify the relationship between the prevalence of agricultural injuries and the general characteristics of the study population. Results: We estimated that 3.2% (±0.00) of Korean farmers suffered agricultural injuries that required an absence of more than 4 days. The injury rates among orchard farmers (5.4 ± 0.00) were higher those of all non-orchard farmers. The odds ratio (OR) for agricultural injuries was significantly lower in females (OR: 0.45, 95% CI = 0.45?0.45) compared to males. However, the odds of injury among farmers aged 50?59 (OR: 1.53, 95% CI = 1.46?1.60), 60?69 (OR: 1.45, 95% CI = 1.39?1.51), and ≥70 (OR: 1.94, 95% CI = 1.86?2.02) were significantly higher compared to those younger than 50. In addition, the total number of years farmed, average number of months per year of farming, and average hours per day of farming were significantly associated with agricultural injuries. Conclusions: Agricultural injury rates in this study were higher than rates reported by the existing compensation insurance data. Males and older farmers were at a greater risk of agriculture injuries; therefore, the prevention and management of agricultural injuries in this population is required.

A descriptive study of claims for occupational mental disorder: adjustment disorder

Kim Kyuyeon,Kim Inah,Youn Kanwoo 대한직업환경의학회 2020 대한직업환경의학회지 Vol.32 No.-

Background: The number of claims of Industrial Accidents Compensation Insurance (IACI) for mental illness has increased. In particular, the approval rate was higher in cases with confirmed incident circumstances such as adjustment disorder, acute stress disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. With increased numbers of filed IACI applications and their approval rates, the need to evaluate various work-related incidents and stressors consistently is also increasing. Method: In January 2015–December 2017, among the cases of industrial accidents filed for mental illness and suicide by the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, 76 filed or approved adjustment disorder cases were included. The cases of adjustment disorder were applied in this study to the “Criteria for Recognition of Mental Disorders by Psychological Loads” established in Japan in 2011 and investigated if cases were approved/rejected consistently. Additionally, features with the greatest influence on approval/rejection were examined quantitatively. Results: The number of applications more than doubled from 2015 to 2017, with the approval rate rising from 66.7% to 90.6%. Among the major categories, applications of adjustment disorder related to “interpersonal relationships” were the largest number of applications. Applications related to “sexual harassment”, “interpersonal relationships”, and “accidents and experiences including fires” showed relatively higher approval rate. The approval rate was the lowest in the case of “change in the amount and quality of work.” Conclusions: Approved cases tend to have special precedents and strong intensity. The main reasons for the rejection were that there were no special precedents and that the intensity of the case was weak. These 2 were the most important factors in determining approval/rejection.

Association between urinary phthalate metabolites and obesity in adult Korean population: Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS), 2012-2014

Yangwon Kang,Juha Park,Kanwoo Youn 대한직업환경의학회 2019 대한직업환경의학회지 Vol.31 No.-

Background: Phthalate is a chemical that is commonly used as a plasticizer in processing plastic products and as a solvent in personal care products. Although previous experimental studies have reported that phthalate metabolites are associated with obesity, epidemiological study results have been inconsistent and insufficient. The objective of the present study was to investigate the association between urinary phthalate metabolites and obesity in adult Korean population. Methods: The present study selected 4,752 Korean adults aged 19 years or older from the 2012–2014 Korean National Environmental Health Survey data. The concentrations of urinary di-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (DEHP) metabolites—i.e., mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) and mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate—mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) were adjusted using the urinary creatinine. We used logistic regression analysis to investigate the association between urinary phthalate metabolite concentration and body mass index (BMI) with respect to sex and age. Results: Among women, urinary MEHHP and DEHP concentrations were found to have statistically significantly positive associations with obesity (Q4 versus Q1; odds ratio (OR): 1.72, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19–2.49 for MEHHP and OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.04–2.21 for DEHP). Among men, urinary MnBP concentration was found to have statistically significantly negative association with obesity (Q4 versus Q1; OR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.50–0.99). In the analysis stratified by sex and age, women aged ≥ 50 years showed statistically significantly positive associations between the concentrations of urinary DEHP metabolites, DEHP, MBzP, and obesity (Q4 versus Q1; OR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.28–2.94 for MEHHP, OR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.21–2.94 for MEOHP, OR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.31–3.18 for DEHP, and Q3 versus Q1; OR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.02–2.05 for MBzP). Meanwhile, men aged ≥ 50 years showed no significant associations between urinary phthalate concentrations and obesity. Conclusions: In the present study, we found differences in the associations between urinary phthalate metabolites and BMI according to sex and age. However, because the present study was cross-sectional in nature, additional support through prospective studies is needed to estimate the causal associations.

전남 지역 농기계 탑승자 인적피해 교통사고의 유형별 특성 및 저감 대책

신용석(Yongsuk Shin),윤간우(Kanwoo Youn),김경수(Kyungsu Kim),최동필(Dongphil Choi),홍순중(Soonjung Hong),이민지(Minji Lee) 한국자료분석학회 2023 Journal of the Korean Data Analysis Society Vol.25 No.4

본 연구에서는 농기계 교통사고 예방대책 수립의 기초자료를 제공하고자, 2014~2018년까지의 전남 경찰청의 경찰접수 교통사고 자료 중 “농기계 탑승자의 인적피해가 발생한 교통사고” 원자 료를 기반으로, 사고 유형별‧농기계 종류별 상세한 사고발생 현황 및 사망사고 발생 현황을 분 석하였다. 농기계 탑승자의 인적 피해가 발생한 총 760건의 사고 중 제2당사자(차대차), 농기계 단독사고, 제1당사자(차대차) 사고가 각각 52.9%, 25.9%, 21.2%를 차지하였다. 사고 농기계 운전 자의 95.8%가 남성이었으며, 45.9%가 70대였고, 주요 사고 농기계 종류는 경운기(61.6%), 트랙터 (11.3%), 종류 미상(22.0%)이었다. 다변수 로지스틱 회귀분석 결과, 농기계 운전자의 사망 위험은 고령자일수록 높았고, 농기계 단독사고가 제1당사자(차대차) 사고에 비해 10.0배 높았으며, 경운 기 사고가 트랙터 사고의 1.7배, 내리막길 사고가 평지 및 기타도로 사고에 비해 1.7배 높았다. 본 연구결과, 사고 당사자 종류 및 단독사고 여부에 따라 각기 다른 사고 발생 특성이 나타났으 며, 각 유형별 사고 특성 및 대표적인 사고 형태(경운기의 단독 전도/전복/도로이탈 사고, 경운기 와 트랙터의 타차량으로부터의 야간 추돌사고, 경운기와 타차량과의 측면충돌사고)를 고려한 구 체적인 예방대책 수립이 필요함을 제시하였다 This study aimed to provide foundational data for establishing measures to prevent agricultural machinery traffic accidents by analyzing Jeonnam Police Agency's data on traffic injuries to agricultural machinery occupants between 2014 and 2018. Out of 760 accidents, 52.9% were vehicle-to-vehicle collision where agricultural machinery operators involved as a secondary party(less responsible to accidents), 25.9% were single agricultural machinery accidents, and 21.2% were vehicle-to-vehicle collision where agricultural machinery operators involved as a primary party(more responsible to accidents). 95.8% of the accident-involved agricultural machinery operators were male, 45.9% were in their 70s, and the main types of agricultural machinery involved in the accidents were power tillers (61.6%), tractors (11.3%), and unidentified types (22.0%). Results of the multivariable logistic regression showed higher death risks for elderly drivers, single machinery accidents (10.0 times higher than primary party accidents), power tiller accidents (1.7 times higher than tractor accidents), and accidents on downhill roads (1.7 times higher than flat or other roads). Different accident characteristics appeared based on involved parties, suggesting the need for specific preventive measures considering each type's accident characteristics and representative accident forms.

The effect of aircraft noise on sleep disturbance among the residents near a civilian airport

Kyeong Min Kwak,Young-Su Ju,Young-Jun Kwon,Yun Kyung Chung,Bong Kyu Kim,Hyunjoo Kim,Kanwoo Youn 대한직업환경의학회 2016 대한직업환경의학회지 Vol.28 No.-

Background: Aircraft noise is a major environmental noise problem. This study was conducted in order to investigate the relationship between sleep disturbance and exposure to aircraft noise on the residents who are living near an airport. Methods: There were 3308 residents (1403 in the high exposure group, 1428 in the low exposure group, and 477 in the non-exposure group) selected as the subjects for this study. The Insomnia severity Index (ISI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) questionnaires were used to evaluate sleep disturbance. Results: The mean ISI and ESS scores were 6.9 ± 6.4 and 5.5 ± 3.7, respectively, and the average scores were significantly greater in the aircraft noise exposure group, as compared to the non-exposure group. The percentage of the abnormal subjects, which were classified according to the results of the ISI and ESS, was also significantly greater in the noise exposure group, as compared to the control group. The odd ratios for insomnia and daytime hypersomnia were approximately 3 times higher in the noise exposure group, as compared to the control group. Conclusions: The prevalence of insomnia and daytime hypersomnia was higher in the aircraft noise exposure group, as compared to the control group. Further study is deemed necessary in order to clarify the causal relationship.

Statement by the Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Medicine on the proposed reform of working hours in South Korea

Kang Hee-Tae,Kim Chul-Ju,Lee Dong-Wook,Park Seung-Gwon,Lee Jinwoo,Youn Kanwoo,Kim Hwan-Cheol,Jeong Kyoung Sook,Song Hansoo,Kim Sung-Kyung,Koh Sang-Baek 대한직업환경의학회 2023 대한직업환경의학회지 Vol.35 No.1

The current 52-hour workweek in South Korea consists of 40 hours of regular work and 12 hours of overtime. Although the average working hours in South Korea is declining, it is still 199 hours longer than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average of 1,716 hours per year. In view to this, the South Korean government has now proposed to reform the workweek, mainly intending to increase the workweek to 69 hours when the workload is heavy. This reform, by increasing the labor intensity due to long working hours, goes against the global trend of reducing work hours for a safe and healthy working environment. Long working hours can lead to increased cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, industrial accidents, mental health problems, and safety accidents due to lack of concentration. In conclusion, the Korean government’s working hour reform plan can have a negative impact on workers’ health, and therefore it should be thoroughly reviewed and modified.