Level of occupational health risk for workers exposed to aerosols containing chrysotile asbestos

Introduction. The presence of asbestos-containing aerosols in the workplace is one of the main occupational carcinogenic risks in the world. In view of the absence of registered cases of occupational diseases related to exposure to asbestos dust in the Republic of Belarus, it is relevant to study morbidity with temporary disability and to assess occupational health risks using these data.

The aim of the study is to determine the characteristics of the dynamics and structure of the morbidity with temporary disability and the assessment of occupational health risks for workers exposed to aerosols containing chrysotile in the building materials manufacturing.

Materials and methods. The studies were carried out on the basis of a workshop for the production of asbestos-cement products based on chrysotile. An in-depth analysis of the morbidity with temporary disability was conducted over a four-year period. The influence of the gender, age, and experience composition of groups on the levels of the morbidity with temporary disability was evaluated using standardized indicators. The assessment of the production conditionality of morbidity was carried out in a comparative analysis with the control group (workshop for the production of blocks made of cellular concrete and composite materials), national indicators and indicators of the construction materials industry. The risk assessment was carried out using the occupational risk index calculated based on the relative risk index and the total coefficient of working conditions.

Results. The dynamics of the overall intensive indicators of morbidity with temporary disability in the study group shows a tendency to decrease due to a decrease in labor losses in the class of “Respiratory Diseases”, however, the duration of 1 case increases. The overall average long-term indicators of temporary disability are significantly higher in the control group. However, the incidence rates for the class of endocrine diseases, diseases of the circulatory system and diseases of the digestive system are significantly higher in the study group. The average long-term morbidity rates of the study group do not have statistically significant differences with national and industry indicators. Standardization of general indicators of morbidity by gender, age and experience does not change their ratio, but the incidence rates differ in different age, experience and gender groups. The occupational risk index for employees of the asbestos cement products workshop is estimated as average, and the level of occupational health losses of employees is 33.7% (significant, class 3) in the study group and 45.7% (high, class 4) in the control group.

Conclusions. Morbidity with temporary disability of workers exposed to chrysotile asbestos dust does not differ significantly from the national and industry levels, and in comparison with the control group shows lower indicators; the level of occupational health risk of workers exposed to chrysotile asbestos is significant; the highest incidence rates are registered in young and least trained employees of the workshop of asbestos — cement products, and by gender-in men, which should be taken into account when planning preventive measures.

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