Knowledge and 
Requirement of Workers in Small and Medium-sized Factories on Occupational Health Service

Keimyung Medical Journal 2001;20(1):31-42.

Knowledge and Requirement of Workers in Small and Medium-sized Factories on Occupational Health Service

중소규모 사업장 근로자의 산업보건서비스에 대한 지식과 요구도 조사

이미영; 서석권; 이충원; 임학재

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to survey the knowledge and requirement of workers on occupational health service in order to help plan occupational health management for small and medium-sized factories. Questionnaires were administered to 1200 conveniently sampled workers of 70 manufacturing factories from May to August 2000. The population used in analysis was 818 (males; 72.9%; females; 27.1%). Workers were not fully satisfy with the way which periodic health examinations were carried out and the most common complaint was that these were no following programs. Problems to be solved were on lack of consultation of examination results after the examinations; lack of treatment and drug prescription. The need for workplace hazard surveillance was recognized in 76.3% of male and 60.8% of female workers; but 58.2% in male and 70.2% in female were not aware of the results of it. The workers reported that there were possibility of occupational diseases in their workplaces (75.0%). The best solution to prevent occupational diseases was reported to improvement of workplace environment in 43.8% of the workers. Most of the workers also reported that they would like to participate in the health education; if given. They wanted to be educated in the prevention and treatment of occupational diseases most and the next was in hazard materials within the factory and chronic diseases thirdly in that orders. These results suggest needs for notification about results of periodic health examination and periodic workplace hazard surveillance; and also education for hazard materials within the workplace in additinto prevention and treatment of occupation diseases in small and medium-sized factories; promoting knowledge in occupational health and attitude change more actively towards occupational health.

Key Words: Occupational health, Knowledge, Requirement, Small and medium-sized factories