In various industries and agriculture, there are harmful production factors that cause the development of diseases. Such diseases are called occupational. All occupational diseases, for development reasons, are divided into several groups:
- due to the influence of industrial dust on the body,
- caused by exposure to physical factors of production,
- caused by chemical factors of production ,
- due to the influence of biological factors.
Industrial dust settles on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and over time, this leads to the development of pneumoconiosis and dust bronchitis. Occupational diseases of this group are found among workers in the metallurgical and mining industries, masons, miners, and grinders.
The physical factors of production that cause occupational diseases include various types of radiation, high and low temperatures, intense noise, and vibration of mechanisms. Vibration of mechanisms leads to the development of vibrational disease, intense noise - to diseases of the organ of hearing, high and low temperatures cause burns and frostbite.
Chemical factors cause acute and chronic intoxication. Especially dangerous are poisoning with salts of heavy metals, various insectofungicides, and other inorganic and organic compounds. Once in the body, even in small quantities, they participate in biochemical reactions that occur in cells and tissues. Chemicals disrupt metabolic processes and cause structural and functional changes in the body.
Industrial toxins can enter the body through the respiratory system and skin, causing occupational diseases of the skin and lungs.
Due to the action of biological factors, infectious and parasitic diseases develop in people who, due to their professional duties, have contact with infected materials or sick animals.
They diagnose occupational diseases on the basis of the sanitary-hygienic characteristics of production, the patient’s professional history, the results of clinical, biochemical and functional research methods.
The most important data are professional history. In a labor history, it is necessary to find out the presence of occupational hazards that contribute to the development of the disease, the duration of their effects on the patient's body, as well as the use of collective and individual protection and their effectiveness.
Prevention of occupational diseases is to carry out technical and sanitary-hygienic measures at enterprises. Workers are assigned a shorter working day, a longer vacation. They are given free health food.
In the event of temporary disability caused by occupational diseases, employees are entitled to receive assistance in the amount of wages, significant discounts on the purchase of medicines. At enterprises with harmful production factors, means of mass and personal protection, maximum mechanization of production, and remote control of various production processes are used.
An important role in reducing the incidence is played by preventive medical examinations of workers employed in workplaces with harmful production factors. Medical examinations are carried out at least once a year. With pneumoconiosis, mandatory research methods are radiography of the lungs, a functional study of external respiration, and a blood test. At an increased risk of developing a vibrational disease, a cold test, vibration sensitivity, radiography of the thoracic spine and limbs, and a general blood test are indicated.