Development Of Occupational Diseases Research Articles

Occupational diseases in construction workers in the Arctic

Introduction. Construction is one of the most important sectors of the economy.
 The aim is: to study the causes of development, structure, and prevalence of occupational pathology of construction workers in the Arctic.
 Materials and methods. An analysis was made of the data of socio-hygienic monitoring “Working conditions and occupational morbidity” and the Register of extracts from occupational disease records (Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation dated May 28, 2001 No. 176) for 2007–2021 in the Russian Arctic.
 Results. Over 2007–2021, construction workers in the Arctic were exposed to thirteen occupational hazards, seven of which (labour severity, harmful chemicals, noise, whole-body and hand-arm vibration, fibrogenic aerosols, cooling microclimate) caused the development of occupational diseases (n=252). Diseases of the musculoskeletal system (38.5%), respiratory organs (16.3%), and sensorineural hearing loss (17.1%) prevailed in their structure. Occupational diseases more often developed among welders (n=31), painters (n=291), mechanics (n=23), and plasterers (n=19). The level of occupational morbidity among construction workers (2.62/10,000 workers) is 2.9–6.3 times lower than for all workers in the Russian Arctic and 20.6–194.7 times lower than for workers in the mining and metallurgical industry of the Russian Arctic. During 15 years, occupational morbidity and the risk of developing occupational pathology (RR=1.29; CI 0.82–2.02) in construction workers did not change.
 Limitation. The lack of data on working conditions at construction enterprises in the Russian Arctic in 1997–2006, which could have explained the changes of occupational pathology in 2007–2021.
 Conclusion. To preserve the health of construction workers (primarily welders, painters, mechanics, plasterers), it is necessary to improve measures to protect them from the effects of increased labour severity, harmful chemicals and noise.

Prediction and Early Diagnosis of Bronchial Asthma in Workers Specializing in Argon Welding Based on Fuzzy Mathematical Models

The purpose of research is to develop fuzzy mathematical models for predicting and early diagnosis of bronchial asthma developing under the influence of toxic substances released during argon welding providing an acceptable quality of decision-making for practical medicine Methods. The paper uses the method of synthesis of fuzzy mathematical models of forecasting and early diagnosis of occupational diseases provoked by the action of industrial pesticides developed in the South-Eastern Federal University on the basis of the methodology of synthesis of hybrid fuzzy decision rules allowing to take into account the multiplicative nature of the links between the risk of occurrence and development of occupational diseases with the concentration and time of exposure to harmful chemicals. Results. Using the chosen method, fuzzy hybrid models of forecasting and early diagnosis of industrial bronchial asthma in welding workers were obtained in which, in addition to the effects of ozone, dust and fibrogenic risk factors on the human body, unfavorable environmental and ergonomic factors combined with individual health characteristics are taken into account. In the course of modeling and expert evaluation, it was shown that the obtained mathematical model provides confidence in the correct prognosis of the occurrence of industrial bronchial asthma in welding workers at least 0.85, and early diagnosis at least 0.9. Conclusion. Hybrid fuzzy models of forecasting and early diagnosis of industrial bronchial asthma in welding workers caused by the presence of ozone and fibrogenic dust in combination with individual, environmental and ergonomic risk factors were obtained, the quality of which was tested on representative control samples. During the control check, it was shown that the prognostic model provides diagnostic specificity and sensitivity at the level of 0.87, and the early diagnosis model - at the level of 0.92, which is a good result for the class of tasks under consideration.

Occupational Health Risks for Workers Engaged in Copper-Nickel Ore Processing

Introduction: Despite all preventive measures constantly taken, high incidence of occupational diseases is still registered in workers of copper-nickel enterprises. Objective: To obtain new knowledge about the conditions, timing, structure and frequency of occupational diseases in order to develop methods for their more effective prevention in workers involved in pyrometallurgical copper-nickel ore processing. Materials and methods: We have analyzed incidence rates of occupational diseases in a cohort of 664 workers who processed copper-nickel ore in 2007–2020. Results: Working conditions during pyrometallurgical processing of copper-nickel ore correspond to hazard classes 3.2–3.4 with the chemical exposure being of paramount importance in the development of health disorders (45.6 % of cases). In 2007, 664 workers were examined and 158 occupational diseases were diagnosed in 65 (9.8 %) of them in the years 2008–2020, respiratory and musculoskeletal diseases being the most prevalent categories (50.6 % and 29.1 %, respectively) and chronic bronchitis and sensorineural hearing loss – the most prevalent diseases (27.8 % and 17.1 %, respectively). We established non-occupational disorders (arthralgia, osteochondrosis, early signs of hearing impairment, etc.) contributing to further development of occupational diseases. Smoking history (> 5 packs/year) was found to promote occupational diseases of the respiratory system (RR = 4.84; 95 % CI: 2.51–9.35). Crane operators (17.5 % of the workers) were found to be at highest risk of occupational diseases (366.1 cases per 10,000 workers). Conclusions: Based on data on previously registered occupational diseases, working conditions, length of service, occupation, and clinical conditions, criteria for five risk categories have been developed to predict occupational diseases by time, nosology, and severity of the course in metallurgists involved in copper-nickel ore processing.

Новые подходы к выбору средств индивидуальной защиты от воздействия виброакустических факторов на рабочем месте

An assessment of the experts of the World Health Organization on the main groups of occupational diseases associated with the impact of industrial physical factors is presented in the article. The analysis was carried out related to the influence of vibroacoustic factors on the health and working capacity of industrial enterprise employees. The importance is substantiated concerning the choice of the personal protective equipment and the development of the activities that can increase the level of safety and harmlessness to the employee health under the influence of vibroacoustic factors at the workplaces. It is emphasized that an important step towards prevention of accidents at work and the development of occupational diseases among the employees associated with the impact of vibroacoustic factors is the occupational risk management system. A list of personal protective equipment for employees against noise and vibration was defined, and an approach was proposed for choosing protective equipment and reducing the negative impact of noise, vibration, infrasound, and ultrasound, based on an analysis of occupational risks. The procedure for determining personal protective equipment against the action of vibroacoustic factors should be included in the occupational risk management system to increase the efficiency of annual activities on protecting the life and health of the enterprise employees. To identify hazards and assess the levels of occupational risks, it is required to recommend the creation at the enterprise by a local regulatory act of commissions, or groups on assessing occupational risks at the workplaces, as well as a unified system for collecting and analyzing data on hazardous and harmful production factors, violations of labor discipline, deviations from the requirements of instructions on occupational safety, microtrauma, technical incidents, accidental events and emergency situations. It is required to introduce into the occupational safety management system the proposals for the organization of activities for the periodic review of occupational risk levels at the workplaces and units based on the application of a unified methodology and principles for identifying hazards.

Hygienic approaches to the assessment of occupational morbidity in the Republic of Bashkortostan in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: In the tense economic and epidemiological conditions that have developed in the country, Rospotrebnadzor bodies and Occupational pathology centers in the Republic of Bashkortostan consider monitoring and analysis of the state of the production environment, indicators of occupational morbidity to be significant areas of their activities.
 AIM: To study the state of working conditions and occupational morbidity in the Republic of Bashkortostan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 MATERIAL AND METHODS: The analysis of the main hygienic parameters of harmful factors of the production environment, indicators of occupational morbidity at industrial and agricultural enterprises of the Republic of Bashkortostan for 20202021 was carried out.
 RESULTS: According to the data of the Rospotrebnadzor department for the Republic of Bashkortostan, the number of objects with the status of extremely high and high risk at enterprises of the manufacturing, agricultural sectors and the construction industry is significantly higher than the national average. The largest number of registered jobs in the same industries do not meet the hygienic standards in terms of qualitative and quantitative characteristics. The most harmful production factors affecting the formation of the working environment at almost all industrial and agricultural facilities of the republic are factors of the physical nature and the labor process and, as a consequence, the development of occupational diseases in workers. During 20202021, 122 occupational diseases and poisoning cases were registered in the republic. For the first time in the practice of hygienists and occupational pathologists of the republic, the biological factor significantly impacted on the qualitative and quantitative components of occupational morbidity.
 CONCLUSION: Against the background of the ongoing pandemic of new coronavirus infection, there is a deterioration in working conditions and occupational health of workers, which requires the development of effective mechanisms that provide for the responsibility of interested government agencies and employers for the attitude to the working environment and the health of workers.

A new era in the labor protection of workers: safe and healthy environment as one of the goals of sustainable development

The course developed by the UN General Assembly to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the context of the introduction of new technologies, automation and robotization of production naturally determines the transformation of the approach to the legal regulation of labor protection. At the same time, the established practice of applying labor legislation and statistical data have revealed a number of problems of inefficient interaction between employees and employers on issues of ensuring safe working conditions. The article aims to analyze the current legislation in the field of labor protection from the perspective of the triune essence of labor relations. We have paid special attention to the influence of a combination of biological phenomena, psychological factors and social events on the development of occupational diseases and injuries, ignoring which significantly levels the effectiveness of current requirements and rules in the field of occupational safety. Empirical research consists of several stages. At the first stage the authors have carried out a selection of norms that are novelties in the field of legal regulation of labor protection. Within the framework of the second stage, using systematic, formal-legal and comparative-legal methods, researchers have analyzed these norms from the point of view of the triune essence of the labor legal relationship. Subject of the study is the rights and obligations of employers in the field of labor protection enshrined in legislation and necessary to ensure safe working conditions. At the third stage, we have identified psychological factors and social phenomena that accompany an employee during his life, and not only during working hours. At the last stage, using systematic, formal-legal and comparative-legal methods, experts have analyzed the influence of the combination of these factors and phenomena on the receipt of occupational diseases and injuries by employees. The results of the study show that the current legislation does not take into account that psychological factors and social events can act in a causal relationship with the development of occupational diseases in workers and their occupational injuries. At the same time, there are no legal obstacles for the employer to take into account these determinants when regulating the sphere of labor protection at the local level. Improving professional skills and knowledge in the field of occupational safety, occupational safety culture, the level of accessibility to information about their rights, including in the field of occupational safety, taking into account the social and structural characteristics of conditions mediating the life of workers - all this will increase the effectiveness of legal regulation of the field of occupational safety at the local level. Conclusion. The study concludes that the most important issues remain unaddressed, among which are the creation of a psychologically comfortable working atmosphere, the prevention of professional burnout of employees, the possibility of recognizing professional burnout as an occupational disease with all the consequences that follow from this. In addition, the authors came to the conclusion that, in order to implement the protection of personal data of employees, a more detailed regulation at the legislative level of the process of monitoring by the employer of the labor activity of employees. Ethics. This study did not require the conclusion of the Ethics Committee.

Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Workers of the Main Occupations Exposed to Fine Particulate Matter in Potassium Chloride Production

Background: Workplace air pollution with fine particulate matter in industrial premises contributes to imbalance of nonspecific and specific immunity factors, increasing the risk of developing premorbid conditions in workers. Objective: To study the features of phagocytic activity and subpopulation T-lymphocytes composition in workers engaged in the potassium chloride production. Material and methods: The study was conducted in 2019–2022 within the Research Program of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing on hygiene problems, Clause 2.2.18 “Development of approaches to early diagnosis of production-related diseases using genomic and postgenomic analysis technologies in workers associated with harmful factors of working conditions”, R&D No. 121081900044-4. The observation group consisted of 54 workers of the main occupations exposed, inter alia, to fine respirable particulate matter in potassium chloride production. The comparison group included 67 individuals having no occupational exposure to industrial hazards. We evaluated the phagocytic activity of peripheral blood leukocytes and determined the level of CD25+ and CD95+ differentiation cluster expression on T-lymphocytes by flow cytometry. Results: We measured high airborne concentrations of fine particles at workplaces of mill, centrifuge and filter operators, granulation and drying workers that were 6.6 and 7 times higher than those of PM2.5 and PM10 in the working environment of the administrative staff, respectively. We also observed that the ability of neutrophils to absorb and digest foreign particles was 20 % lower in the workers of the observation group (p = 0.047), while the proportions of CD25+ and CD95+ lymphocytes in them were 30 % and 60 % lower than those in the comparison group, respectively (p = 0.001–0.046). Conclusion: We established the effect of fine particulate matter as a priority workplace air pollutant on innate and adaptive immunity in workers of the main occupations in the potassium chloride production facility. Parameters of innate (phagocytic number) and adaptive (CD25+ and CD95+ lymphocytes) immunity are recommended for use in early diagnosis of immune dysfunction and the development of occupational diseases in workers with inhalation exposure to fine particles.

Features of the occupational morbidity formation depending on working conditions in certain economic sectors in Bashkortostan Republic

The main indicator characterizing the occupational risk of health disorders is occupational morbidity, which directly depends on working conditions. In this regard, it is necessary to study working conditions, the peculiarities of the formation of occupational diseases at enterprises of various sectors of the economy of the Republic of Bashkortostan with the subsequent development and implementation of targeted measures to create safe working conditions and preserve the health of workers. The study aims to consider working conditions, dynamics, and structure of occupational morbidity among employees of enterprises in various sectors of the economy. The scientists carried out socio-hygienic studies on the working conditions occupational morbidity in the Republic of Bashkortostan for 2015-2020 based on official state statistics, reporting forms, and analytical materials. We have found that the employees of enterprises engaged in mining and manufacturing have the highest risk of health disorders. In the structure of occupational diseases in workers of the main sectors of the economy in 2015-2019, conditions from the effects of physical overload and overstrain of individual organs and systems prevailed. In 2020, due to a new coronavirus infection, occupational diseases had acute forms mainly caused by a biological factor in medical workers. The obtained results can serve as a basis for the development of measures aimed at creating safe working conditions, preventing the development of occupational diseases, and preserving the health of employees in enterprises of the various economic sectors.

Occupational morbidity and occupational injury in the food industry

Introduction. The article considers the problems of occupational morbidity and occupational injuries in the food industry, including factors and causes that form working conditions that contribute to the occurrence of morbidity and accidents. Problem Statement. The aim of the study is to analyze occupational morbidity and occupational injuries and their causes, as well as to propose corrective or preventive measures aimed at eliminating the causes of accidents, injuries, and the development of occupational diseases. Theoretical Part. As initial information, the statistical reporting data of the Federal State Statistics Service and the materials of domestic and foreign literary sources are given.Conclusions. The results of the work indicate the presence of occupational morbidity and occupational injuries among food workers and the need to introduce and implement a number of measures aimed at improving working conditions and improving safety.

Career Development and Occupational Disease in Chinese Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundA high tendency of intention to leave has been noted for nurses in China. The nursing profession is currently unstable.MethodsA sample of 51406 nurses from 311 hospitals in China who completed the self-administered questionnaire online was recruited via the China Nursing Association by email and phone using a simple random sampling method. The recruitment occurred between July 2016 and July 2017.ResultsThe majority of the nurses had working experience ≤20 years and had to work on night shifts. A high percentage of nurses (71.8%) had insomnia, followed by 37.0% who developed varicose veins and 40.9% who experienced musculoskeletal-related disorders. The proportions of the nurses who developed gastrointestinal and urinary system diseases were 56.0% and 18.2%, respectively. Nearly half of the nurses did not have a clear goal for their future career development and intended to leave. Nurses with long working hours each week were positively associated with the development of occupational diseases. The prevalence of occupational diseases was independently associated with career development.ConclusionsA high prevalence of occupational diseases was noted among nurses in China. The data indicated that 50% of the nurses were vague regarding their career planning. The data suggest that managers need to pay more attention and to prevent this problem. Appropriate interventions should also be provided.

The relationship of polymorphic variants of genes GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1 with the risk of developing diseases (literature review)

Authors analyzed the relationship of the most studied polymorphisms of glutathione-S-transferase genes (GSTT1, GSTM1, GSTP1) with the risk of developing diseases in the territory of the Russian Federation. The authors analyzed domestic articles on gene polymorphisms and their association with various conditions. A systematic review of scientific papers was carried out using the following electronic databases: Cyberleninka, Electronic Library and Google Scholar, which searched for glutathione transferase (GST) gene polymorphisms from 1900 to 2020. The following keywords were used for the search: “GST polymorphism”. The search for articles was carried out in English but took into account the results obtained only in the territory of the Russian Federation. The search for scientific publications was independently checked and compared to filter out duplicate articles. The sample size, the number of loci included in the analysis, and the analyzed population (ethnic group) are essential in studying the relationship between glutathione S-transferase gene polymorphisms and the development of diseases. In general, the analysis of the articles makes it possible to reveal the association between the polymorphisms of the glutathione-S-transferase genes and the high risk of developing oncological diseases, respiratory diseases and other pathologies. This article did not consider the relationship of polymorphisms with reproductive pathologies because this topic includes a large amount of work and requires separate consideration. The least studied issue is the relationship between polymorphisms of genes for biotransformation of xenobiotics and the development of occupational diseases.

Occupational risk management as a system of socio-economic measures aimed at preventing diseases and protecting the health of workers in the Republic of Belarus

The article presents a retrospective of the leading research directions on preserving the health of the able-bodied population of the Republic of Belarus based on the results presented at the XVI Congress with international participation "Profession and Health". These are the possibilities of monitoring "working conditions-employee health", laboratory assessment of the intensity of the labor process, monitoring the health of workers employed under the influence of industrial vibration, industrial aerosols, development of a risk management system for the development of occupational diseases of certain professions on the Belarusian railway, a pilot project of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus "Caring Polyclinic", assessment of the effects of low-intensity production factors in oil refining, etc.

Hygienic aspects of the impact of working conditions on the health of motor transport drivers

The profession of a motor vehicle driver is potentially dangerous due to the risk of road accidents, the acquisition of professional and professionally caused diseases, sudden death at the workplace. Taking this into account, comprehensive clinical and hygienic studies were conducted, the purpose of which was to assess the occupational risk of damage to the health of drivers on the basis of data on working conditions, occupational and professionally caused diseases, road accidents and cases of sudden death at the workplace. The working conditions, the state of health of drivers were studied, the professional and professionally-conditioned morbidity and cases of sudden death at the workplace from a common disease were analyzed. It is established that the working conditions of drivers are characterized as harmful 3 classes of 1–3 degrees (class 3.1–3.3), which cause the development of occupational diseases, mainly of the musculoskeletal system; the growth of chronic professionally caused pathology (hypertension, arthropathy, dorsopathy) and the death of the driver at the workplace from a general disease. The results of the study formed the basis for the development of preventive measures.

The morbidity of medical personnel of mobile teams of emergency medical care

The medical personnel of mobile teams of emergency medical care are exposed to factors of working environment that affect health state and results in development of occupational diseases. The purpose of study is to analyze morbidity of medical personnel of mobile teams of emergency medical care according data of temporary disability and results of medical check-ups. The analysis was made according information from certificates of incapacity for work and the final acts of periodic medical examinations for five-year period. The study established significant increase of rate and duration of primary and general morbidity with increase of age and length of service of workers, higher susceptibility to diseases of physicians as compared with paramedics and employees of pediatric teams and specialists of other clinical profiles. In the structure of morbidity according to results of medical examinations, diseases of the eye and its accessory apparatus, the circulatory system and the musculo-skeletal system prevailed.

Occupational morbidity in the main industries in the context of the COVID-19 conavirus pandemic

Preserving and strengthening the health of the working population is one of the priority tasks of health care in the Russian Federation, including in the Samara region. Up to 39.7% of the country's population works under conditions that do not meet sanitary and hygienic requirements. Unsatisfactory working conditions are the main reason for the development of occupational diseases among the working population in the Samara region. The workers of medical institutions registered 42 acute occupational diseases with permanent disability, including 13 acute occupational diseases with fatal outcomes from the biological factor "new coronavirus infection caused by the COVID-19 virus."

Working conditions and occupational diseases of women in the Republic of Bashkortostan

The main factors of the working environment that harm a woman’s health in the course of work are considered to be physical exertion and functional overstrain, noise, chemical and biological factors, and microclimate. The most unfavorable sectors of the economy in the Republic of Bashkortostan are manufacturing, construction and the agricultural sector, where the largest number of jobs are registered that do not meet the hygienic standards for the above-mentioned production factors, which undoubtedly serves as the main cause of the development of occupational diseases among women. Material and methods.According to the medical records of the inpatient patient, the acts on the case of occupational disease and the registration form No. 30, the etiological causes and the structure of occupational morbidity by industry sectors of the Republic of Bashkortostan among women for 2016–2020 were studied. Results. Among the subjects of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Bashkortostan for the analyzed fiveyear period ranked 25–27th in terms of employment of women in jobs with harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions, and among the 14 regions of the Volga Federal District — 3–5 places. If in the period 2016–2019 among all the primary established occupational diseases from 32.4 to 43.0 % were women, then by 2020 more than half of all occupational diseases (54.7 %) were detected among women. Of the 114 cases of occupational diseases identified to 85 female workers, a third of them worked in health care (32.9 %), a slightly smaller part (30.6 %) — in mechanical engineering (manufacturing) and a fifth — in the agro-industrial complex (21.1 %). The leading place in the structure of occupational pathology of women was occupied by diseases associated with high physical overload and overstrain of individual organs and systems (54.2 %). The reason for the change in the structure of occupational diseases in the region in 2020 there was a new coronavirus infection-Covid-19 in medical workers, which brought diseases from the influence of a biological factor to the second position. Conclusion. The state of working conditions and occupational morbidity among women workers indicates the lack of an effective mechanism for protecting women’s labor and the need to develop effective legislative documents for the protection of their labor and health.

Current state and trends of occupational incidence in the Samara region

At present, the preservation and strengthening of the health of the working population is one of the priority tasks of health care in the Russian Federation, including in the Samara region. Up to 39.7 % of the country's working-age population work in conditions that do not meet sanitary and hygienic requirements. Unsatisfactory working conditions are the main reason for the development of occupational diseases among the working population in the Samara region. 42 acute occupational diseases with permanent disability, including 13 acute occupational diseases with fatal outcomes from the biological factor «novel coronavirus infection caused by the COVID-19 virus», are registered in the workers of medical institutions. In the Samara region, there is a low detection rate of occupational diseases revealed in the course of preventive medical examinations — 43.08 %, this figure remains below the national average — 59.31 %.

Load tests in the diagnosis of dust pathology of the respiratory system

The influence of aerosols of fibrogenic action on the state of the cardiorespiratory system in dust-hazardous industries does not lose its significance over the years since the pathology of the respiratory organs gradually develops in working-age workers. Continuous medical monitoring of the health status of the working population, improvement of diagnostic research methods and their application at the early stages of exposure to harmful industrial factors will help prevent the development of occupational diseases and preserve the ability to work professional aptitude. Objective. To study the relationship between the state of the cardiorespiratory system and exercise tolerance based on the results of a 6-minute walk test in patients with dust pathology of the respiratory organs. Material and methods. 193 men with confirmed pneumoconiosis (79 people), occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (58 people) and those in contact with the dust factor at work without respiratory pathology (56 people) were examined using echocardiography, spirometry, bodyplethysmography, a 6-minute walking load test with simultaneous monitoring of blood oxygen saturation (saturation) and pulse. Results. The correlation of the results of the 6-minute test with the functional state of the cardiorespiratory system of the subjects was revealed. The oxygen saturation of the blood during the exercise test was confirmed to show a different relationship with the indices of bodyplethysmography and spirometry, characterizing the central pathogenetic moments of the formation of respiratory failure. Conclusion. characteristic changes in saturation during the test with a 6-minute walk make an accessible and at the same time significant contribution to the diagnosis of respiratory organs in workers of dust-hazardous occupations.

ИНДИВИДУАЛЬНАЯ ПРЕДРАСПОЛОЖЕННОСТЬ К ДЕЙСТВИЮ ПРОИЗВОДСТВЕННО-ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ БИОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ФАКТОРОВ У ГОРНОРАБОЧИХ ПО АЛЛОАНТИГЕННЫМ ТКАНЕВЫМ СТРУКТУРАМ

This article provides a comparative analysis of individual differences in the development of occupational diseases, which are based on human genetic polymorphism. The genetic systems of the body take part in the formation of chronic diseases in mining workers exposed to the complex effects of harmful production factors and determine individual sensitivity to pathogenic agents. The study of genetic markers allows us to justify the criteria for professional selection and to conduct more effective preventive measures.

Occupational Disease as the Bane of Workers’ Lives: A Chronological Review of the Literature and Study of Its Development in Slovakia. Part 1

This article not only offers a chronological overview of the development of occupational medicine, but also offers a summary of occupational diseases recommended by the ILO and legislative decisions that have influenced how we approach assessment today. We consider that these areas form a whole in which they cannot function without each other and they would lose their relevance if the system was collapsed. By excluding even one part of it, we would find ourselves at the beginning of the era of occupational medicine, and a large number of employees would once again be exposed to conditions that previously led to considerable illness and mortality of employees. The article also examines legislation and the development of occupational diseases in Slovakia in the period 1997–2019. Using basic statistical methods and time series, a trend model for the time series of the development of the number of occupational diseases over the last 20 years is created. The modeling also includes a forecast for the development of the number of occupational diseases for the next 5 years. The model created shows a favorable, decreasing trend in the number of occupational diseases in Slovakia.