Blood lead levels of Korean lead workers in 2003-2011

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to document the trend in blood lead levels in Korean lead workers from 2003 until 2011 and blood lead levels within each of the main industries. METHODS: Nine years (2003-2011) of blood lead level data measured during a special health examination of Korean lead workers and collected by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency were analyzed. Blood lead levels were determined by year, and a geometric mean (GM) was calculated for each industry division. RESULTS: The overall GM blood lead level for all years combined (n = 365,331) was 4.35 mug/dL. The GM blood lead level decreased from 5.89 mug/dL in 2003 to 3.53 mug/dL in 2011. The proportion of the results > or =30 mug/dL decreased from 4.3% in 2003 to 0.8% in 2011. In the "Manufacture of Electrical Equipment" division, the GM blood lead level was 7.80 mug/dL, which was the highest among the industry divisions. The GM blood lead levels were 7.35 mug/dL and 6.77 mug/dL in the "Manufacturers of Rubber and Plastic Products" and the "Manufacture of Basic Metal Products" division, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The blood lead levels in Korean lead workers decreased from 2003 to 2011 and were similar to those in the US and UK. Moreover, workers in industries conventionally considered to have a high risk of lead exposure also tended to have relatively high blood lead levels compared to those in other industries.

Follow-up Management State of Lead Battery Workers in Periodic Health Examination / 예방의학회지

To evaluate the follow-up management state and related factor of lead battery workers in periodic health examination as part of program of group occupational health service, author studied 293 workers with questionnaire on knowledge of results and follow-up management state and related factors, and compared the responses to their periodic health examination result charts. The results were as follows: 1. 252(86%) workers responsed that they had received the health examination result chart, but only 116(39.6%) workers responsed that they had been educated or explained about the result of health examination, and 11(57.9%) workers among 19 workers with non-occupational disease D, 101(44.3%) workers among 228 workers with non-occupational disease C, and 19(28.4%) workers among 67 workers with occupational disease C knew accurately their health examination results. 2. 78(24.8%) of the workers responsed that they had follow-up management, and contents of follow-up management were follow-up(36.6%), out-patient treatment(31%), change worksite(8.5%), temporary retirement(7.0%) and others(16.9%). 3. Most of the workers responsed that the health examination were necessary, but three-fourths of the workers responsed that the health examination had been superficial or that they didn't know. 4. In this study, follow-up management show significant association with only explanation or education about health examination result chart.