Occupational pathology in the Chukotka and Nenets Autonomous Okrugs: risks, structure, prevalence

Introduction. Labor activity in the Arctic creates an increased risk of developing occupational diseases. In the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (CHAO), the basis of the economy is the extraction of coal, placer and ore gold, and other non-ferrous metals, and in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) — the extraction of oil and natural gas.

The study aims to learn the risks of development, structure, and prevalence of occupational pathology among employees of enterprises in the Chukotka and Nenets Autonomous Okrugs.

Materials and methods. Scientists studied the results of social and hygienic monitoring under the section "Working conditions and occupational morbidity" in the CHAO and NAO in 2008–2019.

Results. In the NAO, almost two-thirds of employees work at facilities with good sanitary and epidemiological well-being indicators, while in the PRAO, only 12%. In the NAO, almost all occupational diseases (96.8%) resulted from exposure to industrial noise (noise effects of the inner ear), mainly in civil aviation pilots. In the CHAO, occupational diseases mainly developed in miners of mining enterprises (80.6%), among which the most common were noise effects of the inner ear (32.5%), chronic bronchitis (24.1%), mono- and polyneuropathies (12.7%). In contrast to the NAO, in 2008–2019, the level of occupational morbidity in the PRAO exceeded all-Russian indicators and tended to increase. The risk of diseases in 2017–2019 was higher than in 2008–2010: RR=2.51; CI 1.62–3.89, p<0.001. In 2008–2019 the probability of the formation of occupational pathology among employees of enterprises in the CHAO was higher than in the NAO: RR=3.84; CI 2.92–5.06, p<0.001.

Conclusion. To reduce the occupational morbidity of miners of the CHAO, it is necessary to improve personal protective equipment and technological equipment to reduce noise levels, vibration, the concentration of aerosols of predominantly fibrogenic action, and the severity of the labor process. The use of aviation headsets with an increased level of noise reduction will help reduce the exposure of workers to noise. For solving this problem, it is necessary to update the flight fleet of civil aviation in NAO.

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