Formation of working conditions and the problems of hygienic assessment of industrial environmental factors in railway tunnels

Abstract

Tunnels are an integral part of the ways and artificial constructions of the railway. Objective assessment of working conditions is important, because current regulations fail to allow to give a definite hygienic assessment of some factors of the production environment of the tunnels. Objective: to reveal the peculiarities of the formation of working conditions in railway tunnels with the subsequent hygienic assessment for the development of preventive measures. Measurement of the factors of working process and working environment is carried out with the use of the certified equipment for the approved the hygienic and sanitary-chemical methods in workplaces in tunnels of the East-Siberian railway. Specific conditions were shown to be formed due to constructive solutions, climate and geographical location, the length of railway tunnels, the composition of the rocks through which the tunnel, the nature of the maintenance tunnels, ventilation system, repetition rate and type of passing rolling stock. All employees from occupational groups from examined tunnels were established to be exposed to high concentrations of aerosols with predominantly fibrogenic action, noise levels, adverse climate (low positive and negative temperatures, high relative humidity and mobility of air), the lack of natural lighting, low levels of artificial light, hard exertion of labor (dynamic physical load, working position, the slopes of the body, movement in space). Additionally, high levels of the vibration, nonionizing and ionizing radiation were typical for jobs of the Baikal and the North-Muya tunnel. There is proposed the algorithm of hygienic assessment of the microclimate, light environment at the working places depending on the time of the works in the underground conditions and constructional features of tunnels, methods of accounting personnel dose rates from natural sources.

Health disorders in workers associated with health risks at workplaces in mining industry in the Arctic (Analytical review)

“…В структуре нозологических форм нарушений здоровья с временной утратой трудоспособности работников горнодобывающей промышленности, занятых добычей руд цветных металлов, наибольший удельный вес приходится на болезни костномышечной системы (остеохондроз позвоночника, люмбалгия, артралгия, деформирующий остеоартроз), болезни органов пищеварения (гастродуодениты, язвенная болезнь желудка и двенадцатиперстной кишки, болезни поджелудочной железы), системы кровообращения (артериальная гипертензия, варикозная болезнь нижних конечностей), дыхательной системы (острый и хронический бронхит), патологию органов слуха, периферической нервной системы (полинейропатии) [9,10].…”

Review of Research Progresses and Application of Geothermal Disaster Prevention on Large-Buried Tunnels

“…High geotemperature occurs in tunnel engineering, forming a high-temperature and humid environment, which have serious negative impacts on the construction personnel safety, the construction materials, the machinery and equipment, and the operation of the tunnel after completion [19][20][21]. Specifically, (1) Hazards of high geotemperature on the personnel safety The deterioration of tunnel working environment caused by high geotemperature will not only increase the difficulty of construction, but also drag down the progress of the project, and seriously threaten the health and safety of the construction personnel [22,23]. Compared with the outside environment, both the temperature and the concentration of carbon dioxide inside the tunnel is higher, and the construction personnel is prone to heat stroke, which includes heat spasm (muscle spasms and pain during and after work), heat collapse (decreased blood pressure, rapid pulse, weakness, confusion or coma, pale skin, and mild rise in body temperature), and heat apoplexy (headache, dizziness, disorientation, elevated body temperature and dry skin).…”

Health disorders in workers associated with health risks at workplaces in mining industry in the Arctic (Analytical review)

“…The most common diseases with temporary loss of working ability in miners dealing with non-ferrous ore mining are diseases of the musculoskeletal system (spinal osteochondrosis, lumbodynia, arthralgia, and deforming osteoarthrosis), diseases of the digestive system (gastroduodenitis, stomach and duodenum ulcer, diseases of pancreas); diseases of the circulatory system (essential hypertension, varicose veins of lower extremities); diseases of the respiratory system (acute and chronic bronchitis); diseases of the ear and peripheral nervous system (polyneuropathy) [9,10].…”