SHARPS (Supporters for the Health And Rights of People in the Semiconductor Industry)


Mission Statement


- On November 20, 2007, 19 civil society organizations formed a joint committee


SHARPS is a non-governmental organization dedicated to protecting the health and human rights of workers in the semiconductor and electronics industries.


We work to achieve recognition of occupational diseases affecting semiconductor workers and support workers so they can work in safe and healthy conditions. Our activities include counseling and assistance for victims of occupational illnesses, support for workers’ compensation claims, research on workplace hazards, advocacy for policy and institutional reform, and solidarity with domestic and international labor and human rights organizations.


Through these efforts, SHARPS seeks to prevent industrial diseases, ensure corporate accountability, and promote dignity, safety, and justice for all workers in the semiconductor and electronics industries.




[2019-04-27]"Occupational characteristics of semiconductor workers with cancer and rare diseases registered with a Workers' compensation program in Korea"

반올림
2023-07-21
조회수 1272

Park, Dong-Uk, Sangjun Choi, Seunghee Lee, Dong-Hee Koh, Hyoung-Ryoul Kim, Kyong-Hui Lee, et Jihoon Park. « Occupational Characteristics of Semiconductor Workers with Cancer and Rare Diseases Registered with a Workers’ Compensation Program in Korea ». Safety and Health at Work 10, no 3 (1 septembre 2019): 347‑54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2019.03.003.   


Occupation characteristics of semiconductor workers with cancer and rare diseases registered with Workers' Compensation Program in Korea 


Abstract of the article:


"Background:

The aim of this study was to describe the types of diseases that developed in semiconductor workers who have registered with the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (KWCWS) and to identify potential common occupational characteristics by the type of claimed disease.

Methods:

A total of 55 semiconductor workers with cancer or rare diseases who claimed to the KWCWS were compared based on their work characteristics and types of claimed diseases. Leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and aplastic anemia were grouped into lymphohematopoietic (LHP) disorder.

Results:

Leukemia (n = 14) and breast cancer (n = 10) were the most common complaints, followed by brain cancer (n = 6), aplastic anemia (n = 6), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 4). LHP disorders (n = 24) accounted for 43%. Sixty percent (n = 33) of registered workers (n = 55) were found to have been employed before 2000. Seventy-six percent (n = 42) of registered workers and 79% (n = 19) among the registered workers with LHP (n = 24) were found to be diagnosed at a relatively young age, ≤40 years. A total of 18 workers among the registered semiconductor workers were finally determined to deserve compensation for occupational disease by either the KWCWS (n = 10) or the administrative court (n = 8). Eleven fabrication workers who were compensated responded as having handled wafers smaller than eight inches in size. Eight among the 18 workers compensated (44 %) were found to have ever worked at etching operations.

Conclusion:

The distribution of cancer and rare diseases among registered semiconductor workers was closely related to the manufacturing era before 2005, ≤8 inches of wafer size handled, exposure to clean rooms of fabrication and chip assembly operations, and etching operations."



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