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Aim: The objective of this study is to examine the elements that impact presenteeism in both construction and non-construction workers and to investigate methods for such improvement. Methods: Using data from the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey, a total of 43,617 participants were analysed. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the factors influencing presenteeism among construction and non-construction workers. Results: The main factors influencing presenteeism among construction workers were gender, age, education, monthly income, exposure to dust, and uncomfortable postures. Conclusion: To reduce presenteeism among construction workers, it is essential for governments and organizations to implement occupational health and safety management policies that prevent discrimination based on gender or education. Furthermore, each workplace should diligently perform procedures to identify the types and risks of workplace hazards and establish measures to mitigate these risks.

Purpose: To identify factors influencing heat-illness prevention behaviors among construction workers, focusing on awareness of perceived-temperature measurement, recognition of temperature difference/necessity, experience of work adjustment or stoppage, and prevention awareness. Methods: In May 2025, 199 workers (aged 20–64) from six construction sites in Pyeongtaek, Korea, completed a mobile survey during routine safety education. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression were performed (SPSS/WIN 25.0; α=.05). Results: Prevention behaviors were higher among those aware of perceived-temperature measurement (t=2.72, p=.007). Prevention behaviors correlated with recognition of temperature difference/necessity (r=.303, p<.001), work adjustment/stoppage (r=.612, p<.001), and prevention awareness (r=.844, p<.001). Multiple regression indicated that prevention awareness (β=.686, p<.001), work adjustment/stoppage (β=.261, p<.001), and awareness of perceived-temperature measurement (β=.093, p=.014) significantly predicted prevention behaviors (F=41.53, p<.001; adjusted R²=.766). Conclusion: Enhancing prevention awareness, institutionalizing temperature monitoring, and formalizing work-adjustment/stoppage procedures may strengthen preventive behaviors at construction sites.

Purpose: This study analyzes the factors affecting work-related health problems for construction site workers. We intend to contribute to the prevention of occupational damage and the preparation of health care measures for construction workers. Method: This study targeted 2,184 construction site workers among the 50,538 workers who participated in the 6th working environment survey prepared by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, excluding the self-employed and those with insufficient responses. The collected data are analyzed using SPSS/WIN 23.0 Program by frequency analysis, percentage, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis. Results: Factors affecting the work-related health problems of construction workers were found to be smoke in the working environment, inhalation of fumes and dust, work-related stress, and age, employment type, and working environment dissatisfaction when subjective health status was poor. Conclusion: It is necessary to prepare measures to reduce exposure to harmful factors and health management measures for each professional engineer in the construction industry, and to provide safety and health support for temporary or daily workers.

Construction workers experience a high burden of work-related musculoskeletal pain due to physically demanding tasks and hazardous working environments. However, evidence based on nationally representative data examining psychosocial job characteristics and work-related musculoskeletal pain among construction workers remains limited. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with work-related musculoskeletal pain among Korean construction workers using the job demand–control –support (JDCS) model. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study utilizing data from the 7th Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS), with a final sample of 1,313 construction workers. To account for the complex sampling design of the KWCS, final weights recommended by the data provider were applied, and all statistical analyses were performed using complex sample procedures in SAS version 9.4. Job demand, control, and support were measured using standardized questionnaire items. Differences in characteristics based on the presence of work-related musculoskeletal pain were examined using the Rao-Scott χ²test for categorical variables and complex sample regression analysis for continuous variables. Finally, multivariate logistic regression analysis, adjusted for sociodemographic and occupational confounding factors, was conducted to identify independent risk factors affecting work-related musculoskeletal pain. Results were presented as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Among the participants, 43.0% reported work-related musculoskeletal pain. Workers with musculoskeletal pain had significantly higher job demand and lower levels of job control and job support compared with those without pain (p<0.05). In the logistic regression analysis, job demand was significantly associated with an increased risk of work-related musculoskeletal pain (odds ratio [aOR] = 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–1.05). Job control and job support were not significantly associated with musculoskeletal pain. Female sex, older age, low level of education, dissatisfaction with the work environment and longer weekly working hours were also significantly associated with work-related musculoskeletal pain. Conclusions: Work-related musculoskeletal pain among construction workers was primarily associated with high job demand, demographic factors, and long working hours, whereas job control and job support showed limited associations. These findings highlight the importance of reducing physical and ergonomic job demand, improving working conditions, and implementing targeted preventive strategies for vulnerable groups to protect the musculoskeletal health of construction workers.

Daily workers in construction sites rarely receive the benefit of systematic safety and health training as they are required to move from one construction site to another in response to the start, completion, and repetition of construction works. Also, small- to medium-sized construction sites often lack the capacity to train their workers. Therefore, as in the advanced countries, basic OSH training sheme for construction workers should be conducted in the industrial-level, rather than in individual workplace-level, to make the training more effective. By doing so, only workers with the basic safety training will be able to engage in construction works. Consequently, accidents in the construction industry will decrease, as workers themselves who are at the forefront of the construction worksites are empowered to play the central role in accident prevention activities.

본 연구는 건설 현장 응급 구조 센터 기록을 활용하여 작업 관련 특성을 기반으로 건설 현장 근로자의 응급 손상 위험을 예측하는 모델을 개발하는 것을 목적으로 하였다. 건설 현장은 직업 재해 발생률이 높고, 특히 응급 상황 발생 시 비의료진이 초기 대응을 담당하는 경우가 많아 고위험 환경으로 인식되고 있다. 따라서 부상 패턴과 고위험 조건을 파악하는 것은 현장 응급 대응 시스템 개선에 필수적이다. 이에 연구는 건설현장 근로자의 손상 기록을 활용하여 손상 중증도와 필요한 의료 처치를 기준으로 저위험군과 고위험군으로 분류하여 다변량 로지스틱 회귀 분석을 통해 고위험 손상과 관련된 요인을 파악하였다. 연구의 결과는 작업 특성에 기반한 위험 예측을 통하여 건설 현장에서의 맞춤형 응급처치 교육, 고위험 작업자 관리 및 현장 응급 대응 전략 등과 같은 정책적 개선 방향을 제안하는 근거 자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.

This study aimed to develop a risk prediction model for emergency injuries among construction workers based on work-related characteristics using records from on-site emergency rescue centers. Construction sites represent high-risk occupational environments, where initial emergency responses are frequently performed by non-medical personnel. Accordingly, systematically identifying injury patterns and high-risk conditions is essential for improving on-site emergency response systems. In this study, injury records were classified into low-risk and high-risk groups according to injury severity and the level of medical intervention required. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with high-risk injuries. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of predicting emergency injury risk using routinely available work-related information and provide an empirical basis for policy-level improvements, including the development of tailored first-aid training programs, targeted management of high-risk worker groups, optimized deployment of emergency response personnel, and prevention-oriented crisis management strategies in construction settings.

연구문제 또는 목적: 본 연구는 회전근개파열 건설근로자들을 대상으로 작업강화훈련(work hardening)의 적용과 그에 따른 직업복귀 사례를 알아보고자 하였다. 연구방법: 2023년 1월부터 대전소재의 D병원에서 작업강화훈련(work hardening)에 참여한 회전근개파열 산재근로자를 대상으로 한국판 우울 설문지(K-BDI), 근로자 연할인식 면담도구(WRI), 직업능력평가(FCE)를 이용하여 우울과, 심리·사회적인 요소, 직업복귀수준 상태를 평가하고 다학제적인 중재를 계획하였다. 작업강화훈련(work hardening)은 매일 2시간씩 8주간 훈련을 진행하였으며 전·후 변화를 확인하였다. 결론 또는 시사점:본 연구를 통해서 작업강화훈련(work hardening)이 우울과, 심리·사회적인 요소, 직업복귀에 긍정적인 효과를 주는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 산재근로자를 대상으로 하는 직업재활분야에서 작업강화훈련(work hardening)에 대한 다양한 사례 및 중재연구가 추가로 연구될 필요가 있다.

Purpose : This study aimed to investigate the application of work hardening training in construction workers with rotator cuff tears and their subsequent return to work. Method: The Korean-Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Worker Role Interview(WRI), and the Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) were used to assess depression, psychosocial factors, and the level of occupational rehabilitation among workers who participated in work hardening at Hospital D in Daejeon from January 2023, and to plan interventions. work hardening was conducted for 8 weeks for 2 hours daily, and pre- and post-test changes were determined. Results: This study confirms that work hardening has a positive effect on depression, psychosocial factors, and vocational rehabilitation. More case and intervention studies on work hardening in the field of vocational rehabilitation for injured workers are needed.

Purpose: This study assessed smoking-cessation stages of change using the Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM) and identified smoking cessation-related factors. Methods: Using a cross-sectional descriptive study, a convenience sample of 216 male construction workers answered a self-administered questionnaire including demographics, the Champion’s Health Belief Model Scale, and questions on the smoking-cessation stages of change through the PAPM. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi-square test, t-test, Fisher‘s exact test, and logistic regression. Results: The distribution of the PAPM stages of change in smoking-cessation was as follows: 9.7% unengaged, 32.4% engaged and deciding to quit smoking, 1.9% deciding not to quit smoking, 16.7% deciding to quit smoking, 8.3% acting, and 31.0% maintaining. The health beliefs related to smoking cessation indicated mean scores of susceptibility, seriousness, benefits, barriers, confidence, and health motivation of 2.23 ± 0.88, 3.23 ± 0.86, 3.41 ± 0.88, 2.57 ± 0.72, 3.37 ± 0.77, and 3.45 ± 0.64, respectively. The significant predictors of smoking cessation were smoking banned at home (OR = 2.61, 95% CI: 1.37-5.00), susceptibility (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.40-0.89), and confidence (OR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.29-3.27). Conclusion: The findings indicated that, to increase the rate of successful smoking cessation, it is necessary to forbid smoking at home and to implement smoking-cessation programs compatible with the smoking-cessation stages of change.

This study aimed to compare demographic characteristics, working conditions, and MSD hazardous factor exposure between construction and non-construction workers using the 7th Korean Working Conditions Survey data, and to analyze factors affecting work-related health problems among construction workers to empirically identify their health vulnerabilities. This study utilized raw data from 50,195 respondents of the 7th Korean Working Conditions Survey conducted by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency in 2023. Variables included musculoskeletal disorder risk factors, atypical work arrangements, health problems, and work-relatedness. Descriptive statistics, -tests, and logistic regression analyses were performed. Construction workers were predominantly male (86.7%) with notable aging trends (43.0% aged 51-65). Construction workers showed significantly higher exposure to MSD hazardous factors compared to non-construction workers. Construction workers are exposed to significantly more musculoskeletal hazardous factors and experience work-related health problems more frequently than non-construction workers. Tailored occupational safety and health management measures considering the specificity of the construction industry are needed, and urgent development of health protection measures through work environment improvement for construction workers is required.

한국은 2019년 통계청 발표에 따르면 이미 14.3%를 넘어 고령사회로 접어들었으며 초고령시대를 향해 다가가고 있는 추세 이다. 따라서 추상적 경제, 사회의 성장과 생활수준 향상으로 국내 평균수명이 크게 증가하고 있으며, 특히 중·고령화 증가에 따라 건설현장에서 중·고령 건설근로자의 사고율 또한 높아지고 있다. 건설현장에서의 연령대별 총·치사사고 발생현황은 10 년간 분석하였으며, 이에 본 연구에서는 50세 이상 근로자 수가 전체 사고에서 차지하는 비율이 약 55.2~69.4%, 치사사고에서 약 64.1~66.9%를 차지하는 것으로 나타났다. 그 수치는 다른 노인 그룹보다 훨씬 크며, 그에 따른 중·고령 건설근로자의 산업재 해 현황과 원인에 대한 연구와 분석이 이뤄졌다. 이 연구는 향후 중·고령 건설 노동자의 적절한 처분과 안전 예방에 관한 유용한 정보를 제공하며 보다 안전한 건설현장에서의 관리 가이드라인으로 활용될 것으로 본다.

This research aims to develop a job-site noise monitoring system for worker’s safety by using smart- phone. According to the korean occupational health and safety act, employers have to establish and implement a hearing protection-program against the noise of workplace exceeding 90dB. This standard fit in manufacturing workplace, but it is difficult to apply to the construction site. Construction workers tend to move contiguously throughout a building and also they work with sharing space. Actually it is not avoidable that some crew shares the same space with a noise maker in a specific time. Therefore, it disturbs the communication between members of same crew and results in an accident. This study presents an approachment for real-time identifying and monitoring workers exposed to a noisy workplace inside of a building and providing the information to the safety manager.

The objective of this study was to conduct research and analysis using Group Focus Interview to survey the between construction site workers and managers implementing for the Severe Accident Punishment Act. Focused on measures to improve safety management effectiveness for the effectiveness of establishing a safety management system. A plan to improve the efficient safety management system was presented to 50 construction industrial managers and workers. In order to ensure the industrial accident prevention policies appropriately, it is necessary to be aware of safety obligations for workers as well as business operators. In addition, despite the existence of a commentary on the Serious Accident Punishment Act, confusion in the field still persists, so in the event of a major accidents, the obligation to take safety and health education is strengthened, and effective case education is proposed by teaching actual accident cases suitable for actual working sites. It is necessary to make all training mandatory, and it is necessary to reconsider awareness through writing a daily safety log, awareness of risk factors, etc., and writing down risk information. Above all, at the construction ordering stage, it is necessary to keep the construction safety, request corrections and supplements for problems issues that arise, and consult between the orderer and the construction company about the problems issues. Rather than having only the construction company correct or supplement the safety management plan, the contents should be shared with supervisors and workers to establish a more practical solution. Results of this study will contribute to improving the effectiveness of the serious accident and construction safety management system.

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify factors influencing musculoskeletal problems in construction workers over the age of 50. Method: This study used the data of 1,032 raw data from the 6th Working Environment Survey of the Occupational Safety and Health Corporation as the analysis subject. The investigation period was from October 2020 to April 2021. The data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 23.0 by conducting frequency analysis, chi-square test and logistic regression. Result: Factors affecting the musculoskeletal problems of construction workers over 50 years of age were academic level(p=.006) in general characteristics, uncomfortable posture (p=.001) and handling of heavy objects(p=.014) in work-related characteristics, In health-related characteristics, sleep disturbance(p<.001) and experience of fatigue(p<.001) were found. Conclusion: In order to manage musculoskeletal disorders of workers aged 50 and over, it is necessary to prepare an ergonomic working environment, to provide a break during work, and to manage the health of workers by countermeasures against fatigue and sleep management in the construction industry.

The purpose of this study is to discover the key factors to prevent unsafe behavior of a construction worker. Industrial accident statistics in 2013 show that the mortality of construction workers is highest and Heinrich said that most of the accidents caused by unsafe behavior. Installation of safety facilities and safety training in construction sites have improved a lot compared to the past but disaster caused by the unsafe behavior of workers are still occurring at the construction sites in all over the country. This study attempts to investigate the causes and present countermeasure of unsafe behaviors of construction workers. It showed that self management, personal nature of the workers, relief of stress, improvement of work environment are needed most in order to avoid unsafe behavior thorough this study. The output throughout this study are as follows the first securement of optimal construction period, the second education and observation about workers in their fourties and unskilled workers, the third improvement of working environment, the fourth, obey of safety rule, the fifth, drastic safety inspection, the sixth stress relief of workers, the seventh self-control safety management. Based on these findings I anticipate that this study will become a practical guideline to prevent unsafe behavior of domestic construction workers and experimental research for proving effectiveness of the guidelines is done and to be foundation to eradicate unsafe behavior in the construction industry.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze injury patterns among construction workers using on-site emergency care records and identify differences according to occupational characteristics. Methods: This retrospective observational study used emergency treatment records from an on-site emergency care center at a large-scale construction site in Korea between January 2021 and December 2023. A total of 1,968 injury cases were analyzed. The injury types were reclassified according to the Nature of Injury categories in the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS). Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to examine the differences in injury characteristics. Results: The most common injury types were contusions/blunt injuries (35.3%) and skin or soft tissue injuries (32.7%). The hands were the most frequently affected body part (34.6%). Significant differences in injury distribution were observed according to trade type and job category (p<.05). Seasonal differences were also identified, with a higher proportion of injuries occurring during summer. Conclusion: Construction site injuries showed consistent patterns according to occupational and seasonal characteristics. The analysis of on-site emergency care records using the OIICS framework may provide practical information for injury prevention and on-site emergency response planning.

This study is to investigate the degree of field awareness of how each provision of the Serious Disaster Punishment Act will affect accident prevention. As a result of conducting a survey of construction site workers, it was analyzed that construction site workers had a low sense of safety and did not voluntarily engage in safety activities. And it can be seen that they are taking a very passive position that it is efficient to implement safety under the supervision of the supervisor. Workers who need voluntary construction site safety activities are most aware of the situation at the site, but the problem was pointed out as “lack of procedures for listening to opinions and preparing improvement measures” for these problems. Future research is needed to see if this is a problem for individual workers or for those in charge of safety and health who do not correct it even though active opinions have been submitted.

Recently, as the number of elderly workers continues to increase in Korea, their accidents are also increasing, and efforts to prevent disasters for them are urgently needed. Heinrich (1931) said that 98% of disasters are caused by unstable (10%) and unstable behavior (88%) when viewed as direct causes. Accordingly, a comprehensive study on the unstable behavior of elderly workers is needed. Therefore, in this study, the unstable behavior of elderly workers in the construction industry was analyzed using the IPA (Importance-performance Analysis) technique. As a result, unnecessary movements for both Koreans and foreign elderly workers were found to be areas to be improved. In order to improve this unnecessary movement, continuous efforts for each worker's safety activities are needed. The results of the study will be efficiently educated and managed according to the characteristics of elderly workers through selection and concentration in the future.

This research conducted two-time questionnaire survey at the 9 construction jobsite located in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, Chungcheong-do, Gyeongsang-do and Gangwon-do centering on 'A' construction company's construction jobsites because there are a lot of differences in the number of work process, danger factors, and job contents subsequent to the sorts of architecture , engineering works and plant construction, etc. As a result of the questionnaire survey, The number of the respondents who said "a little strenuous" and "unbearably strenuous" was surveyed to comprise below the half of the surveyed who were asked about the degree of physical burden. The respondents' physical pain were surveyed to occur at the part of the shoulders the most, and the next was the part of the lower back. As for the age distribution of the target people to be treated, the highest were the people in their forties followed by those in their fifties; as for the age distribution of the people who appealed their physical pain, the highest were the people in their forties followed by those in their thirties; the age distribution by work career, the highest were the laborers of less than 5 years followed by the people of 20~25 years and the people of over 25 years; as for those who complained of physical pain, the highest were the people working for 20~25 years followed by those working for less than 5 years. In the analysis of the people to be treated by process, the highest were the material-sticking workers followed by bricklayers; as for the worker complaining of physical pain, the highest were material-sticking workers followed by reinforcing rod workers. As for the target work for analysis of harmful factor-bearing burden job, this research selected the work which has a lot of pain appealers as a result of questionnaires, and material sticking, plastering, marble job, brick-laying, a reinforced rod work, framework job and welding job by centering on the work which causes a lot of muscular skeleton system burden based on the preceding research work result. To sum up the analysis results by work process; RULA indicated a large majority of work requires a precise investigation and immediate improvement required, REBA indicated High~Very high, and NLE indicated "Probable occurrence of back pain" Thus, most of the above-mentioned jobs were surveyed to cause a high possibility of muscular skeleton system disorders.

Purpose: This study is to analyze the influencing factors of general characteristics, work characteristics, and health-related characteristics on fatigue for male workers in the construction industry. It aims to contribute to preparing measures to prevent fatigue of construction workers by identifying factors affecting fatigue experiences for construction workers. Method: This study targeted 2,730 construction workers out of 50,205 workers who participated in the 5th Working Environment Survey prepared by the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Female workers were excluded, and 1,666 people were analyzed, excluding data with insufficient responses. The collected data are analyzed using IBM SPSS/Statistics 21 by frequency analysis, percentage, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis. Results: As a result of the study, the factors affecting the fatigue of construction workers are explained that the rate of experiencing fatigue increases according to the experiences of sleep disturbance, anxiety, back pain, and muscle pain. Conclusion: In conclusion, it is required to implement a rest program and a musculoskeletal disease prevention and management program in order to reduce worker fatigue in construction sites.