This article addresses three key issues. First, the commonalities, differences, strengths, and limitations of existing occupational safety and health (OSH) legislation of low- and middle-income countries were determined. Second, required revisions were identified and discussed to strengthen the laws in accordance with the best international practice. Finally, proposals for additional OSH laws and interventions were suggested. A literature search of OSH laws of 10 selected low- and middle-income countries was carried out. The laws were subjected to uniform review criteria. Although the agricultural sector employs more than 70% of the population, most of the reviewed countries lack OSH legislation on the sector. Existing OSH laws are gender insensitive, fragmented among various government departments, insufficient, outdated, and nondeterrent to perpetrators and lack incentives for compliance. Conclusively, the legal frameworks require reformation and harmonization for the collective benefit to employees, employers, and regulatory authorities. New OSH legislation for the agricultural sector is required.
Clothing ; Compliance ; Jurisprudence ; Legislation as Topic* ; Motivation ; Occupational Health*

The legal scope and criteria for occupational cancer in Korea was out of date. The aim of this study was to review the current criteria for occupational cancer and amend the existent criteria on the basis of recent scientific evidence. The scientific evidence and the legal list of occupational cancer were analyzed to identify the causes of occupational cancer on a global scale. The relationship between compensated occupational cancer cases and carcinogen exposure in Korea was examined. The factors associated with specific causes and target cancers were determined to produce additional criteria. Five-hundred and nineteen cases of 2,468 were awarded compensation for occupational cancer including lung, malignant mesothelioma, lymphohematopoietic, and liver cancers from January 2000 to October 2012. Between 1996 and 2005, benzene accounted for 84.4% of cases, and between 1999 and 2005, asbestos was associated with 62.3% of cases. Fourteen novel causative agents and 12 additional target cancers were identified and the final guidelines were amended to include 23 causative agents and 21 target cancers. This amendment of the criteria for occupational cancer represents the widest change in Korean history and is expected to improve the understanding of occupational cancer by providing an up-to-date and accurate reference guide.
Asbestos/toxicity ; Benzene/toxicity ; Carcinogens/toxicity ; Female ; Humans ; Insurance, Health/*economics ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms/chemically induced/*economics ; Occupational Diseases/*economics/mortality ; Occupational Exposure/*adverse effects ; Republic of Korea ; Workers' Compensation/*economics/legislation & jurisprudence/standards

The range of diseases covered by workers' compensation is constantly expanding. However, new regulations are required for the recognition of occupational diseases (ODs) because OD types evolve with changes in industrial structures and working conditions. OD criteria are usually based on medical relevance, but they vary depending on the social security system and laws of each country. In addition, the proposed range and extent of work-relatedness vary depending on the socio-economic conditions of each country. The Labor Standards Act (LSA) and the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act (IACIA) of Korea employ lists based on their requirements without listing causes and diseases separately. Despite a considerable reshuffle in 2003, the basic framework has been maintained for 50 yr, and many cases do not fit into the international disease classification system. Since July 1, 2013, Korea has expanded the range of occupational accidents to include occupational cancers and has implemented revised LSA and IACIA enforcement decrees. There have been improvements to OD recognition standards with the inclusion of additional or modified criteria, a revised and improved classification scheme for risk factors and ODs, and so on.
Accidents, Occupational/*classification/*economics ; Humans ; Insurance, Accident/economics ; Insurance, Health/economics ; Neoplasms/chemically induced ; Occupational Diseases/*classification/*economics/mortality ; Occupational Exposure/adverse effects ; Occupational Health ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors ; Workers' Compensation/*economics/legislation & jurisprudence/standards

Guidelines as Topic ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Occupational Diseases ; prevention & control ; Occupational Health ; legislation & jurisprudence

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Health ; legislation & jurisprudence ; Pneumoconiosis ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVES: The regulatory changes in Korea during the national economic crisis 10 years ago and in the current global recession were analyzed to understand the characteristics of deregulation in labor policies. METHODS: Data for this study were derived from the Korean government's official database for administrative regulations and a government document reporting deregulation. RESULTS: A great deal of business-friendly deregulation took place during both economic crises. Occupational health and safety were the main targets of deregulation in both periods, and the regulation of employment promotion and vocational training was preserved relatively intact. The sector having to do with working conditions and the on-site welfare of workers was also deregulated greatly during the former economic crisis, but not in the current global recession. CONCLUSIONS: Among the three main areas of labor policy, occupational health and safety was most vulnerable to the deregulation in economic crisis of Korea. A probable reason for this is that the impact of deregulation on the health and safety of workers would not be immediately disclosed after the policy change.
Cost Control/legislation & jurisprudence/methods ; *Economic Recession ; Employment/*economics/legislation & jurisprudence/statistics & numerical data ; Government Regulation ; Humans ; Occupational Health/*legislation & jurisprudence/statistics & numerical data ; Public Policy ; Republic of Korea ; Workplace/economics/legislation & jurisprudence/standards

OBJECTIVES: The promotion of health and safety (H&S) awareness among hospital staff can be applied through various methods. The aim of this study was to assess the risk level of physical hazards in the hospital sector by combining workers' perception, experts' evaluation and objective measurements. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was designed using multiple triangulation. Hospital staff (n = 447) filled in an H&S questionnaire in a general hospital in Athens and an oncology one in Thessaloniki. Experts observed and filled in a checklist on H&S in the various departments of the two hospitals. Lighting, noise and microclimate measurements were performed. RESULTS: The staff's perception of risk was higher than that of the experts in many cases. The measured risk levels were low to medium. In cases of high-risk noise and lighting, staff and experts agreed. Staff's perception of risk was influenced by hospital's department, hospital's service, years of working experience and level of education. Therefore, these factors should be taken into account in future studies aimed at increasing the participation of hospital workers. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the usefulness of staff participation in the risk assessment process, despite the tendency for staff to overestimate the risk level of physical hazards. The combination of combining staff perception, experts' evaluation and objective measures in the risk assessment process increases the efficiency of risk management in the hospital environment and the enforcement of relevant legislation.
Attitude of Health Personnel ; Checklist ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Hazardous Substances ; Health Promotion ; Hospitals, General ; Legislation, Hospital ; Light ; Lighting ; Microclimate ; Noise ; Occupational Health ; Questionnaires ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Management

Occupational infection is a human disease caused by work-associated exposure to microbial agents through human and environmental contact. According to the literature, occupational infection was the third leading cause of occupational disease (861 cases, 8.0%), and health care, agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers were risk groups in Korea. In addition, most high-risk groups have not been protected by workers' compensation, which could lead to underestimation of the exact spectrum and magnitude of the problem, and may also result in a lack of development and implementation of occupational infection management. Through a review of national guidelines and documentations on prevention and control of occupational infection, a management strategy would promote adherence to worker safety regulations if it is explicit with regard to the agent and mode of infection in each of the high-risk groups.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bacterial Infections/*epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycoses/*epidemiology ; Occupational Diseases/*epidemiology ; Occupational Exposure/adverse effects ; Occupational Health/legislation & jurisprudence ; Protozoan Infections/*epidemiology ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Virus Diseases/*epidemiology ; Workers' Compensation

The management system of occupational diseases in Korea can be assessed from the perspective of a surveillance system. Workers' compensation insurance reports are used to produce official statistics on occupational diseases in Korea. National working conditions surveys are used to monitor the magnitude of work-related symptoms and signs in the labor force. A health examination program was introduced to detect occupational diseases through both selective and mass screening programs. The Working Environment Measurement Institution assesses workers' exposure to hazards in the workplace. Government regulates that the employer should do health examinations and working conditions measurement through contracted private agencies and following the Occupational Safety and Health Act. It is hoped that these institutions may be able to effectively detect and monitor occupational diseases and hazards in the workplace. In view of this, the occupational management system in Korea is well designed, except for the national survey system. In the future, national surveys for detection of hazards and ill-health outcomes in workers should be developed. The existing surveillance system for occupational disease can be improved by providing more refined information through statistical analysis of surveillance data.
Accidents, Occupational/statistics & numerical data ; *Environmental Monitoring/legislation & jurisprudence ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; *Occupational Diseases ; Occupational Exposure ; *Occupational Health/legislation & jurisprudence ; *Occupational Health Services/legislation & jurisprudence ; *Population Surveillance ; Republic of Korea ; Workplace

Occupational health work is currently undertaken by the specialist and the non-specialist physician alike. The work scope can vary from medical assessments of individual workers to health risk assessment at the workplace. The scope of the latter will include evaluation of exposures, hazards, risks and its management to control these risks. Much of the case law governing legal disputes over industrial safety and health have involved the employers. Over the years, the actions brought forth by workers have resulted in a formidable volume of case law based on statutes and on the common law of negligence in tort. Disputes over the assessment of workers' health or workplace health risks to the extent that it is a failure to discharge a reasonable standard of care, may result in the doctor being a defendant. Measures to prevent these legal pitfalls include communication with employers about the causative link of the illness suffered to workplace factors and the clarity of contractual obligations undertaken with regard to workplace health risk assessment.
Accidents, Occupational ; legislation & jurisprudence ; Asthma ; Humans ; Liability, Legal ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Occupational Health ; legislation & jurisprudence ; Risk Assessment ; Singapore ; Workers' Compensation ; legislation & jurisprudence