Effect of Aircraft Noise of the Air Force on Noise Sensitivity, Psychosocial Status and Behaviour of Elementary Students / 農村醫學 地域保健

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the effect of the aircraft noise on the behavior and affect status of the local elementary school students. METHODS: The daytime noise levels of the exposed and control areas were compared and the self answered questionnaires from 272 students and their parents of the exposed area and 91 of the control area were collected. The questionnaires are regarding the noise sensitivity and the psychosocial status of the students, noise sensitivity of the parents and the parents' behavioral evaluation for their children. RESULTS: The mean noise level of the exposed area (67.6 dB(A)) showed higher level than the control area (57.1 dB(A), 58.2 dB(A), 60.2 dB(A)) and it was statistically significant. The mean score for noise sensitivity and the mean score for brief mental exam. in the exposed students were lower than the mean scores in the control group but they were not statistically significant (p=0.056 & 0.165). The mean score for behavioral evaluation of students by their parents in the exposed area(15.5) was higher than the mean score in the control group(13.2) and it was statistically significant(p=0.043). The mean score for noise sensitivity in the exposed parent(27.5) was higher than the mean score in the control group(24.1) and it was statistically significant(p=0.045). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the noise sensitivity of the parents affected the behavioral evaluation of the students than noise-exposure itself. The further study is needed to evaluate relationship between aircraft noise and it's effect on children's health.

The Cost of Occupational Health and Safety in Manufacturing Factories / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the cost for occupational health and safety in manufacturing factories in Korea according to the factory's size and the industrial classification. METHODS: The costs to prevent occupational injuries and promote the general health of the workers were calculated by using the data of The Occupational Safety and Health Survey in Korea in the year of 2005 and the data of the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance (IACI) premiums at the same factories for the year of 2004. RESULTS: The mean cost per one worker was as follows: 990,000 won for the factory with 5~49 workers, 869,000 won for the factory with 50~299 workers and 1,773,000 won for the factory with more than 300 workers. In the factories with 5~49 workers and 50~299 workers, the premium for the IACI was the largest portion of the cost (62.8% and 52.8%, respectively) and the cost for gear to protect workers from dangerous machineries was the next biggest portion of the cost (20.1% and 19.1%, respectively). The largest portion of the cost in the factories with more than 300 workers was the premium for the IACI (37.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The investment costs to prevent occupational injuries and to promote the general health of the workers were very diverse according to the size of the factories and the industrial classification. To reduce the occupational injuries and to promote the general health of the workers, systematic and continuous approaches to evaluate the investment costs for the occupational health and safety are required.

The Cost of Occupational Health and Safety in Manufacturing Factories / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the cost for occupational health and safety in manufacturing factories in Korea according to the factory's size and the industrial classification. METHODS: The costs to prevent occupational injuries and promote the general health of the workers were calculated by using the data of The Occupational Safety and Health Survey in Korea in the year of 2005 and the data of the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance (IACI) premiums at the same factories for the year of 2004. RESULTS: The mean cost per one worker was as follows: 990,000 won for the factory with 5~49 workers, 869,000 won for the factory with 50~299 workers and 1,773,000 won for the factory with more than 300 workers. In the factories with 5~49 workers and 50~299 workers, the premium for the IACI was the largest portion of the cost (62.8% and 52.8%, respectively) and the cost for gear to protect workers from dangerous machineries was the next biggest portion of the cost (20.1% and 19.1%, respectively). The largest portion of the cost in the factories with more than 300 workers was the premium for the IACI (37.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The investment costs to prevent occupational injuries and to promote the general health of the workers were very diverse according to the size of the factories and the industrial classification. To reduce the occupational injuries and to promote the general health of the workers, systematic and continuous approaches to evaluate the investment costs for the occupational health and safety are required.

Effect of Sodium Benzoate on Change of Urinary Hippuric Acid and Methyl Hippuric Acid among Workers Coexposed to Toluene and Xylene / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate the effect of drink containing sodium benzoate on the change of urinary hippuric acid (UHA) and methyl hippuric acid (UMHA) excretion among workers coexposed to low toluene and xylene. METHODS: Study subjects were 55 male shipbuilders who were divided into 3 groups; nonexposed group (n=10, who were not exposed to organic solvent and had drunk sodium benzoate), exposed A group (n=24, who were coexposed to toluene and xylene, and had drunk sodium benzoate), and exposed B group (n=21, who were coexposed to toluene and xylene, and had not drunk sodium benzoate). The study methodology consisted of questionnaire survey, urinary analysis for metabolites of toluene and xylene before and after drinking with or without sodium benzoate, and personal air sampling of toluene and xylene. RESULTS: Before drinking, there was no significant difference in UHA or UMHA between the exposed A and B groups. After 1.5 hour of drinking, UHA of the exposed A group was significantly higher than that of the exposed B group. After 3 hours, however, UHA of the exposed A group was decreased to the level of the exposed B group, regardless of the ambient toluene level. UMHA exhibited no significant difference between the exposed A and B groups regardless of time and ambient toluene level. The regression model showed that drinking of sodium benzoate was positively correlated with UHA after 1.5 hours of drinking, but not after 3 hours. In addition, sodium benzoate didn't affect UMHA. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that sodium benzoate initially increased UHA temporally but that its effect disappeared after 3 hours. In the medical examination of toluene exposure workers, the ingestion of drink containing sodium benzoate should be forbidden during the 3 hours prior to urinary sampling.