QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF EMPLOYEES' STATUS OF HEALTH: PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE WAYS TO RESOLVE

Abstract

Objectives. The monitoring of the risk factors at the workplace and the health state of employees, in relation to their professions, are essential for strengthening and promoting the health of the employed population. The aim of the study was to assess the possibilities and constraints in the evaluation of workers’ health, in relation to the quality of the work environment and process, and forecasting of adverse effects on the health of persons at risk in the current conditions of the Republic of Moldova. Material and Methods. A retrospective analytical study was performed on the NAPH capabilities in the assessing of the occupational risk and the health of the workers and on the forecasting of adverse effects on their health. The existing legal and regulatory framework with an impact on the capacities for qualitative and quantitative assessment of health risks related to professional activity was analyzed. Also, the international experience in solving the identified problems was analyzed too. Results. During the period from 1990 to 2019, in the Republic of Moldova, a series of documents were adopted. Also, were transposed a set of normative and regulatory documents in the field of health and safety at the workplace, which, however, were not followed by structural reforms to become fully functional. Thus, the occupational health specialists were limited in the possibility of estimating the „cause and effect” relationship in the formation of workers' health. At the moment, it is appropriate to widely implement the method of full health assessment, based on the results of the periodic medical examination. Conclusions. For the early detection of workers with health disorders, in relation to the their occupations, it is necessary to implement the method of comprehensive assessment of the employee's health based on the periodic medical examination results and the creation of the National Register of workers exposed to occupational risk factors.

Keywords

• occupational health
• comprehensive health assessment
• individual occupational risk assessment
• collective occupational risk assessment