Features of Occupational Health Risks in the Russian Arctic (on the Example of Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug)

Abstract

Working in the Arctic increases the risk of occupational diseases, which is especially important in the context of acute shortage of manpower in the region. The purpose of the study was to comparatively evaluate the working conditions and occupational pathology in Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (ChAO) of Russia. We analyzed the results of socio-hygienic monitoring “Working Conditions and Occupational Morbidity” in 2008–2018. Despite similar climatic and socio-economic conditions, significant differences exist in the health risks of the working populations of the two regions. In NAO two-thirds of workers were employed at facilities with satisfactory sanitary and epidemiological well-being, while in ChAO only 13% of workers had such conditions. In NAO, almost all occupational diseases (93.2%) were due to exposure to noise among civil aviation workers. In ChAO, health problems mainly occurred among miners (81.5%). The most common of these were noise effects on the inner ear (35.2%), chronic bronchitis (23.1%), and mono- and polyneuropathies (12.5%). In 2008–2018, the occupational pathology risk in ChAO was higher than in NAO: RR = 2.79; CI 2.09–3.71. Thus, specificity of technological processes and forms of labor organization create significant differences in health risks for workers. It is necessary to use modern mining equipment to decrease the occupational morbidity in ChAO. In NAO, this effect can be achieved by updating the fleet of civil aviation.

Occupational Diseases in Workers Engaged in Hydrocarbon Extraction in the Arctic

“…К числу первых относятся длительные периоды низкой температуры воздуха, резкие суточные перепады атмосферного давления, напряженный электромагнитный режим ионосферы, нарушения световой периодичности и другие [12][13][14]. Наиболее значимыми вредными производственными факторами при добыче полезных ископаемых являются повышенная тяжесть труда, шум, общая и локальная вибрация, вредные химические вещества и фиброгенные аэрозоли [15][16][17]. На нефтегазодобывающих предприятиях специфическое негативное воздействие на организм работников оказывают входящие в состав нефти и газа серосодержащие соединения (серный ангидрид, сернистый ангидрид, сероводород, сероуглерод и другие), классифицируемые по своим токсическим свойствам как вещества второго-четвертого классов опасности [18,19].…”