Let's take a look at obligations to implement safety and health measures for office workers
as stipulated in the rules on occupational safety and health standards
According to the specifications on the operation and maintenance of air purification systems
the employer shall properly operate air purification systems to prevent contamination of the office
when the employees work in an office equipped with centrally managed air purification
and shall not allow air entering the office by air purification systems to directly contact the worker
and the airflow speed must be less than 0.5 meters per second
In addition, appropriate measures should be taken, such as cleaning, renovating, and repairing air purification systems
in a timely manner
Regarding office air evaluation / prevention of inflow of outdoor pollutants
the employer shall take necessary measures
such as measuring and evaluating the air in the applicable office
and installing air purification systems
or repairing according to evaluation results
The employer shall take appropriate measures, such as relocating air inlets such as vents, windows, and entrance doors
when there is a risk of automobile smoke or other pollutants entering the room from the outside
For microbial pollution management, the employer shall periodically inspect and repair places that
promote the growth of microorganisms from leaks and more to prevent office air pollution caused by microorganisms
and immediately dry, remove or clean places where microorganisms have grown
and remove microorganism contamination on the surface of the building and air purification systems
In the case of air pollution management during the renovation and repair of a building
where deterioration of air quality is expected, the employer shall
inform workers of the renovation and repairs, and isolate construction sites
or apply appropriate measures such as pollutant control and cleaning
When looking at managing the cleanliness of the office
the employer should keep and manage the office clean at all times
and clean it by using a method that can suppress dust generation as much as possible
In addition, employers should take appropriate disinfection measures in areas that are likely to cause pollution and pests caused by microorganisms
such as bath facilities and toilets
In terms of providing protective equipment, when the worker is required to
clean, renovate, or repair air purification systems
employers must provide appropriate protective equipment and ensure they are used
When providing protective equipment, they must be provided for exclusive use by the individual
The worker, in turn, must wear the provided protective equipment according to the employer's instructions
It also stipulates what is considered well-known and established harms
When workers clean, renovate, or repair air purification systems
employers must inform workers
types and hazards of office pollutants
methods to curb the generation of office pollutants
protective equipment to be worn and emergency measures
Among work environment management measures, we will now look at indoor air quality management
Air volume refers to volume of air taken from the floor of an office by subtracting the volume occupied by systems and equipment
in the office from the total volume excluding space more than four meters
Air volume must be at least 10 cubic meters for one worker
in the office where the worker works full-time
Ventilation should be provided through a window that can be opened directly to the outside air
and the area should be at least one-twentieth of the floor area
However, it is fine if the area is equipped with sufficient ventilation
Airflow shall be measured so that air entering the office
by the air purification systems does not directly contact workers
and the airflow speed must be less than 0.5 m per second
Air purification system inspections must be conducted prior to use when
systems are used for the first time or when they are disassembled to modify or repair
The systems must be inspected every six months for abnormalities
and documents recording the results must be kept for one year
Air purifications systems refer to supply and exhaust systems that
allow office pollutants to be discharged or fresh air to flow into the room
or filters that remove or reduce pollutants, or cooling and heating systems
that can adjust temperature, humidity, airflow, and other related equipment
According to the management standards for each office pollutant
if air purification systems are installed in centralized heating and cooling systems
target materials must be managed to meet the following criteria
Total amount of respiratory dust suspended in the air
must not be more than 0.15 mg per cubic meter
The concentration of carbon monoxide in the room should be less than 10 ppm
However, in cases where it is difficult to supply air with carbon monoxide concentration less than 10 ppm
due to contamination of the outside air, it should be less than 20 ppm
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the indoor air must be less than 1,000 ppm
Indoor workshops using combustion devices that generate nitrogen dioxide
must be equipped with exhaust vents, ventilation fans, and other appropriate facilities for air circulation
to ensure that the indoor concentration of nitrogen dioxide is less than 0.15 ppm
and employers must check the device for abnormalities every day when using the combustion device
The concentration of formaldehyde in the office must be less than 0.1 ppm
In the case of office work environment management, measures must be taken to maintain appropriate temperature and humidity
If the indoor temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius
measures to reach appropriate temperature, such as heating, should be taken
When using indoor air conditioning, the difference between the room temperature and the outside temperature
must not be less than 10 degrees Celsius
However, this is not the case in the workplace where electronic calculators, computers, and precision equipment are installed
where necessary measures are taken to keep the workers warm
When using centralized air purification systems
indoor temperature must be between 17 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius
and relative humidity must be between 40% and 75%
Necessary measures shall be taken to prevent the spread of noise or vibration
that may adversely affect indoor workers
such as installing ceilings and isolation walls with sound absorption functions
Drinking water supplied to indoor workers
must meet the national water quality test standards
Drainage systems must be repaired or cleaned
as not to interfere with normal functions
Rest facilities that workers can use during breaks must be installed.
In order to keep the office clean at all times
it should be cleaned using a method that can suppress indoor dust as much as possible
When there is a risk of exhaust fumes or other pollutants entering the room from the outside
measures such as rearranging air inlets such as vents, windows, and doors should be taken
Additionally, in order to prevent air pollution in the office due to microorganisms
microorganisms contaminating the building surface and air purification systems must be removed
and regular control and cleaning should be performed at least once every six months
The illuminance of the indoor work surface should be adjusted to the standard set according to work type
Ultra-precise work illumination must be over 750 lux, precision work over 300 lux
regular work over 150 lux, and other work over 75 lux
Indoor lighting and lighting should be done in a way that
does not have a severe contrast and does not produce glare
In addition, indoor lighting facilities should be
inspected regularly, at least once every six months
To manage working conditions, workers should maintain an appropriate working posture
Employees should get enough rest during work, walk and move their bodies frequently during breaks
and sometimes work while standing from time to time
To maintain the correct working position, elements of the workstation
such as chair, monitor and desk must be carefully positioned
Make sure the space under your desk is enough to move your legs freely
and make sure there is space to easily sit up and down
Computer work position is especially important
The angle of the backrest of the chair should be 90°~110° when entering data and for other work, the angle should be 100°-120°
Elbow height must be adjusted to align with the keyboard
The angle of the arm should be at least 90° between the upper and lower arms
and the upper arm should be naturally fixed to the side
The lower arm, wrist, and back of the hand should be horizontal
and the distance between the eye and the center of the screen should be over 40 cm
The monitor should be tilted so that the eye can see the center of the screen at a right angle
While sitting on a chair the distance between the seat of the chair
and the workers calf should have enough space to fit a finger
To manage long work hours, overtime should be minimal
and workers must have sufficient time to rest during work
Also, you can change the type of work to lower fatigue and stress
and employers must provide a space to rest during work hours
Now we will discuss work safety training to manage accident factors
The training should include employee's role in discovering and removing hazards
and describe potential hazards that could cause harm to the employee
In addition, employers should conduct risk assessments on a regular basis
Prepare in advance by selecting evaluation targets
and identify harmful and risk factors related to the work
After identifying risks and hazards
determine whether the estimated risks are acceptable
Establish and implement risk reduction measures and record their implementation and results
For safety when using electrical appliances
install waterproof covers on plug connectors where moisture can enter
and replace or insulate electrical appliances with damaged coverings
Wires installed on passageways should firmly be fixed using wire protection covers
and plug connectors and electromechanical devices should be grounding types
Now we will look at improvement measures by accident type
The first type of accident is caused by improper use of footrests and unsafe posture
The risk factors when replacing light bulbs include
unconsciously use a nearby rotating chair as a footrest or
working in an unstable position which can both leading to falling
As an improvement measure, a mobile ladder can be used for light-replacement work and
when using the ladder, they must work in groups of two. Also, work is prohibited while standing on the top footboard
The second type of accident is a disaster that can occur when traveling
You could trip over neglected file boxes or wires
or could trip from an unclosed drawer door
Improvement measures include removing anything that can cause tripping in advance and
not leaving or stacking items in the hallway
The third type of accident is a disaster that can occur when using hand tools
You could hurt your hand with a knife or awl due to carelessness
Injury often occur when you get used to using the tool and get distracted
Improvement measures include concentrating when using hand tools
and when cutting multiple layers or paper or something thick, do not try to cut at once
but cut over several slashes
The fourth type of accident is a disaster caused by handling heavy objects
Risk factors include sudden handling of heavy objects, excessive use of force
or musculoskeletal disease risk due to repeated handling of heavy objects
Improvement measures include using auxiliary devices when moving heavy objects
moving objects in groups of two
and stretching before and after moving the objects
The last type of accident is a disaster caused by incorrectly stacking objects
You could get hurt when an improperly stacked object falls from top of the cabinet
or when the stack collapses while removing an item from the middle
Improvement measures include not stacking objects on top of cabinets
and when necessary, store and stack them neatly
and when taking objects from up high, use appropriate and safe footstools