A Survey of Respirators Usage for Airborne Chemicals in Korea

Abstract

A questionnaire survey was undertaken to identify the current status of respirator usage in manufacturing work environments subject to gas/vapor chemicals exposure in Korea and to suggest improvements to enhance the effectiveness of respirator usage. The number of target companies included 17 big companies, 110 small & mid-size companies, and 5 foreign companies, and the number of respondents included 601 workers and 69 persons in charge of respirators (PCR). The results explained clearly that respirator programs in practice were extremely poor in small & mid-sized companies. The findings indicated that the selection of respirators was not appropriate. Quarter mask including filtering facepiece was the most common facepiece form for respirator and was worn by sixty-four percent. Not a little proportion of respondents (33%) complained about the fit: faceseal leakage between the face and facepiece. A filtering facepiece with carbon fiber filter was used as a substitution for a gas/vapor respirator. Another result was that the PCR respondents' perception of the administration of respirators was very low. The results of this survey suggest that regal enforcement of respiratory protection programs should be established in Korea. On the basis of these findings, respiratory protection programs should include respirator selection, maintenance, training, and fit testing.

Predictors of Respiratory Protective Equipment Use in the Norwegian Smelter Industry: The Role of the Theory of Planned Behavior, Safety Climate, and Work Experience in Understanding Protective Behavior

“…Furthermore, a study of Norwegian silicon carbide workers reported that only 74% used respirators some- or all of the time when in exposed areas (Føreland et al, 2008 ). Studies from other industrial settings also show that the use of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is not always in accordance with regulations or necessity (Salazar et al, 2001 ; Carpenter et al, 2002 ; Bryce et al, 2008 ; MacFarlane et al, 2008 ; Mitchell and Schenker, 2008 ; Tam and Fung, 2008 ; Han and Kang, 2009 ; Guseva Canu et al, 2013 ). Thus, inadequate use of respirators does not appear to be exclusive to the Norwegian smelter industry.…”

The Effect of a Knowledge-Based Intervention on the Use of Respirators in the Norwegian Smelter Industry

“…Perhaps the two most important outcome measures were participants' intention to use RPE and rate of respirator use. Several studies have concluded that the use of respiratory protective equipment is not optimal in construction, manufacturing, health care, nuclear industry, farming and hazardous waste management (Salazar et al, 2001;Carpenter et al, 2002;Bryce et al, 2008;MacFarlane et al, 2008;Mitchell and Schenker, 2008;Tam and Fung, 2008;Han and Kang, 2009;Guseva Canu et al, 2013). Our own results indicated that most respondents in the current study had a high level of intent to use respirators at baseline and that they used respirators most of the time spent in exposed areas.…”

“…Seventyeight percent of the workers report that they do not always use RPE in exposed situations . Sub-optimal RPE use has been reported in other professions such as nursing, farming, mining, construction and nuclear energy (Salazar et al, 2001;Carpenter et al, 2002;Bryce et al, 2008;MacFarlane et al, 2008;Mitchell and Schenker, 2008;Tam and Fung, 2008;Han and Kang, 2009;Guseva Canu et al, 2013).…”

Evaluation of Respiratory Protection Program in Petrochemical Industries: Application of Analytic Hierarchy Process

“…RPP has been evaluated in other workplaces in previous studies. For example, a study in Korea showed that the status of respiratory protection in small and medium industries was poor [19] . In addition, the study by Honarbakhsh et al.…”