Individual Occupational Risk Research Articles

The formula for determining motivation indicators in the occupational risk management system

Improper organization of production, unsatisfactory working conditions, industrial accidents and occupational diseases cause serious economic losses for the government and employers. The labor protection management system formed during the Soviet era cannot reduce occupational injuries and morbidity, does not encourage employers to improve working conditions, and requires modernization. The article deals with motivation indicators in the occupational risk management system. Much attention is paid to the hazard prevention method aimed at identifying and analyzing circumstances causing dangerous situations. In assessing the motivation indicators and competence in the production and occupational risk management system, employee’s abilities to identify, evaluate and manage occupational risks, knowledge of occupational safety requirements, personal characteristics, skills, and experience in occupational safety are analyzed. It allows for reduction of the individual occupational risk level. The article concludes that it is necessary to study scientific and methodological foundations of an informative, simple, objective and understandable ORMS which includes motivation and competence indicators, to solve actual scientific and practical labor protection problems which are studied by Russian and EU experts.

Experience of individual carcinogenic risk evaluation in workers of metallurgic enterprise

The predictive estimate of individual occupational carcinogenic risk for metallurgic enterprise workers with occupational exposure to chemical carcinogens helped to assign founders, blacksmiths, machine operators, nonferrous metals processing line operators, tool-makers, metal cutters, burners, grog operators to an increased risk group by probability of occupational cancer development. The retrospective epidemiologic study of chronic diseases prevalence and transitory disablement morbidity proved reliable increase of neoplasms occurrence under exposure to electromagnetic fields of personal computers — 1.5-fold, that to constant magnetic field — 1.2-fold; that to lead — 1.9-fold; that for increased body weight — 1.6-fold; that for hypodynamia — 1.2-fold; that for hypercholesterolemia — 1.3-fold; that for high blood pressure — 1.2-fold. The data obtained can serve as a basis of preventive strategy of carcinogenic risk minimization at an enterprise.

PROPHYLAXIS OF SKIN DISEASES IN WORKERS OF THE PRODUCTION OF SECONDARY PRECIOUS METALS

Introduction. The production of secondary precious metals is one of the most important and promising directions for the development of the metallurgical industry with its own specifics of technological processes and, accordingly, working conditions. The purpose of the research is to scientifically substantiate and develop a complex of hygienic and therapeutic and preventive measures to reduce the risk of skin diseases in workers of secondary precious metals. Material and methods. As an object of research, the workers of the enterprise JSC “Shchelkovsky plant of secondary precious metals” were chosen. To assess the occupational health risk, the main provisions of the “Methods of calculating individual occupational risk depending on working conditions and the state of worker’s health” were used. To assess the clinical effectiveness of the use of emollients in the prevention of chronic allergic dermatoses in workers, the patients were examined and the dermatological indices EASI (Eczema area and severity index), VAS (Visual analog scale), DLQI (Dermatology life quality index) were calculated. Results. The index of the individual occupational risk (IOR) for the main professions of refining precious metals amounts to from 0.56 to 0.79, which refers to a very high risk with the leading unfavorable chemical production factor - with a share contribution to the profile of occupational risk - from 20 to 25 %. The presence of dermatological diseases even with their course without permanent disability significantly affects the quality of life of workers, as evidenced by the high values of dermatological indices EASI from 16.3 to 53.3, DLQI - from 6.2 to 16.8, VAS - from 5.8 to 9.1 points before the start of the treatment. Discussion. The results obtained are in general consistent with the materials of earlier studies that skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases are related to the risk in the workers in the metallurgical industry. Conclusion. Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous fatty tissue in workers of secondary precious metals production are due to the significant value of the etiological share of production factors in their formation and are occupationally conditioned. The proposed complex of hygienic and medico-prophylactic measures, including the additional use of emollients to existing standards of treatment and prevention of allergic dermatoses in workers, provides a reduction in the risk of professionally caused skin diseases.

Group and individual occupational risk of health loss in workers engaged into ferroalloy industry

The authors assessed group and individual occupational risk of health loss in workers of ferroalloy industry. Findings are that main occupations of melting workshop are connected with formation of average group occupational risk and high individual risk.

Estimating individual occupational risk using registration data

In this paper the occupational risk of individual employed workers is assessed using merged registration data. The analysis features a negative binomial count data regression model for statistical inference. In the model the hazard rate is determined by variables characterizing the personal background and working conditions, such as age, sex, tenure, contract type, working hours and sector. The estimation results can be used to assess individual occupational risk and identify high-risk groups and branches of industry. The main contribution of the paper to the literature is the fact that calculations include the entire population at risk and are based solely on registration data on individuals, jobs, firms and accident casualties.

The exposure–damage approach in the quantification of occupational risk in workplaces involving dangerous substances

The work proposes a new approach for the quantification of occupational risk overcoming the limitations of the common qualitative methodologies widely used by industry and authorities. The proposed methodological approach has been developed at the Technical University of Crete and is based on the principles of quantitative risk assessment (QRA) for the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances. It aims at establishing a systematic risk analysis tool for the quantitative assessment of occupational risk. The index of ‘individual occupational risk’ is introduced as a probability function of four variables, normalized over actual working time: the frequency of an active hazard, the probability of an employee being present at a work-place, the extent of distinct consequence zones and the employee vulnerability. The methodology has been applied to several industrial environments and has verified its potentiality to provide documented support on important decisions on occupational (health and safety) improving measures related to process safety conditions, job management, protective systems, consequence mitigation measures and personal protective measures.

Human immunodeficiency virus infection in health care workers. A method for estimating individual occupational risk

Human immunodeficiency virus infection in health care workers. A method for estimating individual occupational risk