Introduction. Employees performing work underground in coal mines are exposed to the effect of many hazardous factors in their work environment which negatively affect their health. Objective. The objective of the study was to recognize the opinions of employes working underground in one of the coal mines concerning the occurrence of factors hazardous for health in their work environment. Materials and method. The study was conducted in a group of 700 persons working underground in the 'Bogdanka' coal mine in Łęczna (Eastern Poland). The study was carried out using a questionnaire. The results were statistically analyzed using software STATISTICA v. 7.1. Results. The vast majority of respondents (approximately 80%) reported that noise and dustiness at their workplace create risk for their health. More than a half of them mentioned that the microclimate in the mine threatens their health (high humidity and high temperature), and a half of respondents indicated vibration and poor lighting. The greatest differences of opinions concerning the effect of hazardous factors on health of persons employed in the mine were observed in the subgroups distinguished according to the work position. Health risk at a workplace was most often identified by those employed as miners. Conclusions. Among actions reducing the negative effect of the work environment on health is the introduction of new, safer technologies of coal mining. Also, the human factor is very important for work safety in mining, including the proper preparation of employees who undertake work in a mine. It is recommended that new, more effective educational programmes are implemented in the area of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) at workplaces.
Authors' contribution Wkład autorów: A. Study design/planning zaplanowanie badań B. Data collection/entry zebranie danych C. Data analysis/statistics dane-analiza i statystyki D. Data interpretation interpretacja danych E. Preparation of manuscript przygotowanie artykułu F. literature analysis/search wyszukiwanie i analiza literatury G. Funds collection zebranie funduszy Summary Background. Shift work may affect the occurrence and severity of hypertension, ischemic heart disease and dyslipidemia. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of ischemic heart disease, hypertension and dyslipidemia in shift workers. Material and methods. The study was carried out in the Bogdanka mine in Łęczna, Poland. The questionnaire, which was designed by the author of this work, was conducted among 700 shift workers who worked underground in the mine. Statistical analysis was performed using STATISTICA v. 7.1 (StatSoft, Poland) software. Results. Participants who believed that shift work may lead to deterioration of their health also believed that it may affect the occurrence of ischemic heart disease and hypertension. Almost one in four respondents had blood pressure values of > 139/89 mmHg. Almost one in ten respondents was receiving treatment for hypertension. A small number of respondents reported abnormal total cholesterol, HDl cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Conclusions. In the opinion of respondents, shift work can exacerbate hypertension and ischemic heart disease. Abnormal values of total cholesterol and its lDl and HDl fractions increased with age and length of work, while abnormal triglyceride values were reported most frequently by supervisors. It seems necessary to introduce training for shift workers, aimed at presenting them with the principles of prevention of cardiovascular diseases; for example, how to deal with stress, change eating habits, stop smoking and reduce coffee intake, and how to encourage physical activity and good sleep hygiene.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.