Introduction. Due to the impact of adverse working conditions and climate, workers in coal-mining enterprises in the Arctic are at increased risk of occupational diseases (OD).

The aim of the study was to study the working conditions, causes, structure and prevalence of occupational diseases in miners of coal mines in the Arctic.

Materials and methods. Th e data of social and hygienic monitoring “Working conditions and occupational morbidity” of the population of Vorkuta and Chukotka Autonomous District in 2007–2017 are studied.

Results. It was established that in 2007–2017 years, 2,296 ODs were diagnosed for the first time in 1851 coal mines, mainly in the drifters, clearing face miners, repairmen and machinists of mining excavating machines. Most often, the ODs occurred when exposed to the severity of labor, fibrogenic aerosols and hand-arm vibration. The development of professional pathology in 98% of cases was due to design flaws of machines and mechanisms, as well as imperfections of workplaces and technological processes. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system (36.2%), respiratory organs (28.9%) and nervous system (22.5%) prevailed in the structure of professional pathology of miners of coal mines. Among the three most common nosological forms of OD were radiculopathy (32.1%), chronic bronchitis (27.7%) and mono-polyneuropathy (15.4%). In 2017, coal miners in the Arctic had a professional morbidity rate of 2.82 times higher than the national rates for coal mining.

Conclusions. To preserve the health of miners of coal mining enterprises, technical measures to improve working conditions and medical interventions aimed at increasing the body’s resistance to the effects of harmful production and climatic factors are necessary.

Introduction. The results of the study of the working area air during thermal insulation works are presented.

The aim of the study was to assess the health risk of workers in the construction industry and exposed to fine dust.

Materials and methods. The number of dust particles of different dispersion in the air of the working area in the implementation of thermal insulation works is determined.

Results. It is established that the working conditions during the thermal insulation works in accordance with the current regulatory documentation are classified as harmful 3 class 2 degree. Harmful factor of the production environment is dust (including PM₁₀ and fine PM_2,5) in air of working zone (3.2). The air quality of the working area indicates a long stay of fine dust in the air over the territory of the construction site. Dust of different dispersed composition was found in the air of the working area during thermal insulation works. Th e dust concentration is more than 10 μm was 8.2±1.3 mg/m³, PM₁₀ and 1.8±0.4 mg/m³, PM_2,5–1,25±0,2 mg/m³.

Conclusions. The results obtained in the experiment make it possible to determine the safe duration of the working experience under the influence of a harmful factor of the working environment (in terms of the permissible health risk) with different duration of contact with it during the day.

Introduction. The activities of health workers are associated with the impact of many harmful factors that lead to loss of health. Compared with other professional groups, health care workers are ill longer and harder, which may be due to polymorbidity pathology.

The aim of the study based on the survey data to study the representation of health workers about working conditions and to identify their impact on the formation of occupational diseases.

Materials and methods. In order to get a real idea of the attitude of medical workers to their working conditions in 2018, an anonymous survey was conducted of 1129 doctors and 776 employees of secondary and junior medical personnel working in health care institutions in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Krasnoyarsk, Vologda and Orel.

Results. Research of working conditions and health of physicians allowed to establish that work in medical institutions imposes considerable requirements to an organism of working, its physical condition and endurance, volume of operational and long-term memory, ability to resist to mental, moral and ethical overloads.

Conclusions: The most important method of combating the development of occupational diseases is their prevention. Organizational and preventive measures should be aimed primarily at monitoring the working conditions and health of medical staff .

Introduction. Professional polyneuropathy of the upper extremities is an example of the most common pathology due to physical overload and functional overstrain of the muscles of the upper extremities.

The aim of the study was to study the ultrasound quantitative parameters of the anatomical structures of the arteries in normal and professional polyneuropathy.

Materials and methods. Patients with polyneuropathy from physical overloads and functional overvoltage in hospital were examined by ultrasound in B-mode. The results of ultrasonic assessment of the morphological state of the main arteries of the forearm in professional polyneuropathy from physical overload and functional overvoltage are presented. The criteria for the selection of patients in the study were: the presence of severe clinical manifestations of polyneuropathy, confirmed by instrumental methods of the study, the data of sanitary and hygienic characteristics of working conditions, indicating contact with physical overload in the workplace, the absence of chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system (coronary heart disease, rheumatic, oncological, infectious diseases, heart defects, arrhythmias and conduction).

Results. The study of ultrasound morphological features of the arteries of the upper extremities in professional polyneuropathy showed an increase in the intima-media complex, compaction of the structure of the vascular wall equally in the radial and ulnar arteries. The revealed changes were determined with the same frequency in men and women. The study of the right and left hands showed the presence of more pronounced changes on the side of the «working hand».

Conclusions. Today the method of ultrasound examination of the main arteries of the middle caliber of the upper extremities is the only available and objective method of studying the morphological changes of the vascular system in professional polyneuropathy from functional overvoltage and physical overload. In comparison with the control group in patients with polyneuropathy, a significant decrease in the diameter of the vessels was determined on the limb, which has a predominant load. Ultrasonic changes are detected at the initial stages of professional polyneuropathy of the upper extremities.

Introduction. The relevance of the study is determined by the tasks set in the National project “Demography” (Federal project “Older generation”), and is the need to take into account the functional and psycho-physiological characteristics of older age groups in the system of measures to preserve their health and efficiency in connection with the upcoming increase in the age, giving the right to retire for the majority of the working population.

The aim of study was to determine the main patterns in the changes in indicators characterizing the quality of life (QL) and postural balance in women of older age groups who continue to work in their profession.

Materials and methods. 166 working women aged 55–64 years (mean age 59±2.8 years) were examined. The sample included women who agreed to participate in the study and who, 12 months after the survey, continued to work and did not plan to stop working during the following year. The first age group (AG) consisted of women whose calendar age (CA) was within 55–59 years (n=89), the second — women aged 60–64 years (n=77). The physical (PCS) and psychological (MCS) components of health-related QOL were determined by the SF–36v2 questionnaire. To evaluate the components of postural balance (CPB), a sensory Organization Test (SOT) was conducted using a computer posturographic (stabilometric) complex “Smart Equitest Balance Manager”.

Results. It was found that all medians of QL components in the examined women were above 50 points, i.e. exceeded the general population norm. Comparison of PCS values in AG 55–59 years and 60–64 years showed differences at the level of statistical trend (0.05>p≤0.1). When comparing MCS, no statistically significant differences between the groups were found. The study of the SOT PBC revealed that women aged 60–64 had a slight decrease in the quality of the equilibrium function in functional samples 1 (p=0.008) and 2 (p=0.009), but the quality of the equilibrium function in sample 6 (p=0.005) was higher than in women aged 55–59, which makes it possible to consider this indicator as a predictor that has a positive eff ecton the continuation of employment over 59 years.

Conclusions. Thus, the physical and psychological components of QL in working women 55–64 years exceed the general population norm. However, after 59 years there is a decrease in the physical component of QL and there is no decrease in the psychological component of QL, which suggests that the psychological health of women 60 years and older becomes crucial in predicting retirement. After 59 years, working women experience a decrease in the quality of the equilibrium function in functional samples 1 and 2, indicating the beginning of age-related changes in the PBC, which justifies the need to develop and implement physical education and health programs aimed at maintaining the postural balance in 60-year-old women.

Introduction. Laser radiation, discovered in the mid-twentieth century, is actively used in modern medicine. Along with the effects of high-energy lasers, researchers are attracting more and more attention to the methods of low-intensity laser therapy in the treatment of various diseases of the peripheral nervous system. At the same time, there are very few works in which the effectiveness of low-intensity laser radiation action in occupational diseases of the nervous system would be assessed.

The aim of study was searching for information on the modern understanding of the mechanisms of action of low-intensity laser radiation and on its use in the treatment of occupational diseases of the nervous system in Russian and foreign scientific literature.

Materials and methods: The article presents an overview of available scientific Russian and foreign literary sources. Search and selection of sources was carried out using open databases PubMed and RSCI.

Results. Low-intensity laser therapy has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, immunocorrective and reflexogenic effects. There are described cases of successful application of low-intensity laser radiation in the treatment of vibration disease, radicular and muscular tonic syndromes, carpal tunnel syndrome. At the same time, there are no works in which the influence of low-intensity laser radiation on the dynamics of professional polyneuropathy of the upper limbs would be assessed.

Conclusions: The biological effect of low-intensity laser radiation is complex and many-sided. Low-intensity laser therapy has a wide spectrum of action on various pathogenesis pathways, it is a common method of treating diseases of the peripheral nervous system, including professional aetiology. The urgent task is to substantiate and develop a technique for using low-intensity laser radiation to treat patients with professional polyneuropathies of the upper limbs (as the most common occupational disease of the peripheral nervous system) and to evaluate its effectiveness during dynamic observation.

Introduction. Performing complex design operations on the screen of personal computers (PC) makes serious demands on the state of the visual system of users, which determined the need to study the impact of intense activity on the function of vision.

The aim of the study is to study the impact of activities from the PC on the functional state of the visual analyzer in persons performing intense visual work in the dynamics of the working day.

Materials and methods. A group of professional PC users performing design work, including the solution of complex and important tasks, is examined. We studied the nature of the work of employees in terms of interest of the visual analyzer. Measurements of lighting parameters at workplaces of PC users were carried out. Dynamic observations of the state of the functions of the visual organ of the examined persons were made.

Results. PC users performed accurate visual work, solved complex tasks, the time of work with the screen was more than 7 hours during the working day. The organization of lighting and lighting indicators in the workplace meet the standards. The study of the functions of the visual analyzer showed an extension of the simple sensorimotor reaction time in the first half of the working day by 11.1%, by the end of the work — by 25.0%. Visual performance according to the Landolt test by the number of viewed signs and errors significantly decreased during the working day. The decrease in color sensitivity in the dynamics of the working day extended to all the colors presented, there was no complete restoration of color differentiation during the lunch break. By the end of the work, the increase in color separation thresholds was 33.5–39.0%. The change in the condition of visual functions according achromatic disperarii and sensorimotor reactions depending on the duration of the work. After the first hour of work develops eyestrain, increasing the duration of work with the PC leads to a further change in the functions of vision, increasing fatigue. Correlation analysis showed a direct relationship between the duration of work and the deterioration of functions.

Conclusions. The results of the study show the development of visual fatigue, reduced color sensitivity, change in the speed of processing of visual information. An important role for the preservation of visual and overall performance is the organization of labor: the introduction of breaks after each hour of work will reduce the rapid development of vision fatigue. Periodic medical examinations play an important role in the prevention of morbidity. Awareness of users about the adverse factors of working conditions and workflow when using a PC is also relevant.

Introduction. About 40% of all occupational diseases of the musculoskeletal system is degenerative muscle disease from overstrain — myofibrosis. Currently, the diagnosis is already established in the presence of obvious signs of disability, when the patient cannot continue his work in the previous profession.

The aim of the study was to assess the informativeness of MRI in the early revealing of the disease. To develop the technique of MRI and detect changes in striated muscles of the upper extremities 50 patients with previously established diagnosis of myofibrosis were examined and 10 with suspicion on it. The analysis of the obtained image showed the most informative pulse sequences for revealing muscle changes. The optimal impulse sequence for the evaluation of muscle structures is IDEAL, for the determination of muscle edema — diffuse-weighted image and post-contrast T1-weighted image to visualize the disturbance of the histo-hematic barrier penetration. The presence of brachioradialis muscle edema on a diffusely weighted image served as an objective basis to regard these changes as the initial stage of myofibrosis and allowed to transfer patients from the group with suspected myofibrosis to the group with the initial stage of the disease, thus increasing the effectiveness of expert decisions on the connection of this disease with the profession.

Introduction. Production-related morbidity occurs as a result of nonspecific effects on the human body increased fatigue and overfatigue. However, there are no studies of the links between the General morbidity of workers with their acute fatigue and chronic fatigue.

The aim of the study was establishment of pattern of connection of acute fatigue with chronic fatigue and with the general morbidity of workers revealed at periodic medical examinations of workers.

Material and methods. Fatigue and fatigue were studied using a standardized questionnaire. As an integral assessment of fatigue we used two indicators “degree of usual fatigue” (F_sub) and the duration of the employee in a state of fatigue, hours per week (H_week). The H_week index considers the F_sub, frequency, time of occurrence and disappearance of fatigue, the duration of the working week. In research took part 1733 of different professions. 396 people underwent medical examination.

Results. Among the surveyed workers, 5% of women and 2% of men had severe fatigue (F_sub =3). We have shown that the total annual duration of morbidity with temporary disability in very tired workers (F_sub =3) is an average of 24.9 days, and a little tired (F_sub =1) an average of 5.1 days. 38% of women and 20% of men are at risk of fatigue (H_week >24 hours). The H_week indicator allows to differentiate the occupational risks associated with fatigue among workers with the same F_sub. At H_week >24 hours in men and women, all health indicators obtained from both the survey and the medical examination are worsened.

Conclusions. F_sub is the most simple, operational and reliable indicator for the etiological study of the risks of fatigue and the causes of professionally caused diseases. In women with F_sub =3, compared with non-tired workers (F_sub=0), the risks of health deterioration during the year are repeatedly increased, in moderately tired women (F_sub=2) there is also a significant increase in all risks, but to a lesser extent. H_week allows you to differentiate risks among workers with the same F_sub. With H_week more than 24 hours, there is a significant increase in health risks, detected both according to the survey and according to periodic medical examination. The leading cause of F_sub =3 is the share in working time of the periods of stay of workers in a state of increased attention and intensity of the labor process.

Introduction. Modern international and domestic classifications of occupational interstitial lung diseases in comparison with pulmonology are presented. The necessity of revision of the List of occupational diseases is substantiated. The ways to optimize the classification of occupational interstitial lung diseases are proposed.

Introduction. Hygienic control of the levels of contact ultrasound in the workplace should be carried out in accordance with the approved certified measurement procedures. The sanitary-epidemiological norms and rules present the requirements for the normative values and evaluation of contact ultrasound, as well as the methods of measurement of acoustic pressure and the calculation of the time-averaged peak spatial intensity. The analysis of the possibility of measurements of contact ultrasound in the workplace and in the laboratory.

Results. The results showed that the presented measurement methods determine the specific power that the ultrasound source emits into a water-like gel medium, and the specific power is a technical characteristic of the ultrasonic source. This method should be used to determine the ultrasonic characteristics of the ultrasound source in the laboratory at the manufacturers, and not to assess its impact in the workplace. Measurements of contact ultrasound in the workplace are very difficult, as they require extremely complex, expensive research and unique equipment. Thus, to assess the impact of contact ultrasound on the human body in the workplace, it is advisable to use the acoustic characteristics of the contact ultrasound source obtained in the laboratory at the manufacturing plants and presented in the technical documentation.

Introduction. The modern stage of development of electronics is characterized by the widespread use of integrated circuits (IC). Assessment of working conditions in a promising, developing production of electronic components with hygienic positions is an urgent task.

The aim of the study is to conduct a hygienic assessment of working conditions of workers in the main professions in the production of IC.

Materials and methods. Hygienic research conducted at three modern enterprises for the production of chips and semiconductor devices, included the study of the conditions and nature of work of workers in the main professions. 215 chemical analyses for the content of harmful substances were carried out in order to assess the air environment and 270 measurements of the levels of physical factors at 18 workplaces.

Results. Findings of hygienic assessment of working conditions for employees engaged in manufacture of microcircuits: operators of chemical processing, precision photolithography (PPL), diffusion processes, vacuum deposition, and IMC assemblers are reported. Based on the analysis of the technological process and the list of materials used and time-study data, the studies of workplace air pollution, sound levels, artificial lighting, microclimate parameters (temperature, humidity, air velocity), working process parameters were carried out. The jobs in which work is characterized by toxic chemicals exposure, precision visual operations using optical instruments during 55% of the shift were singled out. Priority occupational health risk factors for workers employed in modern IMC production and main areas of working environment optimization were revealed.

Conclusions. Based on the conducted hygienic studies, musculoskeletal system load combined with visual strain were found to be the priority occupational health risk factors for microcircuit production workers. Manual operations taking up a significant part of the working process and introduction of automated IMC technological processes being insufficient, preventive measures should be aimed at organizing a rational working regime that provides reducing of visual strain and musculoskeletal system load.