No abstract

Introduction. In recent decades, there has been a decrease in occupational morbidity at enterprises producing rough and refined copper, in the structure of which, nevertheless, bronchopulmonary pathology retains a leading position.The aim is to study the occupational risk of developing respiratory pathology in workers engaged in obtaining cathode copper by electrolysis and electorowinning methods, based on the study of working conditions of workplaces and clinical observation.Materials and methods. The object of the study were: Uralelectromed, V. Pyshma (UEM); Uralhydromed, Polevskoy (RMK). The subject of the study were 100 employees of the electrolysis shop of UEM – the 1st observation group; 102 people of the auxiliary workshops of UEM – the 2nd observation group; 92 workers of the extraction and electorowinning department of UGM – the 3rd observation group.Results.  During electrolytic refining of copper, the leading harmful factors with respiratory toxicity are sulfuric acid aerosol, selenium dioxide, nickel, arsenic, and during electrovinig – sulfuric acid aerosol. Violations of ventilation function and pulmonary gas exchange were observed in 21.0 % of cases in persons of the 1st and in 15.7% of cases in patients of the 3rd observation group).Discussion. Changes in the function of external respiration (FVD) were established mainly by the obstructive type, namely, an increase in RV, FRC and RV/TLC and a decrease in FEV1, VC, FEV1/VC, FEV25-75 of mild and moderate severity were noted. The bronchodilation test revealed the reversibility of bronchial obstruction in both groups 1 and 3. Obstructive disorders and dynamic hyperventilation of the lungs in copper refining workers are probably a consequence of hyperreactivity of the bronchi in response to the irritating properties of sulfur-containing gases, arsenic and nickel compounds.Conclusion. The results of the study indicate respiratory toxicity of harmful factors in workers of electrolysis and electrovining, which corresponds to a high and average occupational risk of class 3.3 and class 3.2 assessment of working conditions and the results of mandatory periodic medical examinations.

Hygienic assessment of working conditions in modern hydrometallurgical copper production has been carried out, the assessment in formation of carcinogenic risk of the workers employed in a hydrometallurgical complex of copper-containing ores in comparison with pyrometallurgical processes has been made. It is shown that in copper mining, the main factor causing a carcinogenic risk is inorganic compounds of cadmium and lead. The greatest predictive values of carcinogenic risk for metallurgical shops professions are observed in pyrometallurgical production, rather than in hydrometallurgical production, due to the difference in the equipment used. The main measure to reduce the carcinogenic hazard in obtaining cathode copper by the hydrometallurgical method should be the introduction of effective ventilation systems.

Introduction. Occupational health enforcement in workers as a part of corporate social programs remains an urgent challenge for business entities. Public benefits and economic efficiency of programs for health preservation/disease prevention depend on whether they are arranged well enough with regard to the health status of individual workers and occupational groups. Meanwhile, the regulation of personal data protection limits the ability of business entities to access information about the health status of their employees. Material and methods. We analyzed the physicians’ statements obtained in regular medical examinations of industrial workers for a 5-year period. Results. We identified occupational groups/units with the highest percentage of workers who need sanatorium-resort treatment (SRT). Electric gas welders and furnace operators were estimated to need SRT the most, twice as frequently vs the rest of the workers. Conclusion. Medical check-up examinations not only provide information about the workers with a high risk of occupational diseases, but they also allow identifying occupational groups with a high risk of temporary disability due to common non-communicable diseases. Information obtained from these statements can be used for indicative health assessment in occupational groups of workers. This may be used in detecting prior groups of individuals when planning health-promoting activities and other measures.