• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2005

This paper describes a practical ergonomic approach for the shipbuilding industry that occupies the highest rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) in Korea. Typical work processes within a shipbuilding operation were surveyed to determine the presence of risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders. We used interviews, document analysis, video analysis, and OWAS postural analysis to identify and quantify ergonomic risk factors that workers may be exposed to in the course of their normal work duties. Some ergonomics actions were performed to solve the problems identified in the risk factor analysis. The practical ergonomic approach has resulted in decreases in workers' accident, and increases in productivity. The ergonomic solutions developed in this study could be applied to other sectors of industry that share common features of work with shipbuilding industry.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.185-189
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• 2012

Objective: The aim of this paper is to introduces Hyundai Heavy Industry's ergonomic risk assessment tool, H-OWAS, which is considering work load and frequency compared to the OWAS. Background: As prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders(WMSDs) in ship building industries has been much higher than that in other industries, most of the large scaled corporations have implemented their own prevention program since legislation on the prevention of WMSDs had introduced in 2003. Method: This paper introduces WMSDs prevention program, HEMP(HHI Ergonomics Management Program) which consists of risk assessment, improvement efforts of working environments, medical treatment and training/evaluation and describes how to operate the program. We also describe application of OWAS method considering work load and frequency for risk factor analysis(H-OWAS) and shows methodology for assessing the ergonomic risk factor. And comparison of the assessment results between OWAS and H-OWAS is carried out by statistical analysis. Result: There was statistically significant difference in the assessment results between OWAS and H-OWAS, and regression shows H-OWAS explains the borg's scale of perceived exertion more clearly than OWAS. Conclusion: H-OWAS has been proved more effective tool than OWAS to evaluate ergonomic risk factor under real working condition. Application: H-OWAS can be widely applied to the many other companies when implementing the ergonomics risk assessment.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.63-72
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic risk factors for workers of printing business. A self-reporting survey and task analysis using video camera were performed to identify ergonomic risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders. We used the OWAS, RULA, and REBA methods to quantify the risk factors, and the results show that the printing business have high risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.75-78
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• 2018

Background: To identify work sectors with high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in Korean men and women. Methods: We analyzed nationwide data to identify ergonomic risk factors in Korean employees. In particular, we analyzed data on exposure to five ergonomic risk factors (painful/tiring postures, lifting/moving heavy materials, standing/walking, repetitive hand/arm movements, and hand/arm vibration) according to employment sector, sex, and age, using the 2014 Fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey. We also used workers' compensation data on work-related MSDs in 2010, which is available by sex. Results: The different work sectors had different gender distributions. "Manufacturing" (27.7%) and "construction" (11.3%) were dominated by males, whereas "human health and social work activities" (12.4%), "hotel and restaurants" (11.7%), and "education" (10.4%) were dominated by females. However, "wholesale and retail trade" and "public administration and defense" employed large numbers of males and females. Furthermore, the work sectors with a greater proportion of work-related MSDs and with multiple ergonomic risk factors were different for men and women. For men, "construction" and "manufacturing" had the highest risk for work-related MSDs; for women, "hotel and restaurants" had the highest risk for work-related MSDs. Conclusion: Ergonomic interventions for workers should consider gender and should focus on work sectors with high risk for MSDs, with multiple ergonomic risk factors, and with the largest number of workers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.266-273
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• 2021

Objective: The objective of this study was to suggest improvement methods for investigations and systems through a review of musculoskeletal risk factor investigation reports conducted in the workplace. Methods: A total of 34 reports on musculoskeletal risk factor investigations were reviewed. To confirm the appropriateness of the evaluation, reevaluation was conducted through a field investigation using other evaluation tools. In order to understand the effectiveness of the improvement plan, a survey was conducted with those in charge of tasks with ergonomic burdens. Results: As a result of performing a field survey using the work sampling method recommended by the KOSHA (Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency) for ten tasks, eight tasks were determined to pose an ergonomic burden. When 30 tasks were evaluated with RULA (rapid entire body assessment), 90% of them were evaluated at a higher level than the results of the workplace survey. Among the improvement measures, only 36% of the field workers affirmed them, and in only 19% of the workplaces were actual improvements made. Conclusions: In order to improve the ergonomic investigation system for risk factors in the ergonomic burden task, it is necessary to secure the objectivity of the evaluation performed by the institution and enable the active participation of workers in improvement activities.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.101-110
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• 2014

This study tried to identify the effects of ergonomic risk factors for absence from work of fire fighters in Korea. A self-administered questionnaire was prepared for this study. The questionnaire consisted of several parts such as 'general information', 'work-related factors', 'physical & chemical risk factors', 'ergonomic risk factors', and 'absence information'. A total of 7,098 fire fighters participated in this study. The data obtained from the survey was mainly analyzed by logistic regression. A total of 856 out of 7,098 fire fighters experienced absence from work. The risk factors such as gender, age, marital status, education level, total work year, work area. position, job rotation, noise, dust, organic solvent, skin contact with chemical substance, toxic waste, regional vibration, manual material handling, continuous standing posture, awkward working posture were associated with absence from work. Specifically, awkward working posture and manual material handling from ergonomic risk factors were major risk factors for absence from work.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.42-51
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to develop a checklist of risk factors for quantitative assessment of musculoskeletal complaints in shipbuilding workers. A key point was to develop comprehensive a checklist including the worker's physical ability, as ergonomic and workload factors. ln the first, through correlation analysis between musculoskeletal complaints and physical abilities in shipbuilding workers, risk factors related to physical abilities were selected. In the second, after the development of a checklist was composed of physical, ergonomic and workload factors, factor analysis was used to test the validity of the developed checklist. Each factors selected finally showed that physical factors were hand grip strength, spinal curvature, and flexibility (sit to reach), ergonomic factors were posture, total exposed time, duration, and force of working, and workload factors were physical and psychological workload perceived by worker. The results showed that musculoskeletal complaints was associated with physical abilities (p<.05). The developed checklist had a reliability of .761 (Cronbach=.761) and a validity and explanation of 54.9%. The criterion of management was classified in 4 stages by relative weights of each factor. It is suggested that active intervention is needed to reduce musculoskeletal complaints in workers with more than a 14.31 score.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.138-143
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the ergonomic risk factors in beekeeping, and to evaluate the effectiveness of assistive device hive lift. Methods: This study included 30 subjects of beekeeper in Pocheon, Korea. We assessed the ergonomic risk of main task in beekeeping with NLE, OWAS and evaluate the effectiveness of hive lift. We also surveyed prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among the subjects based on the Korea Working Condition Survey. Results: Moving to different floral origin, internal inspection of beehives, feeding syrup is the most burdensome to musculoskeletal system (NLE LI value=2~3. OWAS action category=4). The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms (lower and upper extremities) among the subjects was over 80 %. The introduction of assistive devices in the three hazardous tasks has dramatically reduced the risk by removing manual lifting hives (OWAS action category<1). Conclusions: Beekeeping is a heavy workload on the musculoskeletal system because it has a lot of manual lifting task. As a result of applying the hive lift, the burden could be reduced.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.83-89
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• 2005

This study aims to compare a self-reported and expert-observed method on ergonomic risk factors of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs). The checklist was developed based on the results of previous studies, and the symptoms of WMSDs were obtained using a self-reported questionnaire from 1,029 shipyard workers. The risk factors were assessed through the self-report by workers and video analysis by ergonomists. The symptom prevalence at the low back (59.2%), shoulders (50.8 %), and knees (49.7%) were relatively higher than those at other body parts. Odds ratios (ORs) by body parts were 2.48 to 2.90 for the risk job, and the ORs were significantly different from those of the low risk job. The risk factor scores by body parts between workers and ergonomist were very high correlation(r=0.82 to 0.92). The rates of self-report from risk job were 54.0% (elbow and arm) to 72.1 % (low back), but sometimes overestimated(105.7 to 122.6%) than those by ergonomists. The checklist, developed in this study, will be an efficient tool for the evaluation of risk jobs using self-report by workers.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2009

A Study was conducted to investigate the type and level of occupational risk factors for the onset of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in non-manufacturing industries. Total of 38 worksites were investigated from 5 different business areas such as financial institution, transportation service, building maintenance, sanitary service and educational service. Major job and task category were classified and corresponding occupational risk factors such as awkward posture, force exertion, repetitiveness of job, and work/rest cycle were examined using various ergonomic risk analysis techniques. Sets of matrices were developed including types and levels of risk factors for the classified jobs and tasks from 5 different non-manufacturing industries. Also possible ergonomic remedies were suggested for the improvement working conditions. Results and risk factor matrices can be applied as a guideline for the investigation of WMSDs risk factors in similar industries for the prevention of WMSDs.