Individual Occupational Risk Research Articles

Оценка профессионального риска дефектоскопистов на предприятии по добыче газа

The assessment was conducted concerning the occupational risk of personnel at a gas field facility using five methodologies. To date, there is no unified methodology for assessing occupational risk, this is the main problem in the field of occupational risk management in the Russian Federation. All existing methods consider the theoretical side of risk assessment, while a wide range of practical issues remain unresolved. A comparative description of the five most common methodologies is presented in the article: the risk assessment methodology according to the Fine — Kinney system; guide R 2.2.1766—03; methodology for the integral assessment of working conditions taking into account the combined effect of a complex of harmful production factors; risk assessment methodology consideringthe multifactorial action of a complex of harmful factors of the production environment; methodology for calculating individual occupational risk depending on the working conditions and the health status of the employee. To assess the occupational risk, the workplaces of flaw detectorists were chosen, since they are exposed to the greatest number of harmful factors in the production environment, which is required for the most complete risk assessment and identification of the dependence of its magnitude on various factors. To assess the occupational risk for flaw detectorists, the methodologies were used that consider both general and individual risk; the methodologies that give qualitative and quantitative characteristics of risk. A comparative analysis of the obtained results of risk assessment using these methodologies was carried out.

Management of Individual Occupational Risk Using Health-Saving Technologies

The aim of the research was to substantiate the feasibility of using health-saving technologies in the management of individual occupational risk and to develop a scientifically based set of industrial gymnastics for knowledge workers.Research methods. Three groups of employees were formed to conduct research. The estimation of mental performance index was done with a correction task according to V. Ya. Anfimov’s Table. The study of the fatigue of intellectual workers was conducted by testing for a simple visual-motor reaction using the computer program “Reaction Time Test”. The calculation of individual occupational risk was carried out according to the methodology of N.F. Izmerova, L.V. Prokopenko, N.I. Simonova, et al., Klin Institute of safety and working conditions.Results. The study of working performance showed that doing introductory gymnastics contributes to improving working performance by the end of the warming up period and maintaining it at a good level before a break for lunch. Doing industrial gymnastics with any set of exercises an hour and a half after the lunch break provides a higher working performance until the end of the working day.The study of employee fatigue confirms that doing introductory gymnastics in the working time does not significantly affect the fatigue of employees by noon. Conducting industrial gymnastics according to the developed complex an hour and a half after the lunch break provides significantly less fatigue (p < 0.05) until the end of the working day. It takes 30 minutes of working time to do a set of industrial gymnastics.Conclusion. Thus, a scientifically based set of industrial gymnastics for office employees has been developed to prevent occupational and work-related diseases. The proposed set of exercises is effective and a set of exercises can be recommended for use. The indicator of the employee’s health status is the only component, influencing which it is possible to manage individual occupational risk.

Assessment of the individual occupational risk in the workplace with consideration for its factors

Assessment of the individual occupational risk in the workplace with consideration for its factors

Оценка и прогнозирование персонального профессионального риска с уточнением его категорий при помощи вероятностных методов

Existing approaches to occupational risk assessment more often involve evaluating its group levels and individual risks are assessed less frequently. These approaches provide deterministic risk assessment which doesn’t take into account uncertainty in risk categorizing when its values are close to boundaries between adjoining risks categories. It substantiates the necessity to assess occupational risk levels using probabilistic methods. Our research object was occupational risk and the basic subject was distribution of individual occupational risk levels among workers. Our test group was made up of oil and gas extraction operators exposed to noise equal to 80–85 dBA at their workplaces (173 people). Our control group included oil and gas extraction operators and engineering and technical personnel occupationally exposed to noise equal to 60–77.8 dBA (259 people). We performed a priori assessment of occupational health risks; accomplished epidemiologic analysis of a cause-effect relation between health disorders and work; calculated group occupational health risks; calculated and predicted individual occupational risk using mathematical modeling of dependence between probable negative responses and working conditions, age, and period of employment; determined risk categories more precisely using fuzzy sets by calculating the membership function. As a result, we established that proven individual risk levels were distributed unevenly (1.06•10-4–1.47•10-2) as per categories within a group characterized with a suspected average risk level. A category of proven individual risk levels was determined more precisely using fuzzy sets; after that distribution of probability of their membership was evaluated to detect that at the moment of the research a share of workers with their proven individual occupational risks falling into lower risk categories (p > 0.5) amounted to 89.6 %. We attempted to predict risks for the whole employment period given that working conditions remained the same and no prevention activities were provided. Our prediction revealed that individual occupational risks would remain unacceptable for all workers in the test group and would amount to 2.53•10-2–3.51•10-2; a risk category was also expected to become higher. In-dividual occupational risk would be categorized as average for most workers and as high for 23 % of them (p < 0.5).

Assessing and predicting individual occupational risk and determining its exact categories using probabilistic methods

Existing approaches to occupational risk assessment more often involve evaluating its group levels and individual risks are assessed less frequently. These approaches provide deterministic risk assessment which doesn’t take into account uncertainty in risk categorizing when its values are close to boundaries between adjoining risks categories. It substantiates the necessity to assess occupational risk levels using probabilistic methods. Our research object was occupational risk and the basic subject was distribution of individual occupational risk levels among workers. Our test group was made up of oil and gas extraction operators exposed to noise equal to 80–85 dBA at their workplaces (173 people). Our control group included oil and gas extraction operators and engineering and technical personnel occupationally exposed to noise equal to 60–77.8 dBA (259 people). We performed a priori assessment of occupational health risks; accomplished epidemiologic analysis of a cause-effect relation between health disorders and work; calculated group occupational health risks; calculated and predicted individual occupational risk using mathematical modeling of dependence between probable negative responses and working conditions, age, and period of employment; determined risk categories more precisely using fuzzy sets by calculating the membership function. As a result, we established that proven individual risk levels were distributed unevenly (1.06•10-4–1.47•10-2) as per categories within a group characterized with a suspected average risk level. A category of proven individual risk levels was determined more precisely using fuzzy sets; after that distribution of probability of their membership was evaluated to detect that at the moment of the research a share of workers with their proven individual occupational risks falling into lower risk categories (p > 0.5) amounted to 89.6 %. We attempted to predict risks for the whole employment period given that working conditions remained the same and no prevention activities were provided. Our prediction revealed that individual occupational risks would remain unacceptable for all workers in the test group and would amount to 2.53•10-2–3.51•10-2; a risk category was also expected to become higher. In-dividual occupational risk would be categorized as average for most workers and as high for 23 % of them (p < 0.5).

Методические подходы к оценке персонального профессионального риска здоровью, обусловленного болезнями, связанными с работой, на протяжении всего периода трудовой деятельности

An increase in retirement age means that employment period is prolonged; it calls for preserving people’s working capacities for a longer period of time including those with long-term working experience. It is especially vital when it comes to adverse working conditions that might cause high health risks for workers due to work-related diseases. We suggested methodical approaches to determining individual occupational health risks; these approaches took into account occupationally induced negative responses to impacts exerted by work-related factors; pathogenetic mechanisms of health disorders occurrence; gravity of health disorders; workers’ age and working experience. To implement these approaches, we applied a set of procedures that included hygienic and epidemiologic analysis, clinical and laboratory examination of workers, mathematic modeling and prediction. We tested these approaches via assessing occupational health risks for workers employed at oil-extracting enterprises and it allowed us to determine parameters of dependence between changes in arterial hypertension predictors under exposure to occupational noise and changes in age and working experience (b0=0.1427; b1=0.007; b2=-0.372). The obtained parameters can be used in assessing risks of arterial hypertension occurrence due to exposure to occupational noise for workers employed in oil extraction. Individual occupational risk caused by arterial hypertension in people exposed to occupational noise was higher than its permissible level (1∙10-3) for 13% workers (33 people) aged from 41 to 52 and working experience from 19.8 to 33 years; the risk detected in our research amounted up to 2.4∙10-2. Maximum individual risks of work-related arterial hypertension that are predicted to occur at an age close to 59 years amount up to 4.3∙10-2 and they will be higher than permissible levels for 56.6% работников; at an age close to 65 years, up to 4.7∙10-2, and they will be higher than permissible levels for 64.8% workers.

Methodical approaches to assessing individual occupaitonl health risk caused by work-related diseases during the whole employment period

An increase in retirement age means that employment period is prolonged; it calls for preserving people’s working capacities for a longer period of time including those with long-term working experience. It is especially vital when it comes to adverse working conditions that might cause high health risks for workers due to work-related diseases. We suggested methodical approaches to determining individual occupational health risks; these approaches took into account occupationally induced negative responses to impacts exerted by work-related factors; pathogenetic mechanisms of health disorders occurrence; gravity of health disorders; workers’ age and working experience. To implement these approaches, we applied a set of procedures that included hygienic and epidemiologic analysis, clinical and laboratory examination of workers, mathematic modeling and prediction. We tested these approaches via assessing occupational health risks for workers employed at oil-extracting enterprises and it allowed us to determine parameters of dependence between changes in arterial hypertension predictors under exposure to occupational noise and changes in age and working experience (b0=0.1427; b1=0.007; b2=-0.372). The obtained parameters can be used in assessing risks of arterial hypertension occurrence due to exposure to occupational noise for workers employed in oil extraction. Individual occupational risk caused by arterial hypertension in people exposed to occupational noise was higher than its permissible level (1∙10-3) for 13% workers (33 people) aged from 41 to 52 and working experience from 19.8 to 33 years; the risk detected in our research amounted up to 2.4∙10-2. Maximum individual risks of work-related arterial hypertension that are predicted to occur at an age close to 59 years amount up to 4.3∙10-2 and they will be higher than permissible levels for 56.6% работников; at an age close to 65 years, up to 4.7∙10-2, and they will be higher than permissible levels for 64.8% workers.

Integrated Method for Assessing Occupational Risks at Oil and Gas Production Facilities

Today, the problem of ensuring safe working conditions in the workplace is relevant for any employer. At the moment, despite the introduction of advanced technologies and equipment at oil and gas production facilities, personnel are exposed to a set of adverse production factors having an industry-specific nature and features. These features influence the reliability of the results of the occupational risk assessment. The methods existing today do not fully reflect the whole picture of risk in the workplace, but give only their fragmented values. The aim of this work is to develop an integrated methodology for assessing occupational risks for oil and gas production companies. In this work, from the variety of methods, we selected four methods that together take into account a significant number of risk-generating aspects, namely: the method of assessing the individual occupational risk level, the Fine-Kinney method, the method of scoring occupational risks, and the method of sociological survey of workers. The study on the assessment of occupational risks using an integrated method was carried out at the facilities for the development of three fields - the Yarakta, Iktekh, and Markovo fields belonging to Irkutsk Oil Company LLC. According to the results of applying the integrated assessment of occupational risks, most positions had a “medium” risk level, but for occupations engaged in manual labor and having a lower degree of automation of labor a “high” risk level was established. For these workplaces, it is necessary first of all to implement measures to improve working conditions.

Integrated Method for Assessing Occupational Risks at Oil and Gas Production Facilities

Today, the problem of ensuring safe working conditions in the workplace is relevant for any employer. At the moment, despite the introduction of advanced technologies and equipment at oil and gas production facilities, personnel are exposed to a set of adverse production factors having an industry-specific nature and features. These features influence the reliability of the results of the occupational risk assessment. The methods existing today do not fully reflect the whole picture of risk in the workplace, but give only their fragmented values. The aim of this work is to develop an integrated methodology for assessing occupational risks for oil and gas production companies. In this work, from the variety of methods, we selected four methods that together take into account a significant number of risk-generating aspects, namely: the method of assessing the individual occupational risk level, the Fine-Kinney method, the method of scoring occupational risks, and the method of sociological survey of workers. The study on the assessment of occupational risks using an integrated method was carried out at the facilities for the development of three fields - the Yarakta, Iktekh, and Markovo fields belonging to Irkutsk Oil Company LLC. According to the results of applying the integrated assessment of occupational risks, most positions had a “medium” risk level, but for occupations engaged in manual labor and having a lower degree of automation of labor a “high” risk level was established. For these workplaces, it is necessary first of all to implement measures to improve working conditions.

Mortality in Underground Miners in a Former Uranium Ore Mine–Results of a Cohort Study Among Former Employees of Wismut AG in Saxony and Thuringia.

From 1946 to 1990, more than 400 000 people were employed by Wismut AG, a Soviet/Soviet-German corporation (German abbreviation: SAG/ SDAG), in the East German states of Saxony and Thuringia. In the early years in particular, employees were exposed to large amounts of radon and respirable crystalline silica. In a cohort of 35 204 former underground employees of Wismut AG, mortality was analyzed in comparison to the general male population of East Germany, and the pertaining standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated. 18 510 persons in the study cohort died in the follow-up period 1960-2013. Mortality from lung cancer was 2.36 higher in the study cohort than in the general population (95% confidence interval, [2.28; 2.45]); the associated SMRs rose markedly with increasing radon exposure. Mortality from silicosis and other types of pneumoconiosis was elevated by a factor of 22.62 [21.20; 24.11], and the associated SMRs rose exponentially with increasing exposure to respirable crystalline silica. Mortality from both of these causes was still markedly elevated more than 20 years after Wismut AG had ceased its activities. Mortality from a wide range of other diseases was elevated as well, with the following SMRs: stomach cancer, 1.28 [1.17; 1.40]; liver cancer, 1.34 [1.15; 1.55]; all tumors other than lung cancer, 1.06 [1.02; 1.09]; infections, 1.18 [1.01; 1.38]; cerebrovascular diseases, 1.33 [1.26; 1.41]; and influenza/pneumonia, 1.13 [1.01; 1.27]. Mortality from a small number of other causes was found to be markedly lowered in the study cohort (mental illness, renal diseases, and nervous system diseases). The role of occupational risk factors, lifestyle differences and other reasons for the latter results is unclear. Underground miners employed by Wismut AG displayed marked excess mortality due to silicosis/other pneumoconiosis and lung cancer. The contribution of individual occupational risk factors for these and other causes of death with increased SMR are being further investigated in analyses within the study cohort.

Individual occupational risk assessment in the workplace

Individual occupational risk assessment in the workplace

Влияние условий труда приоритетных секторов экономики Казахстана на формирование профессиональных рисков

Occupational risk assessment was carried out for the employees of 956 different professions of 20 enterprises under study in five sectors of the economy: construction, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, and warehousing. The study was conducted using the Methodological Recommendation on the implementation of the occupational risk management system at an enterprise. This Methodological Recommendation was developed by the Republican state enterprise on the right of economic management — Republican Scientific Research Institute for Labour Protection of Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Occupational risks were assessed in the context of specific professions and structural divisions of the enterprises by five indicators: harmful working conditions, injury risk of the labor process, safety of production equipment, availability of personal protective equipment, and risk of morbidity. Based on the results of the assessment, the degree of individual occupational risk on each assessed indicator is determined by five gradations: I — acceptable risk, II — low, III — medium, IV — high and V — very high. According to the results of the occupational risk assessment, a high risk (4 degree) was established at the enterprises of mining, construction, agricultural industries, as well as transport, and warehousing industries. According to the results of equipment safety assessment, a high risk (grade IV) was identified at the enterprises of transport and mining industries. Due to the low provision with the personal protective equipment and its non-compliance with the certification requirements, a high risk is assigned to the enterprises of mining and construction industries. It is established that a high degree of occupational risk is due to the injury risk of working conditions, insufficient provision of personal protective equipment along with their low quality, the severity and intensity of the labor process accompanied by a high degree of the employees morbidity, as well as the use of the outdated equipment in production.

Social Determinants of Health Are Needed in COVID-19 Risk Assessments for the Workforce

Social Determinants of Health Are Needed in COVID-19 Risk Assessments for the Workforce

Individual occupational risk of employees in allowable working conditions

The article presents the results of individual occupational risk studies depending on the working conditions and health of the employee, as well as the calculation of an integral indicator of the level of occupational risk under permissible working conditions. Calculation data can be used for compulsory social insurance against accidents at work, as well as for assessment of individual professional risk of employees and level of professional risk in the organization in various types of economic activities with subsequent development of reasonable measures aimed at reduction of professional risk.

Occupational Risks in the Extraction and Processing of Mineral Raw Materials

The aim of this paper was to assess the man-made risks arising in the process chain from the extraction of primary raw materials in the form of quartzite and its further processing into the final product in the form of silicon. As the objects of research, we chose quartzite extracting enterprises, Cheremshansk Quartzite Mine and Kremny JSC which processes quartzite into silicon. To assess the occupational risk, we applied the method of assessing the individual occupational risk (IOR) level developed by the Klin Institute of Occupational Safety and Working Conditions. As a result, it was established that, in general, the level of occupational risks in the extraction of quartzite corresponds to the “average” level of risk. The occupation of Screener was classified to have the highest level of IOR (0.2). For the most part, a significant contribution to the level of occupational risk for the considered occupations is made by the dust factor, as well as - for the occupations connected with the steering of large-sized machines - by general vibration. In the processing of quartzite, the IOR level corresponds to the “average” level of risk in most occupations. However, for some of the workers, the risk level is set to the “high” value. This is due to significant concentrations of dust in the air of the working area, as well as unfavorable microclimate parameters.

Features of adaptive reactions of workers employed in the underground works of mining operations

It was found that 82.1% of workers engaged in underground work in the mining industry with a high and very high level of individual occupational risk, marked deterioration in the functioning of the Central, autonomic nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Assessment of professional risk of health of workers of the enterprise for repair of railway carriage

The aim of the study was to assess the professional risk of developing diseases in workers of the railway car repair enterprise. The Voronezh Car Repair Plant, a branch of Vagonremmash Joint-Stock Company, was chosen as the object of study. Methods: «The methodology for calculating individual occupational risk depending on the working conditions and the health status of the employee», developed by the Klin Institute for Protection and Working Conditions in conjunction with the Research Institute of Occupational Medicine (2013), the main professions; cohort study with the calculation of the relative risk of morbidity with temporary disability, the odds ratio, the etiological share of factors in the formation of morbidity (group size: 250 people, experimental group — workers of the main specialties, 95 people — comparison group). Results. According to the research results, the priority factors of occupational health risk include: chemical, noise, heating microclimate, low light level. For certain professions, the share of the contribution of priority factors to the risk profile (PV) reaches 40 %. The indicator of individual occupational risk is 0.12 to 0.26 units. The high level of professional risk (0.22 ÷ 0.26) is characterized by the working conditions of the mechanics for the repair of rolling stock, machine tools (woodworking), casters (metal), thermists, plastic casters. In professional groups with medium and high risk, the indicator of the relative risk of morbidity with temporary disability is higher than 1 (RR = 1.75 and 1.39, respectively), and the etiological share of production factors in the formation of diseases is from 27.95 (subgroup with secondary professional risk) up to 42.88 % (a subgroup with high professional risk), which indicates the professional condition of the disease. Discussion. In general, our data are consistent with the results of similar studies conducted earlier at the car building and car repair enterprises. In order to ensure hygienically safe working conditions and preserve the health of workers, it is necessary to reduce the level of exposure to production factors, including through the introduction of modern equipment and improvement of technological processes.

Расчет коллективного риска профессиональных групп литейного цеха исходя из анализа индивидуального риска каждого работника

Introduction. The article presents the technique of the definition of integral risk in the organization, on the basis of which the collective risk of several professional groups involved at the foundry is calculated. Problem Statement. The purpose of this study is to calculate the collective risk in the foundry. Theoretical Part. The initial data are the values of individual occupational risk of employees depending on their age, work experience, gender and disability, as well as the quality of working conditions, injury risk and susceptibility to the development of occupational diseases. Conclusion. The results of the calculation indicate a high collective risk of professional groups of the foundry, which requires the development of corrective engineering or organizational measures.

Dust load in silicon production and occupational risks

The aim of this paper was to study the characteristics of dust generated in technological processes in the production of silicon in the Irkutsk Region, as well as to assess dust load and occupational risks of the shop workers. Using chemical and X-ray phase analysis methods, as well as electron microscopy, it was shown that silicon dust contains more than 80% of silicon dioxide, which is a source of increased hazard for the workers of the enterprise. Also, using the scoring method, the questionnaire method, and the method of assessing the individual occupational risk level, it was established that the individual occupational risks of the studied occupations range from 1.1 10−3 to 3.3 10−3. The increased concentration of finely dispersed man-made silicon production waste confirms the need to take organizational and technical measures to reduce the dust load, including the creation of economic conditions for pelletizing the batch.

Применение методологии безопасного потенциала трудового стажа для оценки экономической эффективности мероприятий по охране труда

For the a priori assessment of occupational health and socio-economic damage caused by harmful working conditions, the fundamentally new approach to HSE MS in the Russian Federation is substantiated in the work based on the methodological concept of extending labor longevity. Its basic element is the application of a single comprehensive socio-economic indicator for quantitative assessment of health potential experience. Difference between the optimal and risk labor experience is the absolute quantitative indicator of the unused potential of safe labor experience for the specific employee. The objects of research are the quantitative indicators of labor experience as direct indicators of the dynamics of changes in the health of the employees in harmful working conditions and caused by that economic costs of the enterprises. Computer programs were developed, which allow for conducting quantitative assessment of the loss of duration of safe labor experience. Comprehensive use of the programs for calculating the indicators of the unused potential of safe labor experience and the risk index of functional disorders of the body allowed to develop the personalized electronic map of occupational health for quantitative assessment of the employee individual occupational risk. The map accompanies the employee throughout the entire length of service. With its help, it is possible to solve a complex of the applied problems facing the occupational health and safety system.