OCCUPATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT METHODS AND THEIR INFORMATION SUPPORT

Abstract

The digital transformation of the economy and society prompts the renewal of methods in occupational health as well. There are outlined fundamentals of the draft revision of the “Guidelines for the Assessment of Occupational Risk to Employee Health. Organizational and methodological foundations, principles and criteria for the assessment». R 2.2.1766-03. The draft contains methods of occupational risk (OR) assessment supplied with information materials and software for working on the Internet in real-time. Algorithms and models for calculating the probability of impairment of health according to data of the Special Assessment of Working Conditions (SAWC) as well as causation algorithms - work-relatedness assessment according to data of periodic medical examinations (PME) for the validity of risk assessment from the standpoint of evidence-based medicine are presented. There are set out methods for calculating the probability of the formation of occupational diseases (OD) of the main nosological forms from the exposure of noise, hand-arm and whole-body vibration, heat and cool microclimate, fibrogenic dusts, physical labor (local, regional and general loads), strenuous work, standing work with the likelihood of varicose lower veins limbs, multi-factor exposure and low-back pain. Risk assessments for the reproductive health of workers are also discussed. The models are based on the documents of the WHO, ILO, ISO, domestic and foreign literature data that meet the principles of evidence-based medicine. The problems of work-related diseases (WRD) - the concept of WHO (1987) -basics of etiology, qualitative and quantitative criteria for causation, models of consensus and evidence-based medicine, as well as projects for integrated work on the detection systems for WRD in the European Union countries are considered. Single-digit indices of working conditions and health problems, moral harm caused to an employee suffering from OD or WRD. Hygienic recommendations to employers on OR management, prevention priorities, the role of personal protection equipment, the basics of corporate health promotion programs, and ethical and economic aspects are described. The calculation methods are provided by the software of the electronic online reference book “Occupational Risk” (URL: http://medtrud.com/) in order to ensure evidence-based decisions of hygienists. In conclusion, a turning point in occupational health is noted: a decrease in the detection of traditional ODs without compensation by the number of OD and WRD from new technologies, materials and risk factors; this problem requires urgent action.