Safety and Health at Work · Published 2026-04-11 · DOI 10.1016/j.shaw.2026.04.001
Background: Public officials face diverse job-related hazards, yet systematic approaches to identify risk factors are limited in the Republic of Korea. This study developed a risk assessment tool to evaluate occupational risk factors among public officials and describes its development process and practical use. Methods: We conducted text analysis of injury/illness narratives from 25,317 approved compensation claims (2019–2023) to extract and classify key risk factors. The tool was designed as a first-tier self-assessment in which respondents rate the frequency and intensity of exposure to each risk factor on a 4-point Likert scale. The product of the two scores yields a four-level risk rating. The tool was developed in Microsoft Excel and consists of six worksheets. Results: Text analysis of the claim narratives identified 24 risk factors (psychological 5, organizational 2, ergonomic 5, physical 7, chemical 3, and biological 2); collision/fall risk was the most common (54.7%). In the Excel-based tool, users rate frequency and intensity for each item, which automatically generates a four-level risk rating. Items rated as high/very high prompt entry of detailed work situations. The tool also allows the addition of extra risk factors and provides guidance on second-tier in-depth assessments for high-risk results. Conclusion: This tool may help public officials across diverse job types easily screen job-related risk factors. Further studies should evaluate its usability and applicability across public service occupations.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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