Korean J Occup Health Nurs.  2020 Nov;29(4):363-371. 10.5807/kjohn.2020.29.4.363.

The Effect of Providing Health and Safety Risk Information on the Subjective Health Status of Workers: Focusing on Workers using Protective Equipment

• Jhang WG
• Jung HS

• KMID: 2509007
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5807/kjohn.2020.29.4.363

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of information regarding health and safety risks on the subjective health status of workers using data from the Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey.
Methods
Among the survey respondents, 30,094 people classified as salaried workers, of which 8,513 (28.3%) used protective equipment.
Results
Although the majority of workers using protective equipment reported being well-informed about safety and health risks, 15% of them were still insufficiently informed. Multivariate analyses have shown that the subjective health status of workers using protective equipment was significantly better if they received sufficient information. When the workers using protective equipment were classified by the kinds of hazards they were exposed to, the satisfaction of information was also significantly beneficial for the subjective health status of all groups. However, in workers who did not use protective equipment, information satisfaction did not appear to be a significant factor.
Conclusion
These results suggest that when providing information on safety and health risks, it is necessary to focus on workers using protective equipment, for whom the effects of the policy are clearly expected.

Keyword

Health and safety risks; Information; Workers; Subjective health status