Asbestos Problems of Korea

Paek do-myung(백도명) 강원대학교 비교법학연구소 2009 환경법과 정책 Vol.2 No.-

한국에서 석면광산은 1920년대부터 채굴되었으며, 1970년대부터는 석면이 건축자재, 마찰재 및 단열재와 배관 가스켓 제품 등으로 제조되어 광범위하게 사용되기 시작하였다. 그러나 이로 인한 석면노출 및 석면관련질환발생에 대한 조사와 규제는 1984년 이후에야 한국에서 수행되었으며, 2009년에 이르러서야 전면적인 석면제품의 제조 및 사용이 금지되게 되었다. 이와 같은 석면산업의 실태에 대한 자료는 매우 부족하지만, 제한된 자료에 근거하여 볼 때 지난 70?80년대의 한국 석면산업의 규모 그리고 노출수준은 지난 60?70년대 선진국에서 진행되었던 석면산업의 모습과 흡사하였던 것으로 판단되고 있다. 한편 지난 1993년 석면방직 작업자에게서 발생한 중피종이 첫 석면관련질환으로 인한 산업재해로 인정되고 난 이후, 석면관련질환이 지속적으로 보고되고 있으며, 특히 21세기에 들어와 석면관련질환이 꾸준히 증가하는 양상을 보여주고 있다. 그렇지만 아직 석면관련질환의 인정이나 보상의 기준과 절차가 제대로 마련되어 있지 못하여, 석면작업자들에게서의 문제제기가 계속되고 있으며, 특히 환경성 석면노출로 인한 질환의 인정과 보상 기준마련이 시급히 요구되고 있다.

비정규직 근로가 건강에 미치는 영향

김일호,백도명,조성일,Kim, Il-Ho,Paek, Do-Myung,Cho, Sung-Il 대한예방의학회 2005 예방의학회지 Vol.38 No.3

Objectives : Job insecurity, such as non-standard work, is reported to have an adverse impact on health, regardless of health behaviors. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between non-standard employment and health in Korea. Methods : We analyzed a representative weighted sample, which consisted of 2,112 men and 1,237 women, aged 15-64, from the 1998 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Non-standard employment included part-time permanent, short time temporary and daily workers. Self-reported health was used as a health indicator. Results : This study indicated that women were more likely to report poorer health than men with standard jobs. Of all employees, 20.3% were female manual workers. After adjusting for potential confounders, such as age, education, equivalent income, marital, social and self-reported economic status and health behavior factors, nonstandard employment was found to be significantly associated with poor health among female manual workers (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.24 to 2.79). No significant association was found in other working groups Conclusions : Among female manual workers, nonstandard employees reported significantly poorer health compared with standard workers. This result raises concern as there are increasing numbers of non-standard workers, particularly females.

한 콘돔공장근로자들의 수근관증후군에 관한 연구

강중구,백도명,이윤정,마효일,손미아,이홍기,최정근,Kang, Joong-Koo,Paek, Do-Myung,Lee, Young-Jung,Ma, Hyeo-Il,Son, Mi-A,Lee, Hong-Ki,Choi, Jung-Keun 대한예방의학회 1996 Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol.29 No.3

The objectives of this study are to investigate the prevalence of occupation related carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS) among workers in a condom industry : to analyse the sensitivity and specificity of clinical signs or symptoms such as hand diagram, Tinel's sign and Phalen's sign in carpal tunnel syndrome : and to test vibration threshold test using audiometry as a technically easy and noninvasive method in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome in stead of nerve conduction velocity (NCV). The study group was divided into exposed group(39 cases) and non-exposed group(48 cases) based on whether or not excessive use of wrist movements exsist. 1. There are stastically significant differences in symptoms and signs of carpal tunnel syndrome such as hand diagram, Tinel's sign and Phalen's sign between exposed and non-exposed group(p<0.05). 2. Six cases(9 hands) were comfirmed as carpal tunnel syndrome by NCV. Five cases(7 hands) belonged to exposed group, 1 case(2 hands) to nonexposed group. As there are significant differences in prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome between two groups(p<0.05), excessive use of wrist in occupation is a risk factor of carpal tunnel syndrome. 3. When we use NCV as a gold standard in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, sensitivity and specificity of hand diagram, Tinel's sign and Phalen's sign is as followed; hand diagram , sensitivity 88.9%, specificity 84.2% Tinel's sign ; sensitivity 55.6%, specificity 72.8% Phalen's sign ; sensitivity 14.3%, specificity 88.4%. Among above clinical signs and symptoms, hand diagram is the best clinical screening test. 4. The differences of vibration threshold between median and ulnar nerve at the same time are useful in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome but the time change of vibration threshold of median nerve over time are not sensitive enough. It is concluded that vibration threshold between median and ulnar nerve at the same time can be used as a supplementary or alternative criterion to indicate that the nerve dysfunction is located in the carpal tunnel.

우리나라 제조업체의 교대작업실태와 교대작업여부에 따른 상병결근 및 이직에 관한 연구

박정선,백도명,이기범,이경용,이관형,Park, Jung-Sun,Paek, Do-Myung,Lee, Ki-Beom,Rhee, Kyung-Yong,Yi, Kwan-Hyung 대한예방의학회 1994 Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol.27 No.3

In order to provide necessary information for better health of workers through understanding the actual status of the industries adopting shift systems. The data were gathered from a stratified random sample of 347 (0.5%) firms selected out of about 70,000 manufacturing industries throughout the nation in 1993. Stratification during sampling was by industrial group and number of workers. The major findings obtained from 288 firms surveyed completely were as follows : 1. About 20.2% of the 288 firms were adopting shift systems and shirtworkers accounted for about 25.1% of the total work force in 288 firms. 2. The bigger number of workers was, the higher the adopting rate of shift system was. 3. The rate of having welfare facilities such as dining room, commuting bus, washing facilities, and health care room etc. was higher in the industries adopting shift systems. 4. The major industrial groups adopting shift systems were the rubber a: plastic goods manufacturing industry (54.1 per 100 firms) and the textile manufacturing industry (44.8 per 100 firms). However, the proportion of shiftworkers was higher in the textile manufacturing industry (70.5 per 100 firms) and the electronics industry (57.9 per 100 frms). 5. The most predominant work schedule was the weekly rotating, semi-continuos 2-crew 2-shift system (47.5%). 6. In the industries adopting shift systems, shiftworkers had an adjusted average of 0.29 spells per 100 workers ($0.14{\sim}0.45$ in 95% C.I.) compared to 0.23 spells per 100 nonshift dayworkers ($0.15{\sim}0.31$ in 95% C.I.) for 1 month. 7. Also, in the industries adopting shift systems, the adjusted average annuel turn-over rate of shiftworkers was 13.07 per 100 workers ($12.03{\sim}14.12$ in 95% C.I.) compared to 10.18 per 100 nonshift dayworkers ($9.53{\sim}10.82$ in 95% C.I.).

벤지딘 염료공장 노동자들의 혈뇨

손미아,백도명,최정근,박수경,박정순,오세민,박정선,박동욱,Son, Mi-A.,Paek, Do-Myung,Choi, Jung-Kun,Park, Su-Kyeong,Park, Jung-Soon,Oh, Se-Min,Park, Jung-Sun,Park, Dong-Ook 대한예방의학회 1995 Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol.28 No.1

Benzidine Industry in Korea has started after Japan has banned its production in early 1970's, and it has been in operation in Korea for over 20 years. However, it is not known yet whether any bladder cancer has developed from benzidine exposure. This study was done to screen benzidine-exposed workers for bladder cancer, and to examine the feasibility of employing screening test at the workplace. All the workplaces that manufacture or use benzidine for more than 20 years in Korea have been covered in this study, and they include 2 benzidine manufacturing factories, 5 benzidine using factories, as well as 2 benzidine free factories as an outside control. In total, 516 workers were screened with urine stick test and urine cytology test for the evidence of hematuria and abnormal urothelial cells. Each worker was also asked about risk factors and symptoms of bladder cancer including past medical history, smoking, medication and occupational history Benzidine in the air was measured by personal and area sampling. Out of 516 screened workers, 84(16.3%) workers showed positive hematuria in urine stick test, and 7(1.4%) workers showed degenerative cells in urine cytology tests. Those workers with abnormal urine test results who have been exposed to benzidine fo more than 10 years were further screened, and, in total, 23 workers were examined with intra-venous pyelography and cystoscopy. None of those screened had any evidence of bladder cancer When workers with only past hematuria history were included in the positive hematuria group, 96(18.5%) had positive hematuria. On the multiple logistic regression analysis, positive hematuria was significantly associated with benzidine exposure, history of other occupations with elevated bladder cancer risk, pyuria and glycosuria. The association got stronger as direct benzidine exposure was accounted through individual task analysis, and as exposure duration was accounted with tenure analysis. For those with benzidine exposure with more than 10 years of tenure, the odds of having positive hematuria was elevated 2.14(95%C.I is 1.08 to 4.25) times more than for those without exposure. Even though bladder cancer was not detected for several limitations including short observation period, majority of studied workers with short latency, healthy worker effect, and low sensitivity of single screening test in a cross-sectional study, the study results suggest that hematuria screening is a feasible and very useful test for bladder cancer screening among benzidine exposed workers.

후쿠시마 원전사고와 한국의 원전안전정책

최예용,이상홍,백도명,Choi, Ye-Yong,Suzuki, Akira,Lee, Sang-Hong,Paek, Do-Myung 한국환경보건학회 2011 한국환경보건학회지 Vol.37 No.3

Exactly 25 years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, 11th of March 2011 the Fukushima nuclear accident occurred in Japan and was ranked at level 7 same to the Chernobyl. A Korean and Japanese joint civil survey was conducted around Fukushima on April 13-17. The radiation survey data clearly shows a large hotspot area between 20 km and 50 km radius north and west direction from the accident reactors, with the highest radiation recorded being 55.64 ${\mu}Sv/hr$ in the air, 99.89 ${\mu}Sv/hr$ in the surface air, and 36.16 ${\mu}Sv/hr$ in a car, respectively. 3.65 ${\mu}Sv/hr$ in the air and 6.89 ${\mu}Sv/hr$ in the surface air were detected at the playground of an elementary school in Fukushima City. Spring came with full cherry blossoms in Fukushima, but it was silent spring of radiation contamination. Interviews with Fukushima nuclear refugees reveal serious problems about Japanese nuclear safety systems, such as there was no practical evacuation drill within 1-10 km and no plan at all for 10-30 km areas. Several reforms items for Korean nuclear safety system can be suggested: minimization of accident damage, clear separation of regulatory and safety bureaus with a new and independent administrating agency, community participation and agreement regarding the safety system and levels, which is the major concern of 80% Korean. To tackle threats of nuclear disaster in neighboring nations like China, a new position entitled 'Ambassador for nuclear safety diplomacy' is highly necessary. The nuclear safety of Korea should no longer be the monopoly of those nuclear engineers and limited technocrats criticized as a 'nuclear mafia'.

RESIN 취급 주물공장 근로자들의 호흡기 건강에 관한 연구

최정근,이창옥,백도명,최병순,신용철,정호근,Choi, Jung-Keun,Rhee, Chang-Ok,Paek, Do-Myung,Choi, Byung-Soon,Shin, Yong-Chul,Chung, Ho-Keun 대한예방의학회 1994 Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol.27 No.2

The effects of resin on the respiratory health have been investigated in 309 workers from four iron and steel foundries and the results compared with those from 122 workers who were not significantly exposed to resin gas and silica dust at the same industries. Phenol-formaldehyde resin was used in the core making and molding processes and workers were exposed to their decomposition products as well as to silica dust containing particulates. The subjects were grouped according to formaldehyde, dust and other gas exposures, and smoking habits were considered also in thi analysis. Standardized respiratory symptom questionnaire was administered by trained interviewers. Chest radiograph, pulmonary funtion tests, and methacholine challenge tests were done. Environmental measurements at the breathing zone were carried out to determine levels of formaldehyde, respiable dust and total dust. Foundry workers had a higher prevalence of symptoms of chronic bronchitis with chronic phlegm and chronic cough when exposed to dust. Exposure to gas was significantly associated with lowered $FEV_1$ and obstructive pulmonary function changes. Exposure to formaldehyde and phenol gas was associated with wheezing symptom among workers, but $FEV_1$ changes after methacholine challenge were not significantly different among different exposure groups. When asthma was defined as the presence of bronchial hyperreactivity with more than 20% decrease in $FEV_1$ after methacholine challenge, 17 workers out of 222 tested had asthma. Fewer asthmatic welters were found among groups exposed to formaldehyde, gas and dust, which indicates a healthy worker effects ill a cross-sectional study. The concentration of formaldehyde gas ranged from 0.24 to 0.43 ppm among studied foundries. The authors conclude that formaldehyde and phenol gas from combusted resin is probably the cause of asthmatic symptoms and also a selection force of those with higher bronchial reactivity away from exposures.

2010-2011년도에 발생한 구제역 살처분 원인에 대한 문화 분석

김선경,김지은,백도명,Kim, Seon-Kyung,Kim, Ji-Eun,Paek, Do-Myung 한국환경보건학회 2011 한국환경보건학회지 Vol.37 No.2

Between January 2010 and March 2011, there were three outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in South Korea. Over 3.45 million animals (5,660 farms) were slaughtered, which was 33.3% of the existing pigs, 8.4% of dairy cows and 3.4% of cattle. FMD disaster costs were estimated at around three billion Korean won. Nine civil servants were killed, over 150 people were wounded and 4,788 landfills were confronted with a pollution problem. Vaccination and slaughter are the two basic alternatives for eradication of FMD. Altho ugh slaughter is more violent, risky and expensive than vaccination, the Korean government had chosen only slaughter eradication by the end of 2010. Even though over three million animals were killed, FMD spread out over most of the country. Finally, the government chose to begin vaccination. Following vaccination, outbreaks decreased dramatically. The purpose of this report is a cultural analysis of the related decision-making process, laws and systems. For the culture analysis, we utilize interviews, symposiums, laws, FMD manual, government reports and press releases. In conclusion, we found that the FMD massacre was influenced by cultural and organizational factors. The cultural factors were economism, cheapening of the value of life, biased perceptions and fears. The organizational factors were a closed process of decision-making, monopoly system, a small homogeneous group and group-think. Therefore, more studies will be needed for those factors of FMD disasters in national-scale cases.

여성의 종사산업과 자연유산

박정순,나명채,백도명,문옥륜,Park, Joung-Soon,Na, Myung-Chae,Paek, Do-Myung,Moon, Ok-Ryun 대한예방의학회 1994 Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol.27 No.2

In Korea, female workforce has reached more than 40% of total working population, but the effects of work on spontaneous abortion are yet to be examined. This study as conducted to investigate the occupational effects on spontaneous abortion. Medical insurance claim data were used to examine the effects of the employment status and industry of employment on spontaneous abortion. The study population was composed of females, aged $15{\sim}44$, who were the beneficiary of medical insurance in the month of June, 1993. The working females covered by medical insurance for industrial workers, had the highest age-adjusted Spontaneous Abortion rate (SAB rate=claim frequency of spontaneous abortion/claim frequency of complication of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium), 6.65% whereas female dependants of medical insurance for industrial workers had the lowest age-adjusted SAB rate, 4.54%. Among industrial workers, the workers in manufacturing industry had the highest age-adjusted Spontaneous Abortion ratio(SAB ratio=claim frequency of spontaneous abortion/claim frequency of completly normal delivery), 43.2/100 whereas those in financing and service industry had age-adjusted SAB ratio, 16.2/100 and 20.5/100, respectively. The results of the study suggest the adverse effect of manufacturing Industry on reproduction. Work environments such as chemical exposures, overwork, awkard posture, and job stress should be further studied for their effects on reproductive functions of female.

우리 나라 공무원의 표준화 사망비에 대한 연구

김현경,김용철,백도명,Kim, Hyun-Kyung,Kim, Yong-Chul,Paek, Do-Myung 대한예방의학회 1997 Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol.30 No.2

In Korea, sudden deaths of middle-aged and older male workers who are the responsible persons at home as well as workplace, have aroused social concern. Besides, U. N. has reported recently that mortality of Korea male in 40-50's was one of the highest among newly developed countries in 1992. Not much is, however, known about the nature of the work contributing to the mortality of different groups of workers. Therefore, this study was done to examine mortality of public servants, comprising about 5% of all the employed in Korea, according to their job titles and grades. The datas of 1753 official deaths, comprised 323 (only disease-oriented deaths) applicants of survivors' compensation, were used to examine age-adjusted Standardized Mortality Ratios(SMRs) according to their job titles, grades, tenures and cause of deaths. Controlling age and sex difference was conducted using 26,950,481 general population, 95,340 general deaths and 864,560 working public servants. All the groups were aged 20-64, who were being observed January - December in 1993, at the same time. Results and discussions are as follows. 1. SMRs standardized by general population was significantly low (SMR 44.9 CI 42.8-52.7) for all job titlses. Of public servants, 90.0% was graduated from high school, although 17.5% in general population. The distinction of social status such a education may produce a strong healthy worker effect. Besides, SMRs for different tenure groups showed a steady increase as tenure increases. This suggests that the magnitude of healthy-worker effect may be greater with increasing tenures. 2. SMRs standardized by own public servants was significantly elevated for work-men(SMR 121.0, CI 110.2-132.6) in solitue. When SMRs for different grade, of work-men was examined, 9th(SMR 124.2, CI 104.4-146.7) and 10th(SMR 137.9 CI 120.8-156.8)grade, lower grade in workmen, showed significantly elevated SMRs. Of workmen, 57.0% were graduated from high school and 50.1% in 9th grade, as well. These mean that low economic states made up social class, education may increase mortality rate. 3. Of SMRs according to all causes of death, only policemen on 'cause of death related hypertensive disease'(SMR 282.5, CI 121.6-556.7) was significantly high except for' cause of death related other signs, symptoms and ill-defined conditions'. 4. When SMRs on cause of death related hypertensive disease for different grade of policemen was examined, senior policemen(SMR 241.9), in charge of the front service, showed elevated SMR, in spite of statistical no significance. Especially, the working hour of senior policemen is quite long and also the work schedule is even more irregular for policemen. The results of this study showed that mortality for different jobs differed, and it differed also for different grades in the same job. This difference in mortality may reflect the difference in the nature of job contents, and further studies are warranted to elucidate which job characteristics are responsible.