Collection Occupational hygiene, Issue 27, 1991 year
Topical issues of occupational pathology and medical care for agricultural workers
E.P. Krasnyuk
doi
Kiev Research Institute of Occupational Hygiene and Occupational Diseases
A new stage in the development of the country's national economy also concerns agricultural production, where, along with large collective farms, small cooperative and private farms, agricultural farms and agro-shops of non-agricultural enterprises, etc. are being created. working conditions with various forms of its organization, optimal forms of medical care - these are the urgent tasks facing medical workers today.
Improvement of agricultural machinery, Issue. Energy-rich high-speed tractors and combines made certain changes in the working conditions of machine operators. Along with a slight decrease in physical activity when working on these machines, labor intensity increased due to the increased complexity of control, an increase in the volume of operations performed, etc. At the same time, production factors that adversely affect the health and performance of machine operators (noise, vibration, high dust and etc.). With some new brands of agricultural machinery, noise and vibration levels even increased.
An analysis of the quality of preventive examinations, during which it is necessary to identify the initial forms of occupational pathology, indicates their low level, both due to incomplete coverage of workers, insufficient diagnostic equipment, and often with a formal approach to their organization and implementation.
From our point of view, zooanthroponoses should cause particular caution: insufficient veterinary and sanitary and epidemiological control over animal husbandry facilities in a number of regions leads to the development of severe infectious diseases transmitted to service personnel from sick animals. So, in recent years, cases of severe leptospirosis, salmonellosis have been recorded in workers engaged in the processing of animal products.
The main role in the prevention of occupational diseases of agricultural workers belongs to the improvement of agricultural technology and technology (reducing the effect of harmful factors on agricultural machines, mechanizing the main labor-intensive processes, reducing the use of pesticides), as well as rationalizing their work and rest.