https://doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2016.03.056
State Medical University, Zaporizhzha
Introduction. Metallurgical industry is characterized by heavy and dangerous working conditions, affecting negatively the workers’ health, including adverse microclimatic conditions, air pollution with dust and fumes, noise and vibration.
Purpose – to conduct a hygienic assessment of working conditions of employees at the metallurgical enterprises of a full cycle. Materials and methods. A study of the working conditions of employees in sinter, open hearth furnace, blast furnace and mechanical workshops was conducted. We analyzed 707 reports, of which: 425 – related to the working zone air, 141 – to meteorological factors, 94 – to noise pollution, 47 – to vibration effect. The hygienic assessment of working conditions was conducted in accordance with "Hygienic Classification of work from the point of view of hazards and risks from the industrial environment, the severity and intensity of the work process".
Results. As a result of the received data it was found that working conditions of a sinter shop worker and a worker of the charge department in the sinter shop by indices the of dust content (predominantly of fibrogenic action) in the air of working zone could be referred to Class 3, grade 4 of harmfulness. Microclimatic parameters did not correspond to the acceptable standards, both in warm and cold periods and could be referred to Class 3, grade 3 of harmfulness for workers of the charge department of the sinter shop and to Class 3, grade 2 to the sinter shop worker. By indices of noise the workplace of the sinter shop worker can be referred to Class 3, grade 2 of harmfulness, by severity of the work to Class 3, grade 2, by work intensity to Class 3, grade 1 of harmfulness. Working conditions of the worker in the charge department of the sinter shop by indices of noise, heaviness of work and work intensity are referred to Class 3, grade 1 of harmfulness. The workplace of a furnaceman of the blast furnace and a machinist of the charge department in the blast furnace shop can be referred to Class 3, grade 4 of harmfulness. By indices of chemicals in the working zone air and microclimatic conditions the work of a furnaceman can be referred to Class 3, grade 4 of harmfulness, and that of machinist of discharge to Class 3, grade 1 of harmfulness. The working conditions of machinist of the charge department refer to class 3, grade 1 of harmfulness. The working conditions of a furnaceman of the blast furnace by indices of noise are referred to Class 3, grade 1 of harmfulness, by indices of heaviness of work to Class 3, grade 2, by intensity of work to Class 3, grade 1. Working conditions of the machinist of the charge department by indices of noise are referred to Class 3, grade 2 of harmfulness, by heaviness of work to Class 3, grade 2, by work intensity to Class 3, grade 1 of harmfulness. The working conditions of a steelworker and a refractory worker in the open-hearth furnace by indices of microclimate are referred to Class 3, grade 4 of harmfulness, by the content of chemical substances in the working zone air to Class 3, grade 1, by heaviness of work to Class 3, grade 2, by work strain to Class 3, grade 1. The working conditions of steelworkers by the content of dust (predominantly of fibrogenic action) in the air are referred to Class 3.2, those of refractory workers – to Class 3.3 of harmfulness.
Conclusion. As a result of the hygienic assessment of working conditions it is found that workers of main shops are at high risk of morbidity development, caused by the high level of harmfulness of working conditions – Class 3.4: microclimate (3.1–3.4), dust (3.2–3.4), chemicals (3.1–3.4), noise (3.1–3.2), heaviness of work (3.1–3.2) and intensity of work (3.1). The leading risk factors at this enterprise are microclimatic conditions, dust and the content of chemical substances in the working zone air.
Key words: working conditions, impact of production factors, workers of a metallurgical enterprise
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