Acta Biomedica Scientifica (May 2013)
OCCUPATIONAL RISK FOR EMPLOYEES OF MODERN PRODUCTION OF EPICHLOROHYDRIN IN DYNAMICS OF MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
Abstract
This study aimed to reveal the health disorder peculiarities in the employees of the modern production ofepichlorohydrin (EPCH) based on using the automatized system of the quantitative risk assessment of the main common pathological syndromes (RMCPS) and the results of medical examinations performed in dynamics. The working conditions of the employees working at the production of epichlorohydrin are characterized by a complex of the unfavorable production factors among which the employees exposure to epichlorohydrin (EPCH) end allyl chloride (AC), the substances of class 2 of danger, is known to have the main hygienic importance. At present the category of occupational risk in chemical factor is considered as low and middle, this is stipulated by the significant decrease in the concentrations of harmful substances in the air of the working zone (EPCH-up to 0.5 LAC, AC - up to 0,3 LAC). It was found that in the structure of RMCPS the risks of the functional disorders of the cardio-vascular system, the portion of which was significantly found to increase (from 17,7 to 27,2 % respectively) in dynamics, were revealed as the higher percent in the employees examined in both the first and the second study periods. The risk prevalence features have been revealed in the persons of the main occupations. So, the statistically significant increase in the risk cases of the neurological and border psychical disorders, the functional disorders of the cardio-vascular and endocrine systems was observed to be in the fitters-repairers, unlike the operators of mechanical devices, by the second study period. In dynamics of medical examinations the increase in the incidence levels relatively to the diseases of the circulatory system was noted to occur in all the occupational groups including the portion of the persons who had often ill feeling. The most statistically significant levels of the incidence including the diseases of the circulatory system as well as the nervous system and the psychical disorders were found to be in the occupational group of the fitters-repairers. The occupational risk assessment taking into account the occupation and the exposure toxic load with allyl chloride and epichlorohydrin has shown that in the both study periods the largest exposure load to the toxicants was revealed in the fitters-repairers, thereby, this load was statistically significant higher in the fitters and engineering staff compared to the operators of mechanical devices in both the first and the second examination periods. The statistically significant increase in the health disorder risks was revealed in these employees in dependence on the values of the exposition load with the toxicants. Studying the health state in the employees taking into account the exposition toxic loads has allowed to correlate the organism changes revealed to the cumulative exposure to the chemical pollutants as well as to ground the need of using this index to reveal the production - stipulated and occupational diseases.
