Changes in working conditions and character of occupational pathology in enterprise workers in the Arctic

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Abstract

Introduction. Labor in the Arctic is associated with an increased risk of developing occupational diseases.

The purpose of the study was to identify changes in risk factors, structure, and prevalence of occupational pathology among employees of enterprises in the Arctic during 2007-2018.

Material and methods. The analysis of the data of socio-hygienic monitoring “Working conditions and occupational morbidity” of the Russian Arctic zone population was carried out.

Results. 72.6% of workers at enterprises in the Arctic were found to have contact with harmful occupational factors. Within 12 years, the proportion of individuals exposed to noise and chemical factors decreased (p <0.001), while the proportion of those exposed to whole-body vibration, fibrogenic aerosols, and having increased severity of labor increased (p<0.001). In 2007-2018, the number of occupational pathology cases among employees of mining enterprises increased significantly (from 38.8% to 62.8%, p <0.001), while in metallurgical plants-it decreased (from 33.2% to 7.3% (p <0.001). In the structure of occupational pathology, the shares of radiculopathy (p <0.001) and vibration disease (p <0.001) increased due to a decrease in the shares of chronic bronchitis (p <0.001) and mono-polyneuropathy (p <0.001). Also, characteristic features of occupational pathology were an increase in the number of diseases associated with the severity of labor (from 20.7% to 46.9%, p <0.001), diseases diagnosed in one employee (from 1.006 ± 0.004 to 1.396 ± 0.030 cases, p < 0.001) and the number of men among occupational patients (from 87.3% to 94.7%, p <0.001).

Conclusion. It is necessary to continue both improve working conditions at enterprises in the Arctic, and study the reasons for the low efficiency of prevention of occupational diseases, caused primarily by increased severity of labor in the mining industry.

About the authors

S. A. Gorbanev

Northwest Public Health Research Center

Author for correspondence.
Email: noemail@neicon.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5840-4185
Russian Federation

Sergei A. Syurin

Northwest Public Health Research Center

Email: kola.reslab@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0275-0553

MD, Ph.D., DSci., Chief researcher, department of Arctic environment and health, North-West Public Health Research Center, St-Petersburg, 191036, Russian Federation.

e-mail: kola.reslab@mail.ru

Russian Federation

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