Humans ; Occupational Health ; Workplace ; statistics & numerical data

China ; Occupational Health ; statistics & numerical data ; Occupational Health Services ; Organizations ; statistics & numerical data

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the trends of occupational health nursing research by analyzing the Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing for the last 20 years. METHODS: A total of 268 published papers during the 20 year period were analyzed with structured analysis forms. RESULTS: Most of the articles were descriptive, but the number of experimental studies increased. Fifty-five percents of the subjects were healthy workers. Most common selection of subjects appeared to be based on convenience. Sixty-eight percent of research instruments were questionnaires and the reliability and the validity of instruments were described in approximately half of the studies. Parametric statistics were the main methods of data analysis, but some advanced statistics were often used rather than simple descriptive statistics. Mainly "health" has been studied (47.9%) among four meta-paradigms of nursing science. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to develop more rigorous and various research methodology such as longitudinal design, experimental study, or randomized controlled trial. Also, special attention must be paid to studying the environment of workers.
Korea ; Occupational Health ; Occupational Health Nursing ; Patient Selection ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Research Design ; Statistics as Topic

OBJECTIVETo analyze the results of an occupational hazards survey of specially supervised enterprises (156 enterprise-times) during 2011-2012 in one district of Shenzhen, China and find out the changes in occupational hazards in these enterprises, and to put forward countermeasures for the prevention and control of occupational hazards.

METHODSOccupational hazards monitoring results for specially supervised enterprises (156 enterprise-times) during 2011-2012 were included. Comparison and analysis were performed between different years, different industries, different occupational hazards, and different sizes of enterprises.

RESULTSA total of 1274 monitoring sites from these specially supervised enterprises were included, of which qualification rate was 73.55% (937/1274), and the noise monitoring sites showed the lowest qualification rate. The overall qualification rate in 2012 (70.37%) was significantly lower than that in 2011 (80.94%) (χ(2) = 15.38, P < 0.01). In electronics industry, the qualification rate in 2012 was significantly lower than that in 2011 (χ2 = 11.27, P = 0.001). Comparison of various hazards in different industries indicated that electronic enterprises and furniture enterprises had the lowest qualification rate in noise monitoring, printing enterprises had the lowest qualification rate in organic solvent monitoring, and furniture enterprises had the lowest qualification rate in dust monitoring. Comparison between different sizes of enterprises indicated that the qualification rate of large and medium enterprises in 2012 was significantly lower than that in 2011, while the qualification rate of small enterprises in 2012 was significantly higher than that in 2011 (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn the prevention and control of occupational hazards in specially supervised enterprises, special attention should be paid to the control of organic solvents in printing enterprises and noise and dust in furniture enterprises.

Air Pollutants, Occupational ; China ; Dust ; Industry ; statistics & numerical data ; Noise, Occupational ; Occupational Exposure ; statistics & numerical data ; Occupational Health ; statistics & numerical data ; Solvents

China ; Humans ; Occupational Health ; statistics & numerical data ; Physical Examination ; trends

OBJECTIVETo provide data for the occupational health supervision by analyzing the occupational health status in manufacturing industry in Guangzhou, China.

METHODSThe occupational health investigation was performed in 280 enterprises randomly selected from 8 industries based on industry stratification. According to the occupational health standards, 198 out of the 280 enterprises were supervised and monitored. Sample testing was performed in 3~5 workplaces where workers were exposed to the highest concentration/intensity of occupational hazard for the longest time. Comparative analyses of the overproof rates of hazard were performed among enterprises, workplaces, and testing items from different industries.

RESULTSThe concentrations of occupational hazard in 42.93% (85/198) of enterprises and 22.96% (200/871) of workplaces were above the limit concentration. The most severe hazards were the noises in shipbuilding and wooden furniture industries and the welding fumes in shipbuilding industry. Less than 30% of enterprises were able to provide occupational health examination and periodic test reports of occupational hazard in workplaces. The rate of the workers with abnormal occupational health examination results and the need for reexamination reached 6.63% (832/12 549), and they were mostly from shipbuilding, wooden furniture, and chemical industries.

CONCLUSIONThe occupational health supervision should be strengthened in enterprises, and hazard from noises and dusts should be selectively controlled or reduced. The publication of relevant data and information of occupational health in enterprises should be promoted to enhance social supervision.

Chemical Industry ; China ; Dust ; Humans ; Interior Design and Furnishings ; Manufacturing Industry ; statistics & numerical data ; Noise, Occupational ; Occupational Exposure ; statistics & numerical data ; Occupational Health ; statistics & numerical data ; Welding ; Workplace

BACKGROUNDNoise is widespread occupational hazard in iron and steel industry. Overhead-traveling cranes are widely used in this industry, but few studies characterized the overhead-traveling crane drivers' noise exposure level so far. In this study, we assessed and characterized personal noise exposure levels of overhead-traveling crane drivers in two steel-rolling mills.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty-four overhead-traveling crane drivers, 76 in the cold steel-rolling mill and 48 in the hot steel-rolling mill, were enrolled in the study. Personal noise dosimeters (AIHUA Instruments Model AWA5610e, Hangzhou, China) were used to collect full-shift noise exposure data from all the participants. Crane drivers carried dosimeters with microphones placed near their collars during the work shifts. Work logs had been taken by the drivers simultaneously. Personal noise exposure data were divided into segments based on lines in which they worked. All statistical analyses were done using SPSS 13.0.

RESULTSThe average personal noise exposure (L(Aeq.8h)) of overhead-traveling crane drivers in the hot steel-rolling mills ((85.03 +/- 2.25) dB (A)) was higher than that in the cold one ((83.05 +/- 2.93) dB (A), P < 0.001). There were 17 overhead traveling cranes in the hot steel-rolling mill and 24 cranes in the cold one, of which carrying capacities varied from 15 tons to 100 tons. The average noise exposure level based on different lines in the hot and cold steel-rolling mills were (85.2 +/- 2.61) dB (A) and (83.3 +/- 3.10) dB (A) respectively (P = 0.001), which were similar to the average personal noise exposure in both mills. The noise exposure levels were different among different lines (P = 0.021).

CONCLUSIONNoise exposure levels, depending upon background noise levels and the noise levels on the ground, are inconstant. As the noise exposure levels are above the 85 dB (A) criteria, these drivers should be involved in the Hearing Conservation Program to protect their hearing.

Environmental Monitoring ; instrumentation ; methods ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Noise, Occupational ; Noise, Transportation ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; statistics & numerical data ; Occupational Health ; statistics & numerical data ; Steel

China ; epidemiology ; Data Collection ; standards ; Humans ; Occupational Diseases ; chemically induced ; epidemiology ; Occupational Exposure ; statistics & numerical data ; Occupational Health ; statistics & numerical data ; Occupational Medicine ; legislation & jurisprudence

Humans ; Occupational Exposure ; statistics & numerical data ; Occupational Health ; Physical Examination ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo compare and analyze the all previous censuses and large-scale surveys on occupational hazard in China, draw lessons from the past, and try to provide references for the development of census or surveys on the occupational hazard in the new period.

METHODSA literature retrieval had been performed mainly on the occupational hazard census and large-scale surveys since the founding of People's Republic of China. Only the survey items carried on a national scale were selected. Some keywords were drawn from these items such as survey time, survey scope, industries, occupational diseases and the rate of examination, organization and technical director, methods and so on. The outcomes and experiences were summarized.

RESULTSSince the founding of People's Republic of China, there were seven occupational hazard census and large-scale surveys carried in China, three of them were about silicosis or pneumoconiosis, two of them were about poison and carcinogens, one was about noise, another one was about the township industrial enterprises.

CONCLUSIONLeadership attention was the fundamental guarantee of the success of the survey, sound occupational health management organizations were the base, collaborative relationship with each other was an import factor, and only the interdisciplinary team, scientific design, quality control and incentive mechanism could assure the quality of the survey. The survey should be designed and carried out according to industries.

China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Occupational Diseases ; epidemiology ; Occupational Health Services ; statistics & numerical data