scholarly journals Perceived Training Needs of Maritime Doctors and General Practitioners

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 154-160
Author(s):  
Olaf C. Jensen ◽  
George Charalambous ◽  
Debbie Andrioti

Introduction: Medical practitioners provide pre-employment examinations and periodic health examinations to seafarers, fishermen, offshore employees, and maritime students to ensure that they are fit for work. So far, very little is known about doctors’ perceptions of their professional training needs and expectations. The objective of this study was to gain insight on (a) the breadth of services offered, (b) follow-up practices, and (c) perceived training needs on aspects of maritime medicine. Methods: All maritime doctors (110) recognized by the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) and 100 general practitioners (GPs) were invited to participate. A questionnaire was sent out electronically to gather information on the demographics, breadth of services, follow-up practices, and perceived training needs of the participants. Descriptive statistics described the characteristics of the 2 groups. Results: The training priorities of maritime doctors were rules and regulations (68.7%) followed by working conditions and health risks aboard ship (62.8%). The self-rated training priorities of the GPs were working conditions and health risks aboard ship (44.1%), occupational disease diagnostics, prevention, and follow-up (41.1%), and health and safety at work (38.2%). Conclusion: Members of both medical disciplines were in favor of flexible and accredited training. More specifically, GPs considered a course in occupational risks, diseases, and follow up targeting high-risk professions very important. Maritime doctors suggested the establishment of a website as a one-stop shop for relevant guidelines and information. The small size of the GPs sample prevented a more in-depth gap analysis; however, the results could be used to help the respective authorities establish relevant training programs.

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-155
Author(s):  
Leonardo Rocha Maia ◽  
Samantha Pereira Ferraz ◽  
Luciano Brito Rodrigues

Were analyzed the working conditions in a small feed mill, with identification of occupational risks (physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and accidents) and measurement of noise levels. Data collection was performed qualitatively by using a survey, previously developed, as well as in loco observation. There was at least one factor belonging to the five occupational risks, and the ergonomic risk was associated with all activities. The feed mill assessed was not in accordance with the Regulatory Standards related to Health and Safety, and arrangements to adjust it accordingly must be taken. Corrective actions goes from the purchase and supply of appropriate personal protective equipment for worker to structural changes, such as installing handrails and repairing of electrical installations. These initiatives, if implemented could contribute to reducing the risks that affect the health and physical integrity, with opportunities to improve quality and productivity of the services performed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (26) ◽  
pp. 97-104
Author(s):  
Rafail Anvarovich Suleimanov ◽  
Akhat Barievich Bakirov ◽  
Galina Ganinovna Gimranova ◽  
Timur Kamilevich Valeev

The purpose of the study was to establish hygienic procedures for reducing health risks of the population living and working near oil extraction sites. Based on the results obtained, we evaluated the quality of environmental settings in the oil extraction areas, studied working conditions of oil workers, and assessed public human health and occupational risks of the oil extraction industry. Oil extraction enterprises have been shown to be major sources of environmental and workplace pollution and to create a negative background causing adverse health effects.


2020 ◽  
pp. 132-138
Author(s):  
N.P. Setko ◽  
◽  
S.V. Movergoz ◽  
E.V. Bulycheva ◽  
◽  
...  

At present a systemic approach based on occupational risk assessment methodology is a key to adequate detection of cause-and-effect relations between a disease and working conditions. Our research goal was to calculate and assess individual occupational health risks for operators and drivers employed at an oil processing enterprise. Our research object were parameters revealed via special assessment of working conditions and data obtained via periodical medical examinations performed on 198 operators and 160 drivers employed at an oil processing enterprise. A procedure for calculating individual occupational health risks took into account working conditions, individual health, working experience, and workers’ age. Influence exerted by working experience duration on health of workers from the examined occupational groups was estimated in three groups: working experience shorter or equal to 5 years; working experience equal to 6–10 years; working experience being longer than 10 years. Integral assessment of working conditions was obtained taking into account impacts exerted by occupational factors with different hazard categories, assessed risks of injuries and assessment of workers’ protection with individual protection means. We calculated integral parameters of working conditions assessment, hazard parameters at workplaces, and one-number integral values of individual occupational risks. We determined that 91 % drivers and 34.9 % operators ran high and extremely high occupational risks of diseases; those risks changed individually depending on hazard occupational factors at workplaces, age, working experience, and a worker’s health. It was shown that high individual occupational risks were much more frequent among drivers and operators with long working experience (6–10 years and longer) who had III–IV health groups and worked under hazardous conditions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (22) ◽  
pp. 109-119
Author(s):  
Harlida Abdul Wahab ◽  
Nor Anita Abdullah ◽  
Asmar Abdul Rahim

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a major and unprecedented challenge to countries around the world. Other than threatening public health, economic and social livelihood, and wellbeing, it causes a significant impact on the healthcare industry and the workers. Healthcare is an essential service that is paramount where its interruption would endanger the life, health, and safety of all citizens, particularly during this pandemic. Also, the healthcare industry is one of the most hazardous environments to work in while healthcare workers are the most valuable resource who are exposed to occupational risks, in particular, hazards of infectious risks. This paper aims to look at the legal protections regarding the working conditions of the frontline healthcare workers during the pandemic of COVID-19. Using a doctrinal method, specific references are made to the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, and relevant policies/guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Human Resources. It is understood that the working conditions of the frontline healthcare workers are entirely protected by the legislation and guided through the policies and guidelines that are generally aligned with the international standards. Hence, the law and policy devices are found to be safeguarding the healthcare workers from physical and biological hazards, as well as psychological and physiological wellbeing that become part of the working conditions of the healthcare workers.


2020 ◽  
pp. 132-138
Author(s):  
N.P. Setko ◽  
◽  
S.V. Movergoz ◽  
E.V. Bulycheva ◽  
◽  
...  

At present a systemic approach based on occupational risk assessment methodology is a key to adequate detection of cause-and-effect relations between a disease and working conditions. Our research goal was to calculate and assess individual occupational health risks for operators and drivers employed at an oil processing enterprise. Our research object were parameters revealed via special assessment of working conditions and data obtained via periodical medical examinations performed on 198 operators and 160 drivers employed at an oil processing enterprise. A procedure for calculating individual occupational health risks took into account working conditions, individual health, working experience, and workers’ age. Influence exerted by working experience duration on health of workers from the examined occupational groups was estimated in three groups: working experience shorter or equal to 5 years; working experience equal to 6–10 years; working experience being longer than 10 years. Integral assessment of working conditions was obtained taking into account impacts exerted by occupational factors with different hazard categories, assessed risks of injuries and assessment of workers’ protection with individual protection means. We calculated integral parameters of working conditions assessment, hazard parameters at workplaces, and one-number integral values of individual occupational risks. We determined that 91 % drivers and 34.9 % operators ran high and extremely high occupational risks of diseases; those risks changed individually depending on hazard occupational factors at workplaces, age, working experience, and a worker’s health. It was shown that high individual occupational risks were much more frequent among drivers and operators with long working experience (6–10 years and longer) who had III–IV health groups and worked under hazardous conditions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (8) ◽  
pp. 809-815
Author(s):  
Tamara A. Novikova ◽  
Yuliya A. Aleshina ◽  
Igor N. Lucevich ◽  
Shavkat Zh. Musaev

Introduction. Workers employed at bakeries are exposed to hazardous occupational factors at their workplaces; however, issues related to occupational health disorders occurring in them have not been given sufficient attention.Material and methods. We accomplished complex hygienic research on working conditions and the health of workers employed at a bakery using a procedure for occupational health risk calculation.Results. Workers employed at a bakery are exposed to a set of adverse factors (heating microclimate, flour dust, in-plant noise, poor luminance in work areas, hard labor process) that make their working conditions hazardous (belonging to 3.1 – 3.3 hazard degree). It means their occupational risks rank from insignificant (moderate) to high (intolerable). Heating microclimate and physical overloads were determined as priority risk factors. We revealed a positive average correlation (r=0.56) between chronic somatic pathology prevalence in general and work experience. We also detected direct authentic correlations between work experience under hazardous working conditions and diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissues (r=0.34); upper respiratory tracts (r=0.31); circulatory system (r=0.26) (р<0.01, р<0.001, р<0.001, accordingly). We established a strong cause-and-effect relation between occupation and diseases of the eye and its adnexa (RR=2.2; EF =54.59; CI=1.66-2.92) and diseases of the circulatory system (RR=2.29; EF =56.38; CI=1.77-2.97); there was also an average cause-and-effect relation with diseases of the respiratory organs, digestive system, musculoskeletal system, as well connective tissue, as the genitourinary system and it means these pathologies are occupational. We substantiated a system of activities aimed at managing occupational health risks for workers employed at bakeries.Conclusion. Workplaces at contemporary bakeries involve exposure to a set of adverse occupational factors that cause occupational health risks for workers. It requires immediate measures aimed at reducing such risks.


Author(s):  
N. I. Latyshevskaya ◽  
M. A. Alborova ◽  
L. A. Davydenko ◽  
A. V. Belyaevа

Introduction. The profession of “machine operator in metalworking”, one of the most common professions in various industries, characterized by a large volume of abrasive operations, accompanied by dust formation, which creates a potential for the occurrence of diseases of the visual organ.The aim of the study is to provide a hygienic assessment of working conditions and occupational risk of visual organ pathology in metalworking machine operators.Materials and methods. Observation groups — machine operators for metalworking of two training groups (experience up to 5 years, experience of 6–20 years). Two comparison groups (administrative and technical personnel of the enterprise) are formed according to the same age-experience principle.Results. The working conditions of machine operators were classified as class 3.2. taking into account the severity and intensity of the work process and the noise level (80 dBA) in the workplace. Nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and manganese were registered in the air of the working area in concentrations below the permissible concentration (PC), and the aerosol dihydroxide was registered above the PC in 25.8% of cases. In the main working groups, diseases of the anterior segment of the eye were more often registered, among which dry eye syndrome (DYS) prevailed (94.1%), chronic blepharoconjunctivitis (79.9%), persistent corneal opacification (21.7%). There was an increase in the prevalence of detected diseases with an increase in work experience (p≤0.05). In machine operators, the frequency of inhibition of lacrimal formation and decreased stability of the tear film was recorded significantly more often, with increasing work experience, the degree of violation of lacrimal formation and stability of the tear film increased. The chances of detecting pathology of the anterior segment of the eye in machine operators are 5.9 and 3.5 times higher than in the comparison group. There are different forces of connection, increasing with the increase of work experience in the profession, between the working conditions of machine operators and the occurrence of SHG (relatively strong), with chronic blepharoconjunctivitis and persistent corneal opacity (medium strength), which suggests the professional conditionality of this pathology.Conclusions. The results obtained suggest that the pathology of the anterior segment of the eye is professionally conditioned in metalworking machine operators and necessitate the introduction of preventive measures aimed at protecting the visual organ.


Author(s):  
Nina M. Meshchakova ◽  
Marina P. Dyakovich ◽  
Salim F. Shayakhmetov

Introduction.Methanol and its derivatives occupy one of the leading places among the main organic synthesis intermediates in terms of their importance and scale of production. According to experts, by 2027 the global demand for methanol can reach 135 million tons, the annual growth will be about 5.5%. However, there is little information regarding the assessment of working conditions and occupational risks for workers in modern methanol production and its derivatives.The aim of the studyis hygienic assessment of working conditions and the formation of health risks in workers of modern production of methanol and methylamines.Materials and methods.The assessment of the main adverse factors of production is given. When studying the state of health, objective indicators (the results of an in-depth medical examination) and subjective (the results of a quantitative assessment of the risks of the main pathological syndromes associated with health) are considered.Results.According to long-term observations, the concentration of harmful substances in the air of the working area, indicators of labor severity, parameters of physical factors met hygienic requirements, with the exception of industrial noise exceeding the maximum permissible level, as well as labor intensity of 1 degree. The General assessment of working conditions corresponds to the category of harmful 2 degrees (3.2). According to the results of the medical examination and quantitative assessment of the risks of health disorders in workers, the most significant were functional disorders and diseases of the circulatory system. The levels of somatic pathology on the part of the main body systems were significantly higher in apparatchiks compared to the engineering and technical personnel (ETP).Conclusions:In the production of methyl alcohol and methylamines, the main hygienic importance is the impact on workers of the complex of harmful substances of 1-IV hazard classes in low concentrations, increased levels of industrial noise, labor intensity of 1 degree. According to the subjective assessment of health and medical examination, the greatest prevalence of health risks in workers was observed from the circulatory system, and the levels of the revealed somatic pathology were statistically significantly higher in apparatchiks compared with the ETP.


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