Currently, 76.6% of businesses in South Korea that are required to appoint safety managers have outsourced their safety management tasks to specialized safety management institutions. As a result, ...the role of these institutions is crucial. However, these institutions lack standardized inspection items for workplaces, and there are no specific regulations that enforce the improvement of identified risk factors in the submitted inspection reports. This leads to a low improvement rate and a lack of reduction in the accident rate. This study focuses on 10 businesses in the machinery, metallic, and non-metallic mineral products manufacturing industry in the southern region of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Over a period of three years, the contents of inspection reports submitted by these businesses were classified into six categories: mechanical factors, electrical factors, chemical(substance) factors, biological factors, task-specific factors, and work environment factors, according to the Korea risk assessment system(KRAS) classification. Regression analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were conducted to find out the relationship between the improvement rate and the accident rate. The results of the regression analysis confirmed that the improvement rate of risk factors provided by specialized safety management institutions significantly affects the accident rate in the workplace. The correlation analysis results indicate a significant correlation between the improvement rates and accident rates of the five factors excluding biological factors for which no inspection items were identified. Based on these findings, the study identified inspection items within the reports that had a low improvement rate and were repeatedly pointed out. Additionally, priority improvement items were derived based on the industry's characteristics. This study proposes checklists that can be utilized for safety inspections in the machinery, metallic, and non-metallic mineral products manufacturing industry. It is expected that by utilizing these safety inspection checklists, the accident rate in these workplaces can be reduced.
•76.6% of workplaces have entrusted their safety management work to specialized safety management institutions.•Inspection reports were classified according to the KRAS (Korea Risk Assessment System) criteria.•The relationship between the improvement ratio of risk factors in the reports and the accident ratio was analyzed.•A checklist that can be utilized for safety inspections was presented.
Since workers who have experienced industrial accidents may have a physical impairment, their workload is very likely to be less than before the industrial accident. This epidemiological study ...identified ICF-based predictive factors affecting the work performance of South Korean workers who were economically active after undergoing medical treatment (rehabilitation) related to injuries caused by industrial accidents by using the Panel Study of Worker’s Compensation Insurance (2018–2020) as a reference. We analyzed 1383 subjects who were engaged in economic activities. The explanatory variables included participation factors, activity factors, personal factors, physical function factors, and rehabilitation service factors. The outcome variables were defined by subjective evaluations of current job performance (0 and 10 points). This study analyzed the trajectory of change in work performance and change function predictors over time by using latent growth modeling (LGM). This study found mental activity, indoor activity, occupational activity, disability grade, socioeconomic status, the length of recuperation, self-esteem, and self-efficacy as significant predictors. The results of this study suggested that it would be necessary to prepare a systematic program that considers activity factors to support the independent daily life activities and social participation of workers injured by industrial accidents.
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to identify these risks and determine whether the current level of management is appropriate to respond to the risk of biological ...hazards depending on the occupation. In this study, the incidence and fatality rates of occupational diseases were calculated using industrial accident statistics of South Korea, and trends by year using joinpoint regression and relative risk by industry using k-means clustering were evaluated for infectious diseases. We found that infectious diseases had the third highest incidence and fourth highest fatalities among all occupational diseases. In the incidence rate, joinpoints appeared in 2009 and 2018, and the annual percent change changed to 7.79, -16.63, and 82.11. The fatality rate showed a consistent increase with an annual percent change of 4.37, but it was not significant. Industries were classified into five groups according to risk, and the legal control measures of certain industries were not sufficient. Follow-up studies are needed to rectify the structural limitations of industrial accident statistics.
This study aimed to analyze trends for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) from 1996 to 2020 in Korea and to investigate characteristics of WMSDs, including WMSD approval rates, ...distribution by WMSD names, and the effects of industry type and size, and workers’ age and gender on WMSD occurrence. The data included those obtained from the official yearbooks for industrial accidents published by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and those obtained personally from the Korea Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service. The results showed that although the incidence of WMSDs differed by year, approximately 9500 cases of WMSDs occurred in 2019 and 2020, the incidence rate of WMSDs was approximately 5.0 per 10,000 workers, and the proportions of WMSDs among industrial accidents were almost 9%. Low back pain was the leading cause of WMSDs; WMSDs occupied 9.5−71.5% of total occupational diseases by year and occurred most frequently in the manufacturing industry, followed by construction, transportation/warehouse and communication, and mining industries, and nearly 60% of WMSDs occurred in small business with <50 workers. Among chronic WMSDs, rotator cuff syndrome in the shoulder ranked first, intervertebral disc disorders second, and rotator cuff and tendon injuries third. By body parts, the shoulder was most susceptible to chronic WMSDs, followed by the low back, leg, and elbow/lower arm. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis showed that industry type and size and workers’ gender and age were significantly associated with WMSD approval. It can be concluded that the WMSD preventive efforts should focus on low back pain and rotator cuff syndrome by WMSD name, manufacturing by industry, small business by industry size, men by gender, and aged workers by age.
Methyl nitrite is suggested to cause methemoglobinemia by generating methemoglobin, which may be lethal when the methemoglobin concentration exceeds 70%. However, intoxication with methyl nitrite is ...seldom reported compared with that with other nitrites. Here, we present an industrial accident involving methyl nitrite inhalation during its synthesis process that resulted in three fatalities and one survivor. The autopsy revealed conspicuous blue‐gray discoloration in various parts of the body, including the skin, airway mucosa, vessels, brain, heart, and among other areas. The toxicological tests on the deceased showed methemoglobin concentrations in the blood over the lethal level and increased nitrite ion levels in the blood, gastric contents, liver, and lung tissue compared with those in control samples. The cause of death was determined to be methemoglobinemia‐induced hypoxia due to methyl nitrite inhalation. This report provides evidence that in methyl nitrite intoxication, exposure duration has a significant influence on the postmortem changes and likelihood of a fatal outcome may be related to the age of the victim. More attention is required regarding the industrial hazards of this substance.
•This study investigated 478 major industrial accidents in China from 2000 to 2020.•Pearson correlation analysis was carried out between industrial added value and major industrial accidents.•The ...accident characteristics and domino effect of major industrial accidents in China were analysed.•Helpful information for China's risk assessment and safety management of industrial clusters was obtained.
Understanding historical accidents are essential for accident prevention. This study analysed industrial accidents' characteristics and the domino effect of 478 major industrial accidents in China from 2000 to 2020, including time, location, accident levels and types, hazardous substances involved, working situations, and accident causes. Industrial accidents are mainly distributed in the eastern coastal industrial provinces, and concentrated in March, April, July and August, more likely to occur at 9:00–11:00 and 15:00–16:00. More than 80 % of industrial accidents occurred during normal operations and maintenance & overhaul work. 41.6 % were explosions, and 32.4 % were fires. Industrial accidents mainly involved flammable liquids and gases, and 49 % were caused by violations or improper operation. The primary events of industrial domino accidents were mainly explosions. The most frequent final domino sequences were explosion → fire (23.7 %), fire → explosion (15.3 %) and leakage → explosion (15.3 %). The ratio between first-level and second-level domino effect sequences was 2.5.
Purpose: This study aimed to identify the characteristics of patients injured by high-rotation cutting tools and the factors related to the severity of their injuries. Methods: Adult patients (≥18 ...years), who presented to the emergency department (ED) after a high-rotation cutting tool injury and who were registered in the Korean Emergency Department-based Injury In-Depth Surveillance (2011-2018) database, were included. Patients' demographic characteristics, injury-related factors, and Injury Severity Scores were collected. All included cases were categorized into two groups according to the tool that caused the injury: grinder versus nongrinder. The characteristics of the two groups were compared, and the factors associated with the severity of injuries were investigated. Results: Among 8,697 ED visits, 4,603 patients had been using a grinder and 4,094 had been using a nongrinder tool. The most frequently injured body part while using a grinder was the hand (46.4%), followed by the head (23.0%). While using a nongrinder tool, the most frequently injured body part was also the hand (64.0%), followed by the lower leg (11.4%). The odds of a severe injury were affected by patient age (odds ratio OR, 1.024; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.020-1.028) and using a grinder (OR, 2.073; 95% CI, 1.877-2.290). The odds of a severe injury using a grinder were higher in arm injuries (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.40-1.83) and multiple-part injuries (OR, 1.998; 95% CI, 1.639-2.437). The odds of a severe injury using a grinder were lower for head injuries (OR, 0.481; 95% CI, 0.297-0.781). Conclusions: Injuries from grinders were more likely to affect the head and neck than nongrinder injuries, despite the lower severity. The current lack of regulations on grinders in occupational safety and health standards warrants relevant legislation and the development of applicable safety equipment.
•Cases of environmental damage from man-made hazard like industrial accidents has increased in the period 2010 to 2020 in India.•Industrial accidents have damaged environment through air pollution, ...water pollution, soil pollution and risked human well-being.•Number of factories and the number of accidents are related at the sub-national level but the number of accidents and the response of society is not related.•India’s current way of industrial development supports the idea of a risk society bargain.•Society stakeholders, particularly non-state actors like civil society needs to be engaged to make industrial organisations accountable for industrial accidents.
Environmental damages from man-made hazards like industrial accidents in India have increased in the last decade (2010–2020) which poses a risk to the sustainable industrial development of the nation. This study examines industrial accidents with collateral damage to the environment over a ten-year period from 2010 to 2020. The objective is to understand whether India is normalizing environmental damage from industrial accidents as a side-effect of economic growth. This paper seeks to understand the characteristics and response to industrial accidents with adverse impact on the environment. Using content analysis, we created a unique database of industrial accidents with reported environmental damage using multiple data sources like international disaster database: EM-DAT, Indian media reports, independent disaster reports, Indian government evaluation reports of accidents and company reports. Industrial accidents are categorised by their year of occurrence, the state in India where the accident occurred, accident type, human impact, environmental impact, industry type, ownership of the organisation and the response from society stakeholders. We use the concept of risk society to understand the complex ways the discourse on industrial disasters is shaped and contextualise the findings in the broader development narrative. Our results suggest 560 industrial accidents have occurred with reported environmental damage from 2010 to 2020. Environmental damage was mostly in form of air pollution and water pollution. About 2,500 human lives have been lost and another 8,500 injured during the said period. Based on qualititive and quantitive analysis, we find that Indian states’ industrial profile is related to the number of industrial accidents but find no relationship between the number of accidents and the society’s response. The way forward is to encourage policymakers to ensure that companies, as part of their investment criteria, do the following: spell out appropriate safety measures; take concrete steps to engage in community awareness of the risks involved in the organizations’ operations; and, take responsibility for human and environmental damage in the event of an accident. To reduce the build-up of risk from industrial growth, maintaining and updating a national level database on the environmental damage from industrial accidents is essential. Such a database will also help signal India’s efforts to ensure sustainable manufacturing growth.
This study presents a methodology that adopts a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach to evaluate countries' performance in preventing industrial accidents, using accident records and ...combining three MCDA techniques (TOPSIS, Electre II, and CoCoSo) to create a robust ranking. Applied to OECD countries, the methodology provides valuable insights into countries' commitment to industrial accident prevention. It highlights the impact of European Union legislation, variations in the ranks of G7 economies, and identifies role models like Spain and Italy while shedding light on the neglect of regulations in developing countries like Hungary and Turkey. In a world where industrial accidents have far-reaching consequences, this study emphasizes the importance of sincerity and dedication in accident prevention efforts.
•Industrial accident prevention evaluated through novel multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approach.•Role model nations in industrial safety identified, emphasizing the importance of regulations and human error mitigation.•Findings suggest a strong correlation between industrialization levels and accident prevention efforts.•MCDA proves effective in robustly ranking countries' commitment to industrial accident prevention.•Accelerating the pace of science and fostering global collaboration in industrial safety efforts.
