Working conditions, occupational morbidity, risks of violation health of drivers of mining machines in quarries

Introduction. Recent studies have shown that working conditions at mining enterprises remain harmful and dangerous. We characterize the working conditions by a set of factors of the production environment that affect the functional state of the body of workers and their working capacity. It depends on the equipment used, technologies, objects, products of labor. They are specific to each enterprise. In these conditions, the definition of occupational risks of violation of the health of miners becomes particularly relevant.

The study aims to assess the current working conditions, the state of professional performance, to determine the risks of health disorders of the drivers of mining machines at ore quarries.

Materials and methods. The researchers have conducted hygienic studies to assess production factors at ore quarries. We have presented an analysis of materials for a special assessment of working conditions at workplaces for ore quarries belonging to the Mining and Metallurgical Trade Union of Russia. Experts have summarized materials on occupational morbidity of employees over the past five years. The researchers have performed a cross-sectional epidemiological study to assess the risk of developing chronic general somatic diseases in mining machine drivers. 

Results. The article provides a hygienic assessment of working conditions in modern quarries, shows the complex impact on workers of the dust and gas factor, noise and vibration, microclimate. The authors present classes of working conditions for employees of the main professions, the results of a special assessment of working conditions. We have given an analysis of occupational morbidity in the quarries included in the GMPR and GOK "Lebedinsky" over the past five years.

Researchers have found that diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, as well as diseases of the circulatory system are production-related in workers engaged in open-pit mining.

Conclusion. In the conditions of using high-performance mining equipment for open-pit mining of ores, a complex of production factors affects workers of leading professions.

The authors give a general assessment of the working conditions at the workplaces of these professions: this is a harmful third class with varying degrees of harmfulness.

The current set of production factors determines the level of occupational morbidity, which has been trending downward in recent years. The leading place belongs to vibration sickness, it is closely related to the increased values of the maximum permissible levels and the equivalent adjusted level of vibration velocity at the workplaces of drilling rig drivers, excavators and drivers of heavy-duty dump trucks. The high prevalence and risk of developing chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue and diseases of the circulatory system, as well as a significant increase in indicators with an increase in work experience in harmful working conditions, allow us to speak about the production conditionality of these diseases in workers engaged in open-pit mining.

Ethics. This study did not require the conclusion of the Ethics committee.

Contribution:
Prokopenko L.V. — concept and design of the study, editing;
Chebotarev A.G. — material collection and processing, statistical data processing, text writing;
Golovkova N.P. — research design; material processing, editing;
Leskina L.M. — material collection and processing, statistical data processing, text writing;
Nikolaev S.P. — collection and processing of material, statistical processing of data.

Funding. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interests. The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Received: 20.06.2022 /Accepted: 10.07.2022 / Published: 15.07.2022

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