home Own business What does recognition of an occupational disease provide? What consequences does an employee’s occupational illness have for the employer?

What does recognition of an occupational disease provide? What consequences does an employee’s occupational illness have for the employer?

There are acute and chronic occupational diseases. Acute is considered to be a temporary or persistent loss of the ability to perform one's professional duties as a result of short-term (within one working day) exposure to harmful occupational factors (HPF), and chronic - during their long-term exposure.

Who is susceptible

The list of occupational diseases (list of professions) is approved in the Appendix to the order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated April 27, 2012 No. 417n. The list of occupational diseases for 2019 includes:

names of diseases;
disease codes according to the international classification;
names of the relevant harmful factors;
reason codes according to international classification.

Occupational diseases are classified into those associated with exposure to chemical, physical, biological factors and with physical overload and overexertion.

How to register

If the result of work activity nevertheless led the employee to an occupational disease, then he has the right to compensation payments from the insurance company. However, first it will be necessary to prove that the disease was acquired during the period of work at the enterprise. The Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated December 15, 2000 No. 967 approved the algorithm for conducting investigations and the procedure for recording occupational diseases.

The answer to the question of how to register an occupational illness is simple: the employee needs to seek medical help.

Acute occupational disease

If such a preliminary diagnosis is made by doctors of the medical organization that recorded this case, a notification must be sent to the center of state sanitary and epidemiological surveillance (TSGSEN) and the employer within 24 hours. The notification form was approved by Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development dated May 28, 2001 No. 176.

The Center for Sensitivity and Epidemiology examines the details and reasons for the occurrence of the disease. The center is given one day after receiving the notification to begin the inspection. Then a sanitary and hygienic description of the employee’s working conditions is compiled, which is sent to the medical institution at the place of observation of the employee.

If the employer does not agree with the conclusions set out in the characteristics, he must record his comments in writing and attach them to the conclusion.

In the medical institution where the employee is observed, the diagnosis is either confirmed and a medical report is drawn up or refuted.

Chronic occupational disease

If a preliminary diagnosis of “chronic occupational disease” is established, then the medical institution is obliged to notify the Center for Sensitive Diseases within 3 days about the fact of its registration. And the period for preparing the sanitary and hygienic characteristics of the employee’s working conditions increases to two weeks.

To establish a final diagnosis, the medical institution where the patient is served is obliged to send him with all documents for an outpatient or inpatient examination to an occupational pathology center (OPC) or other specialized health care facility within a month.

The center draws up a conclusion and within 3 days sends a notice to the Center for Sanitary and Social Security, the employer, the Social Insurance Fund and the medical institution at the place of observation of the patient.

One copy of the report is issued to the employee against signature, and one copy is sent to the insurer and to the health care institution that referred the patient.

Diseases at work

An employer who has received a notice from the Center for Employment with the final diagnosis of an employee must create a commission to investigate all the circumstances of the occupational disease. He is given 10 days for this.

Commission of Inquiry into Diseases

The tasks of the commission include a comprehensive and high-quality study of the circumstances of the onset of an occupational disease in an employee, identification of persons who violated sanitary and epidemiological rules and other regulations, as well as the development of measures to prevent diseases. If it is established that the insured contributed to the development of the disease (deliberately committed negligence or increased harm), then the commission’s tasks will include establishing the degree of guilt of the insured, taking into account the conclusion of the trade union.

Who heads the commission to investigate occupational diseases? The chairman is the chief physician of the Center for Sensitivity and Epidemiology. The composition includes: a representative of the employer, a labor protection specialist, representatives of the SEN body, a medical organization and a trade union should be included.

Providing working conditions for the commission is the responsibility of the employer. In particular, provision upon request of all necessary documents and materials, including archival ones, characterizing working conditions in the workplace, carrying out at their own expense the required examinations and studies, ensuring the safety and recording of investigation documentation.

Occupational disease investigation report

Finally, an act is drawn up (its form is approved in the Resolution). The document must be issued within three days after the end of the investigation period. You also need to know in how many copies the act of investigating occupational diseases is signed. It is drawn up in five copies: for the employee, the employer, the Center for State Sanitation and Social Security, the Center for Emergency Situations and the insurance company (FSS). The act contains the signatures of all members of the commission. It is approved by the chairman and certified by the seal of the Center for Sanitary and Epidemiology.

The report and all inspection materials are stored in the organization that conducted the investigation for 75 years.

In addition to the listed actions, the employer, within one month after approval of the document, is required to issue an order on measures to prevent the occurrence of occupational diseases and implement the instructions of the commission.

All disagreements that arise regarding the investigation and diagnosis are considered by the State SES of the Russian Federation, the CPP of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, the Federal Labor Inspectorate, the insurance company, and also in court.

Sample act

Prevention of occupational diseases

In order to prevent and timely diagnose occupational diseases, preventive measures have been developed.

For certain categories of workers performing labor functions related to the negative impact of HPF, annual and upon employment mandatory medical examinations are prescribed at the expense of the employer (Part 1 of Article 24 of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation of November 21, 2011 No. 323-FZ “On Health Protection”). Employers are also recommended to introduce technologies that are safe for personnel or that minimize the harmful effects of the working environment.

Social insurance against accidents and occupational diseases

Art. 212 Labor Code of the Russian Federation dated December 30, 2001 No. 197-FZ, art. 5 Federal Law of the Russian Federation dated July 24, 1998 No. 125-FZ regulates the obligations of employers to ensure safe conditions and labor protection, as well as compulsory social insurance in relation to persons performing work under an employment contract, sentenced to imprisonment and involved in work, as well as performing work on the basis of a civil contract, if the customer pays insurance premiums to the insurer.

Unfortunately, among the working class they do not occur as rarely as we would like.

This is largely due to the unfavorable working conditions where citizens of our country are forced to carry out their work activities.

But what to do if such a disease has already been acquired? How are they classified? Can I expect any payments for this reason or not? How to apply for occupational sickness benefits?

Most of our citizens do not know the answers to all these questions. For this reason, we will consider all these issues in more detail.

Types and categories of occupational diseases

As such, there is no classification of occupational diseases that would be accepted at a high level, but the classification formed according to the etiological principle has received the greatest recognition.

In particular, we are talking about 5 disease groups of this kind, namely:

It is worth noting that each group includes many diseases that employees of one or another production facility can get.

What are acute occupational diseases

The definition of “acute occupational diseases” refers to various diseases that an employee could acquire as a result of a single exposure to the human body. Typically this impact happened during a work shift.

Acute occupational diseases can be such as:

As you can see, all acute diseases can occur solely due to poisoning anything, the main thing is that this poisoning was at work (otherwise it will be impossible to receive any payments or benefits).

Causes of occurrence. How to avoid them

First of all, it is necessary to remember that all occupational diseases, regardless of the form of their manifestation, arise due to the impact on the body of employees harmful substances.

If we talk about clinical factors, they, in most cases, do not manifest themselves with specific symptoms. For this reason, they can be established solely from the form of the disease, based on the working conditions of the worker himself.

In order to avoid the occurrence of occupational diseases, first of all, direct employers are obliged to do everything possible to provide each of their subordinates with normal and, most importantly, safe working conditions.

Besides, avoid manifestation occupational diseases allow:

compliance with sanitary hygiene rules;
regular medical examination;
Conducting theoretical lectures on combating occupational diseases at certain intervals.

This set of measures is largely sufficient to at least minimize the risks of occupational diseases in any field of work.

Benefits and allowances for employees who have acquired acute occupational diseases

According to the Federal Law “On Compulsory Social Insurance” No. 125, every officially employed employee who has received an occupational disease has every right to count on, which is as follows:

compensation for damage due to temporary disability;
to receive one-time cash assistance due to the occurrence of an occupational disease;
monthly monetary compensation if an occupational disease causes loss of ability to work;
other monetary compensation.

It is worth noting that monetary compensation is calculated by the direct employer and paid at the expense of the Social Insurance Fund. This is clearly regulated by Article 184 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

It is also necessary to take into account the fact that maximum amount payments may be:

one-time assistance in the amount of no more than 85 thousand rubles;
monthly payment no more than 65.5 thousand rubles;
benefits due to loss of ability to work can be assigned in an amount of no more than 270 thousand rubles.

In addition, you can count on monetary compensation from your direct employer. The legislation does not provide for a clear amount, and its size directly depends on how the parties agree among themselves.

Procedure and rules of registration

Registration and receipt of benefits carried out in several stages, namely:

Registration of the fact of receiving an occupational disease.
Registration of the manual itself.

Registration of the fact of receiving an occupational disease

To obtain documentary confirmation occurrence of an occupational disease, the employee must:

Contact any medical facility. Based on the request, health workers notify the employer and the Social Insurance Fund about the possible presence of an occupational disease.
Based on the notification where the corresponding act is drawn up.
The drafted act is sent for approval to the Ministry of Health. The statement will mean that the victim has an occupational disease.
Based on the report, the victim will be sent to the Center for Occupational Pathology, where an appropriate conclusion will be issued.

Documentation of benefits and benefits

It should immediately be noted that by issuing benefits of this kind handled by the Social Insurance Fund.

Thus, to the injured party follows:

Besides the conclusion itself, the victim must provide a list of documents such as:

original passport;
act on the occurrence of occupational diseases;
a copy of your work book, which confirms the fact of work in production;
original certificate showing your average salary.

Based on the documents provided, a decision is made to provide financial assistance.

Occupational diseases at work are described in the following video:

Occupational diseases appear as a result of long-term work in hazardous conditions. They involve temporary or permanent loss of ability to work. The employer is obliged to pay compensation to employees at a high risk of occupational diseases.

Concept and types of occupational diseases

The definition of an occupational disease is set out in Federal Law No. 125 of June 24, 1998. This is a disease, the occurrence of which is provoked by harmful working conditions. Occupational diseases are divided into a number of categories:

Acute. Formed as a result of short-term harmful influence. If work-related injuries and illnesses of this kind occur, the employer is responsible for transporting the person to a medical facility. This obligation is stipulated in Article 223 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. What are acute occupational diseases? For example, it could be poisoning.
Chronic. Formed due to prolonged exposure to harmful factors. One of the signs of such a disease is its protracted nature.

In the acute form of the disease, it is easier to prove its connection with harmful production factors. For example, there was a release of harmful substances at the enterprise, and an employee was poisoned. The cause-and-effect relationship is obvious. It is a little more difficult to prove a similar connection in a chronic disease.

IMPORTANT! An occupational disease is recognized only as an ailment resulting from exposure to a harmful factor. This is an impact within the framework of production, due to which the employee lost his ability to work (according to Article 209 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).

Let's look at examples of occupational diseases:

Varicose veins
Allergic bronchitis.
Asthma.
Eczema.
Gastritis.
Deterioration of visual acuity.

The most common ailments of workers, according to international statistics:

Musculoskeletal deformities (40%).
Cardiovascular diseases (16%).
Airway-related disorders (9%).

Often workers who constantly interact with aggressive substances develop dermatological diseases.

What causes occupational diseases?

The risk of occupational disease arises under the influence of such conditions as:

Mediocre organization of production processes.
Technical backwardness of production.
Ignoring sanitary and hygienic standards.
Features of the climate.
Economic forces.

Almost every negative condition can be reduced.

How to confirm an occupational disease?

In case of occupational diseases, compensation is provided. However, in order to receive them, the employee must confirm that his illness is related specifically to production factors. Finding the appropriate cause-and-effect relationship is the task of the medical authority. This process should be started by the head of the medical institution where the worker is observed. The establishment of an occupational disease is carried out in the following order:

The head of the clinic sends a notification with the primary diagnosis to the sanitary and epidemiological supervision. There are established deadlines for sending notifications: one day for an acute form of the disease, 3 days for a chronic form. All the nuances of filling out the paper are established by order of the Ministry of Health No. 176 of May 28, 2001.
The sanitary and epidemiological supervision must become familiar with the person’s working conditions and characterize them. The document is drawn up in accordance with the standards established by Order of the Ministry of Health No. 176.
If it is an acute illness, the final diagnosis can be made by the clinic. A sanitary and hygienic characteristic is drawn up, after which an appropriate conclusion is issued. If this is a chronic disease, you need to undergo additional examination.
The conclusion can be obtained from the Center for Occupational Pathologies. It is drawn up after examining the person and reviewing the available documents. To apply to the Center, you will need an appropriate referral, work record, characteristics of production factors given by supervision, and an extract from the outpatient card. You will also need the results of regular inspections.

The conclusion is issued urgently if the following circumstances exist:

One-time influence of the production factor.
Sudden onset of acute pathology (for example, severe poisoning).
Symptoms persist throughout the entire shift.
The result of the attack is loss of ability to work.

The FSS Letter dated April 29, 2005 states that the examination process must confirm the direct connection between the disease and working conditions. An insured event occurs only when a pathology occurs due to a contradiction between existing production factors and hygienic standards.

IMPORTANT! To receive insurance, the employee must request benefits within six months from the onset of the pathology.

ATTENTION! The FSS has provided clarification on what is considered an insured event. This is any fact of occupational disease. If an occupational pathology is discovered, but the fund does not pay the insurance, citing the need for additional examinations, you need to contact the judicial authority for an appeal.

What to do if the employer does not issue a certificate?

To obtain insurance, a person must provide an occupational pathology certificate. It is issued by the employer after investigating the circumstances of the illness. If the employer refuses to issue a certificate, the worker can go to court.

Payments to employees for occupational diseases

In case of professional pathologies, the following compensations are provided:

Payments for temporary disability.
One-time payments upon diagnosis of pathology.
Monthly compensation for persons with loss of ability to work.

Payments are made by FSS resources. The amount of compensation can vary significantly. Let's look at the maximum payments recorded in 2016:

About 90,500 rubles (one-time compensation).
Approximately 70,000 rubles (monthly payment).

The maximum amount of payments is set annually by the Social Insurance Fund. In 2017, the maximum monthly benefit is 71,000 rubles, and the one-time benefit is 92,339 rubles. When calculating a specific amount, the employee’s earnings, which he stopped receiving due to pathology, are taken into account.

The Social Insurance Fund also compensates the injured person’s expenses for treatment:

Purchasing medicines.
Payment for paid care, if necessary.
Rehabilitation in sanatorium conditions.
Manufacturing and repair of prostheses.

These payments are made only with the decision of the Social Insurance Fund. They are preceded by checking the necessity of all treatment measures taken.

Compensations are also made in case of death caused by production factors. In the latter situation, the employee’s relatives receive payments.

Accounting entries

Let's look at the entries that are used to reflect payments to persons affected by occupational diseases:

DT20 KT69.1.2. Accounting for contributions to funds for professional pathologies.
DT69.1.2. KT70. Calculation of the amount to pay compensation to the employee.
DT79 KT51. Transfer of the amount for payment of compensation.

All transactions must be confirmed by primary documentation. For example, this could be an accident at work, a payment order.

Despite the fact that currently the level of technological progress in various fields of industry and improvement of working conditions have significantly reduced the growth of morbidity at work, some occupational diseases do not lose ground in the frequency and severity of clinical manifestations. In addition, technical and scientific achievements, widely used in production, the use of modern chemicals - all this provokes the emergence of new factors that adversely affect the human body.

Occupational factors that adversely affect workers' health are very diverse. Although today occupational diseases most often occur in a mild or erased form, there are frequent cases of not only occupational diseases, but also industrial injuries.

Occupational injuries include acute diseases resulting from chemical, thermal and electrical damage to an organ or tissue during the work process (at the workplace).

Some forms of industrial diseases mainly affect the respiratory system, nervous system, musculoskeletal system, skin, etc. Therefore, at present there is a need to combine industrial diseases into separate groups, both according to the system-organ and etiological principle.

The etiological group includes the following occupational diseases caused by exposure to:

1) Industrial dust (dust bronchitis, chronic nasopharyngolaryngitis, pneumoconiosis, silicosis, metalloconiosis, etc.).

2) Chemical factors of the working environment (chronic and acute intoxication, poisoning with lead, mercury, benzene, pesticides).

3) Physical factors of the working environment (diseases caused by exposure to noise, vibration disease, chochlear neuritis, radiation pathology, diseases provoked by high and low temperatures).

4) Overstrain of individual organs and systems (diseases of peripheral nerves and muscles, glenohumeral periarthrosis, deforming osteoarthrosis, epicondylosis of the shoulder, aseptic osteonecrosis, bursitis, lumbosacral and cervical radiculopathies).

In addition to the above, occupational diseases are sometimes supplemented by two more groups of occupational diseases: neoplasms and allergies. Allergoses include: dermatitis, eczema, bronchial asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, Quincke's edema, toxic-allergic hepatitis. They often develop during workers’ contact with enzyme preparations, metal compounds, polymeric materials, etc.

The cause of neoplasms is often the products of distillation of oil and coal, asbestos, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic, etc. Their harmful effects over a long time can cause various forms of cancer.

Diagnosis of occupational diseases is somewhat different from diagnosis of other types of diseases. Sometimes, for an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to pay attention to some signs that are not reflected in the clinical picture, but sometimes play a decisive diagnostic role. For example, a lead “rim” on the gums or even an unusual pattern of dreams may indicate carbon disulfide or leaded gasoline poisoning. If such signs are detected, additional targeted examination should be carried out.

What is the essence of preventive measures at manufacturing enterprises? As mentioned above, occupational diseases occur almost asymptomatically, that is, in an erased form. This is the main pitfall in the field of diagnosis and treatment of occupational diseases.

Successful implementation of preventive measures makes it possible to avoid serious damage.

Occupational diseases of hairdressers

Hairdressing today is one of the most popular and profitable areas of service to the population. Hair salons and elite hairdressers are opening one after another, and the work of a professional hairdresser is appreciated. The emergence on the market of new and technologically advanced hair care, hair styling and hair care products allows hairdressers to create real masterpieces of hairdressing.

At the same time, the work of a hairdresser is quite complex, time-consuming and often has a negative impact on well-being and health. The most common occupational diseases of hairdressers relate primarily to the respiratory and circulatory system. To a large extent, hairdressers complain about allergies of various etiologies, as well as problems with the musculoskeletal system. Each disease should be examined in detail separately in order to understand exactly what factors provoke the occurrence of a particular occupational illness in representatives of this field of activity.

Allergic reactions, allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma

As you know, an allergy is a kind of response of the human immune system to an exogenous (externally influencing) substance - an allergen. For hairdressers, such substances (irritants) are hair and professional styling products. Daily manipulations of shortening clients' hair lead to regular inhalation by the hairdresser, which over time ends in the development of allergic reactions and inflammation of the eye mucosa.

Since human hair is quite light, it easily enters the oral cavity and then descends into the lungs, creating a compressed layer of hair dust there. This can cause the development of atopic bronchial asthma. Symptoms of asthma (choking, coughing, difficulty breathing) can occur in attacks, so a hairdresser who has been diagnosed with this disease needs to seriously think about the advisability of continuing to engage in hairdressing.

Less dangerous, but no less unpleasant, allergic rhinitis leads the occupational diseases of hairdressers and manicure-pedicurists. Rhinitis of allergic etiology can eventually transform into bronchial asthma, so its treatment and prevention must be taken no less seriously. The main provocateurs of allergic rhinitis (also dermatitis) are various professional hair treatment and styling products. Since most of these products are produced in the form of aerosols, their spraying leads to widespread distribution of chemicals and, accordingly, to their frequent inhalation.

Phlebeurysm

Varicose veins are their chronic insufficiency, characterized by impaired venous outflow. The likelihood of developing varicose veins is directly proportional to a sedentary lifestyle. The work of a hairdresser involves a long static standing position. Accordingly, the entire load falls on the lower extremities, which provokes swelling of the legs and blockage of the veins with the development of thrombophlebitis.

It is easier to prevent occupational diseases of hairdressers than to treat them. Therefore, it is necessary to engage in feasible prevention of varicose veins. During a long forced standing position, you need to change your position as often as possible, do not wear uncomfortable shoes, and after work take foot baths with herbs or sea salt. Contrast showers, walking and swimming are also recommended.

Osteochondrosis

The disease of the 21st century, which has affected more than half of the world's population, has not spared hairdressers. With osteochondrosis, the spinal region where the main load falls is affected. Due to the nature of their work, masters of salons and hairdressing salons are often forced to be in a slightly bent position, and this position can be maintained for a very long time. A hairdresser who is focused on the work process completely forgets about the inconvenience. But it is precisely the long-term uncomfortable position of the body that is detrimental to the spine and intervertebral discs, which gradually atrophy and wear out.

To prevent diseases associated with musculoskeletal disorders, regular wearing of gaiters, socks or ankle guards is recommended. Regarding the activities of hairdressers, measures to prevent occupational diseases must be constant.

Occupational diseases of miners

The work of workers in the coal mining industry is considered one of the most harmful and difficult. The level of occupational injuries in the workplace is quite high, since basic safety standards are simply not observed.

There are a number of factors that accompany the occurrence of occupational diseases among coal industry workers. First of all, this is the contact of miners with certain types of dust. We can say that industrial dust is the most unfavorable factor affecting human health. If we are talking about the work of miners, then it is coal dust that negatively affects the workers’ bodies.

Occupational diseases of miners primarily affect the respiratory system and cardiovascular system. How high the harm from a strong accumulation of carbon dioxide, insufficient oxygen content, and the accumulation of carbon monoxide, methane, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide in the mine atmosphere can be judged by the number and variety of diseases specific to coal industry workers.

Pneumoconiosis

For many years, occupational diseases of miners were largely pulmonary, in particular, they triggered the pneumofibrotic process. The most common form of chronic dust diseases is pneumoconiosis. The classification of pneumoconiosis includes several types, depending on the etiological principle. However, only three types of pneumoconiosis are typical for miners:

1) Silicosis - pneumoconiosis caused by inhalation of quartz dust, which contains free silicon dioxide;

2) Carboconiosis occurs due to exposure to carbon-containing dust: coke, coal, soot, graphite

3) Silicatosis - pneumoconiosis, which occurs when inhaling mineral dust containing silicon dioxide in combination with iron, aluminum, magnesium, etc.

In all cases, occupational diseases of miners of dust etiology can be prevented and treated. Prevention and treatment of these diseases have common treatment principles with other types of bronchopulmonary pathologies. The conditions for their effectiveness are the complete or temporary cessation of exposure to an unfavorable factor and the conduct of elimination therapy.

Vibration disease

This occupational disease is characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations and peculiarities of its course. The main factor, of course, is the high level of industrial vibration. Associated production factors such as noise, static tension in the muscles of the shoulder girdle, and forced body position play a significant role in the development of vibration disease. Workers in the mining industry are exposed to it to the same extent as representatives of the engineering, metallurgical and railway industries.

The difficulty of diagnosing vibration disease is explained by the uniqueness of its clinical manifestations. Basically, vibration disease affects the nervous and cardiovascular systems, the musculoskeletal system and metabolic processes. The development of pathology is based on the most complex mechanisms of neuro-reflex and neurohumoral disorders.

Another unfavorable factor in the working environment in the work of miners is noise. Long-term exposure to noise on the human body primarily causes changes in the organ of hearing, cardiovascular and nervous systems. It should be noted that during the labor process associated with exposure to noise, a forced body position, muscle tension, and increased attention are inevitable. At the same time, work may be accompanied by exposure to dust, toxic substances, and vibration. All this, in turn, increases the likelihood of diseases directly related to noise exposure and affects the clinical picture of the disease.

Preventive measures to prevent the harmful effects of noise on the body of mining workers should, of course, be aimed at reducing its level. This can be achieved by improving the design of specialized tools and equipment. If such measures are not possible, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment.

Driver illnesses

Those behind the wheel need a neurologist, urologist, proctologist, and pulmonologist. 17 major ailments plague drivers most often. The most dangerous: prostatitis, hemorrhoids, radiculitis, osteochondrosis, hypertension and headaches.

You need to start taking care of your health by putting your car in order and equipping it with basic devices that help keep your body healthy. These are passive means of prevention: massagers and heating pads, a belt with biphotons, swimming trunks, socks. Heating and massaging preserve not only male dignity, but also female charms.

European experts have found out that more than three hours spent in a crouched position is already dangerous for the driver. If you sit like this for 12 hours, temporary impotence occurs. Sitting for a long time generally affects male strength. For drivers, the problem is in his seat. It must have a certain orthopedic shape. On foreign cars, the seats have several adjustments that can be used to fit them to your body.

Remember: the correct curve of the spine in a chair should resemble the letter S in profile.

Warmth in the cabin

Why should the engine be kept in order so as not to catch the “driver’s disease”?

Heating of interiors in domestic cars does not stand up to criticism. Our stoves are bad! And the point is not only that they heat poorly and often fail. Our stoves drive into the cabin all the gas muck that hovers around the engine under the hood. How can we ensure that not only warm, but also, if possible, clean air enters the cabin?

First of all, you must not be lazy to thoroughly scrub the engine even in winter. Our roads are sprinkled with salt or watered with chloride compounds. When dropped onto a heated engine, drops of solution and salt turn into very dangerous gases. There is no escape from them. There is only one way out - clean the engine. Especially the general radiator and the stove radiator, if there is one.

Most “occupational” diseases of drivers are associated with an uncomfortable driving position. As a result, blood circulation in the pelvis is disrupted and the load on the spine increases. Most often, drivers suffer from radiculitis and osteochondrosis. Unfortunately, these diseases are a “gift” for the rest of your life. Osteochondrosis, moreover, can generally lead to disability. Due to frequent drafts and running air conditioning, drivers often experience inflamed neck and chest muscles (this is called myositis). The bouquet is complemented by hemorrhoids and prostatitis.

Another group of diseases is a consequence of increased emotional stress. Constant stress while driving increases the risk of heart and vascular diseases. That is why drivers often suffer from heart attacks, hypertension, and heart rhythm disturbances. Drivers, among other things, are exposed to increased exposure to toxic substances, which leads to decreased immunity, allergies, bronchial asthma and even cancer.

In first place in terms of danger are exhaust gases. Most cars run on gasoline, which releases more than 200 toxic products when burned. The most harmful to health are oxides of carbon (CO) and nitrogen (NO), hydrocarbons (formaldehyde, benzopyrene, phenol) and heavy metals.

Carbon monoxide (or carbon monoxide) is colorless and odorless, so humans may not be able to sense its presence in the air even at lethal concentrations. However, it is very rare for carbon monoxide levels in the atmosphere to reach life-threatening levels. The insidiousness of carbon monoxide is different: this compound “prevents” the blood protein hemoglobin from carrying oxygen through organs and tissues. As a result, oxygen starvation may occur, which primarily affects the brain. In case of mild poisoning, headache, heaviness in the head, weakness, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting are observed. In more severe cases, the person may even lose consciousness.

Nitrogen oxides are no less dangerous - the main cause of smog on busy highways. They irritate the respiratory system and eyes and can cause chronic lung diseases.

Hydrocarbons, especially benzopyrene, are carcinogens, i.e. substances that can cause cancer

Products emitted by car tires are hazardous to health. During sudden braking, they release a whole bunch of toxic substances: benzene, xylene, styrene, toluene; carbon disulfide, formaldehyde, phenols; sulfur oxides. When tires rub against asphalt, nitroso compounds are also formed, which are powerful carcinogens. The International Organization for Research on Cancer included them in the list of so-called priority toxicants, i.e. substances that pose the greatest danger to human health.

Tire dust, formed when the tread wears out, when it gets into the lungs, causes allergic reactions, bronchial asthma, and when it comes into contact with the mucous membrane and skin - conjunctivitis, rhinitis and urticaria. According to American scientists, 900,000 tons of dust enter the atmosphere in the United States per year; no less of it is thrown out on Russian roads.

Another source of danger in a car is... brake pads. The fact is that they are made of asbestos, “communication” with which leads to cancer (for example, it has long been banned from using in the construction of new houses, and in Germany they even demolish old buildings where this material was used). But the greatest harm to human health is caused by phenol, which is released during braking when the temperature of the disc and pads reaches eight hundred degrees.

What should drivers do to avoid trouble? No matter how trivial it may sound, a variety of physical activity is needed, that is, a daily set of gymnastic exercises. Circular movements in the lumbar spine, all kinds of flexion and extension. If you are lazy, wear biophotonic products both day and night.

A contrast shower is very useful, but with a HuaShen nozzle. Temperature “swinging” activates blood circulation, normalizes the tone of the nervous system, and stimulates the immune system. Flower pollen is necessary to strengthen connective tissue and eliminate the deficiency of essential nutrients.

Gasoline fumes can cause aggression. Gas station workers.

Rising gasoline prices are not the only reason for the anger of motorists at gas stations. A new study has proven that fumes from leaded and unleaded gasoline can cause aggressive behavior, reports Health of Ukraine.

If you suddenly feel inexplicably angry or anxious while filling your tank at a gas station, don’t be surprised. In a new study published in the journal BMC Physiology, experiments on rats showed that gasoline fumes can cause real aggression. Rats exposed to the vapor were more likely to scratch and fight with each other. They also showed signs of restlessness and anxiety. According to scientists from the University of Cairo, Egypt, the chemicals in the fumes caused damage to brain cells, resulting in changes in the animals' behavior.

Scientists warn that gasoline fumes that people are exposed to every day can affect their mental and physical health. Lead study author Amal Kinawy said: “Increased aggression may be another risk for people chronically exposed to urban air pollution from car exhaust. Millions of people inhale gasoline fumes every day while filling up their cars.”

During the study, rats were exposed to leaded gasoline, unleaded gasoline, and clean air. Those animals that inhaled chemical fumes attacked each other more often than those that simply breathed air. While there was no significant difference between the effects of leaded and unleaded gasoline on the behavior of the rats, unleaded gasoline did make the rats slightly more aggressive.

Previous work has already shown a connection between toxic exhaust gases and an increased risk of miscarriage, the development of dementia and allergic reactions. In Britain, leaded petrol has been banned since 2000 due to its harmful effects on people's health, especially children.

Illness of teachers and loaders

At first, people rarely pay attention to varicose veins - there are even more severe diseases. Indeed, in the first stages the disease resembles an annoying cosmetic defect: a network of blood vessels appears under the skin, swelling appears, heaviness in the legs in the evenings... When trophic ulcers “bloom” on the legs with might and main and a serious threat of disability appears, only the unlucky patient can be saved vascular surgeons.

Varicose veins are insidious and cunning

Varicose veins are a time bomb, says Doctor of Medical Sciences, vascular surgeon of the highest category, Anatoly Dominyak. - By giving up on yourself, a person risks getting a “bouquet” of severe complications: thrombophlebitis, cellulitis, erysipelas, trophic ulcers, varicose eczema... But this disease can be treated easily and radically - if you turn to professionals for help in a timely manner.

The mechanism of development of the disease is quite simple. Contrary to the law of gravity, blood moves through the veins of the legs from bottom to top. Therefore, nature has equipped the veins of the lower extremities with special valves that prevent the flow of fluid downward. The problem is that the “tricky” valve mechanism quite often fails. Veins lose elasticity, blood stagnates in the vessels and, pushing their walls, causes saccular expansion.

Varicose veins are not distinguished by their nobility: representatives of the fair sex become its victims three times more often than men. Moreover, recently the disease has become younger, affecting women 35-40 years old.

The main candidates for the risk group are people who spend most of their time in a standing or sitting position: teachers, surgeons, hairdressers, loaders, salesmen. Prolonged exposure to the sun or heat also contributes to the disease: for example, working in the kitchen or in the field in the summer, but doctors consider genetic predisposition to be its main cause.

Pregnancy and childbirth give a strong impetus to the development of varicose veins. During this period, hormonal changes occur in the woman’s body, the frame of the vein walls softens. At the same time, the growing uterus can compress the veins in the pelvis and impede the outflow of blood from the lower extremities, increasing the load on the veins.

Gaiters, ankle boots, a belt, and tights are very useful. Flower pollen will speed up recovery.

The problem of teachers' health is very relevant, first of all, because teachers are responsible persons in the upbringing and education of the younger generation. In many ways, the success of the pedagogical process depends on how satisfactorily the teacher feels. After all, you must admit, it is very difficult to apply the theory of an individual approach in practice when you are worried about any ailments. Therefore, teachers should be very careful about their own health and remember that they are at risk for various occupational diseases.

Working at school or university is constant stress. Therefore, professional diseases of teachers are mainly an unstable nervous system, diseases of the cardiovascular system, chronic fatigue, and neuropsychiatric diseases. It must be remembered that such diseases often arise due to constant overload of the body and, accordingly, decreased immunity. It would be good if the school provided a special room for psychological relief. And you can always install an aquarium at home - this is a wonderful corner of peace and tranquility. Such occupational diseases of teachers can be prevented by taking sedatives based on medicinal herbs.

Cap. Card for the heart. Calcium

The next illness that can overtake a teacher is throat diseases: laryngitis, pharyngitis. The profession requires you to talk a lot during the lesson. However, if you have a cold, you risk losing your voice at the end of the working day. Vocal cord strain and infection can have unpredictable effects. At this time, it is best to give children independent or test work using cards.

Miracle "Diamond"

Disorders of the musculoskeletal system are, unfortunately, also occupational diseases of teachers in schools and other educational institutions. Until late at night, teachers have to check students’ work while sitting in one position, most often uncomfortable. This can cause osteochondrosis and other problems with the joints and spine. Make it a habit to do light exercise throughout the day. An interesting idea would be to take a five-minute break during class to exercise with your students. This will defuse the tense atmosphere and give optimism and cheerfulness to both the teacher and the students.

Problems with the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, ulcers) are those occupational diseases of teachers that arise as a result of poor nutrition and a special, specific lifestyle. Having quickly grabbed a sandwich and rushed back to class, the teacher does not think about how his diet affects his overall well-being. But proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is the basis for strengthening the immune system.

Occupational diseases of businessmen

There is no need to convince the reader that the professional activity of an entrepreneur is associated with frequent stress - today this seems obvious. Everyone knows what stress is. Less known “among the people” is what consequences it brings. And these consequences, a distant echo of the emotional turmoil suffered by a person, have an important impact not only on a person’s health, but also on his professional success. Especially if his activities are related to managing people and material resources, and making responsible decisions. That is why information about what stress leads to and how to resist it is important for every entrepreneur.

Just as the body and soul of a person are inextricably linked, the negative impact of stress affects both his mental-psychological state and his physical-physiological state. Let us list these manifestations, at least briefly. So, at the psychological level, the most typical traces of prolonged stress and accumulated unreacted negative emotions, so characteristic of entrepreneurial activity, are:

a) Worry, anxiety. Particularly characteristic of prolonged stress is the so-called free-floating, unmotivated anxiety, in other words, groundless fears about unlikely events that may never happen.

b) depressed mood (even depression). Sudden mood swings are also possible, often accompanied by uncontrollable violent outbursts of emotions and outbursts of aggressiveness.

c) Groundless irritability and conflict caused not by external reasons, but by the internal state of a person.

d) Violation of emotional contacts and relationships with loved ones - from emotional coldness, insensitivity to open hostility.

e) A person’s desire to isolate himself from the surrounding reality, which does not meet his expectations.

At the bodily level, stress reactions find, perhaps, their most vivid expression. Often, due to lack of awareness, stress-related discomfort is perceived as symptoms of various diseases. At best, this causes fruitless visits to doctors, but at worst, it can lead to a person going into an imaginary illness. Let us mention only the most common physical manifestations of stress:

a) an increase in blood pressure, often occurring spasmodically and accompanied by a feeling of a rush of heat (“blood rushed to the head”). If a person comes to the attention of doctors, then such emotional reactions can cause an erroneous diagnosis of hypertension and subsequent lengthy attempts at its unsuccessful treatment.

b) Various pains, most often in the head (resembling a migraine, sometimes accompanied by dizziness) and neck, in the heart (mistakenly regarded as heart disease, especially if they are associated with palpitations or interruptions) and in the abdomen (simulating peptic ulcers).

c) Shortness of breath, sensation of a “lump” in the throat, “choking” of the voice.

d) Loss of appetite - from complete aversion to food to attacks of ravenous hunger.

e) Sleep disturbances - insomnia or, conversely, drowsiness, which does not, however, bring adequate rest. Sleep often becomes anxious and restless due to unpleasant dreams.

f) Various sexual problems.

Naturally, the described psychological and physical manifestations of stress ultimately lead to a decrease in social activity and a decrease in the effectiveness of professional activities. First of all, this occurs due to constant (even at the beginning of the working day or after rest) and seemingly causeless fatigue associated with gradually accumulating exhaustion of the nervous system. The reason for the decrease in performance is also increased distractibility and inability to concentrate.

The consequences of stress, such as anxiety and depression, also contribute detrimentally to decreased work productivity. A person in such a state sees everything in a gloomy light and is imbued with the expectation of negative events. He does not expect anything good from life, and life itself seems to adapt to this pessimistic forecast. As a result, a person begins to be haunted by a kind of “unlucky syndrome” - he begins to get sick more often and longer, attracts failures (both in his professional activities and in his personal life), various incidents and accidents (including with a serious outcome).

Another dead end that long-term stress leads to is emotional and professional “burnout.” This manifests itself as a loss of interest in work, manifested in the desire to perform one’s duties formally, without interest in the final result, “anyhow.” (A similar phenomenon is popularly known as “hack”, “suck”, etc. - perhaps in no language other than Russian there are so many synonyms to denote an indifferent attitude towards work). In far-reaching cases, it comes to aversion to work; sometimes even the very thought of that task, which until recently seemed to be the meaning of life, becomes hateful. Due to the emerging lack of self-confidence among specialists and managers, professional self-esteem decreases, doubts and hesitations arise when it is necessary to make independent decisions. This leads to attempts to shift difficult decisions onto the shoulders of others and thereby evade responsibility.

In search of a way out of such a crisis situation, a person grabs hold of “improvised” means, trying to relieve nervous tension with alcohol, nicotine (used in larger quantities than usual) or abusing medications that calm the nervous system. And if the stressful situation drags on, then the consequences of this method of “release” become obvious - instead of a means that helps at least briefly smooth out the severity of a psychological problem, providing temporary relief, it itself turns into a problem.

Another common way to avoid psychological problems, especially those related to professional activity, is to pay even more attention to work, as they say, to throw yourself into it headlong. A person in this state is said to be a “workaholic.”

At first glance, this method of stress relief seems constructive. But only at first glance. Upon careful examination, the contradiction inherent in it becomes obvious - the fact is that this paradoxical method is built... on self-deception. In essence, the main thing that a person is trying to achieve in this way is to get away from stress, deceiving himself with a contrived amount of work. In fact, a “workaholic” simply subconsciously strives to occupy all his time with work, to load his brain with troublesome but ordinary things in order not to think about other problems that are painful for him. So, for example, a person often tries to throw himself into work in order to escape from problems in his personal life.

Thus, workaholism in modern medicine is considered as a kind of disease, akin to alcoholism and other types of painful addictions (“drug addiction from work”). The difference from banal drunkenness is that although workaholism causes noticeably less damage to health, it can nevertheless cause greater damage to professional, especially commercial, activities. The fact is that, like many “real” diseases, workaholism is contagious. If the head of a company suffers from it, then he tries to spread a similar lifestyle throughout his entire organization.

What's the result? Alas, companies infected with workaholism always lose to their competitors in the long term. There are several reasons for this.

In a workaholic company, there is usually a problem of excessive control over the activities of employees, which actually covers up the manager’s insecurity and his total distrust of employees. (In such cases, the “boss” usually adheres to the belief: “You can’t rely on anyone. If you want to do something right, you have to do it yourself.”) That is why employees strive to “not stand out” and not contradict established stereotypes, not to show initiative , do not propose new non-standard solutions (based on the belief that “initiative is punishable”).

For this reason, a company whose motto is workaholism is a closed system: it lacks flexibility. New information that conflicts with established views is simply not perceived. Employees, in order not to attract criticism from their boss, unanimously try not to admit their own mistakes and refuse to notice existing problems, turning a blind eye to them until the last moment, convincing themselves and others: “Everything is fine in our office!” Therefore, such a company lags behind the dynamically changing market situation and often “steps on the same rake” many times, returning to the same problems in its activities, instead of rebuilding its stereotypes and getting rid of problems.

Another problem of workaholism is the unrealistic desire to be first in everything, even contrary to common sense. Hence the unrealistic claims and “Napoleonic plans” (psychologists call this overcompensation - as you know, Napoleon was a man of small stature. The desire for power helped him rise above those around him, at least in a figurative sense, and thereby compensate for his inferiority complex). At the company level, such tendencies often develop into a desire for grandiosity and gigantomania. In entrepreneurial activity, this can manifest itself, for example, in the desire to increase inventory, regardless of the liquidity of the product. Or strive to increase sales regardless of the profitability of such activities. Or in freezing funds allocated to ill-considered investments associated with “large-scale” projects so that “the business moves to the next level.” Or in ineffective but expensive advertising that has a greater impact on the seller’s ego than on the buyer’s behavior.

Contrived “heroism” is inextricably linked with workaholism. Here we can recall a slogan from our recent past: “There is always room for heroism in life.” At the same time, ordinary, everyday work seems to be a “battle for the harvest,” “a fight with nature,” etc. The favorite style of work of those who suffer from workaholism is to first create difficulties for themselves, and then heroically overcome them. Such employees are always busy with vigorous activity to resolve the latest emergency situations. For them, these crisis situations themselves are simply vital, literally like air - and all in order to load themselves with work beyond the usual. As a result, an enterprise in which workaholics are “at the helm” is in a situation of chronic emergency work and an endless (albeit partly far-fetched) crisis.

To conclude our brief overview of the problem of stress and its relevance for entrepreneurs, it is necessary to provide at least brief recommendations on how this problem can be solved.

Cap. Calcium. Socks

A system for identifying and treating occupational diseases has long been adopted throughout the world. Thus, weavers and machine builders suffer from hearing impairment, miners and workers in hazardous industries suffer from diseases of the respiratory system. And only business representatives do not have clearly defined occupational diseases. Although typical “business diseases” already exist.

Symptom #1: No fun

For business people, of course, psychological problems come first. Chronic fatigue syndrome is familiar to every person engaged in intellectual work. Doctors even called it “manager syndrome.” Irritability, a feeling of lack of time, anxiety, constant fear of doing something wrong, inability to relax, insomnia - these are the signs of the unfortunate syndrome.

It's no secret that entrepreneurship remains one of the most stressful areas of activity. In this case, stress as such may not be detected. But it is enough to take a closer look at the outwardly prosperous and always smiling entrepreneur - and the diagnosis will become clear.

The first place, along with stressful conditions, in the list of diseases of businessmen is shared by other nervous disorders - for example, neurosis. If you realize that you are focused exclusively on work and have stopped noticing the other joys of life, if it constantly seems to you that competitors are pressing in from all sides, that your own employees are trying to deceive you, then it’s time to rest. In the literal sense of the word. Otherwise, in your illusions, you can reach absurd things that will only harm your cause. And health.

Symptom No. 2: both the heart and stomach hurt

In second place are cardiovascular diseases: angina pectoris, hypertension. Recently, men of working age - 40-45 years old - are increasingly being admitted to hospitals with heart attacks, which were previously considered a disease of old age. The reason lies mainly in nervous tension and the inability or unwillingness to rest properly.

In third place are diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Many businessmen, even though they have money and opportunities, eat on the run and on whatever they can find. The direct and shortest path to gastritis and further to peptic ulcers.

By the way, pay attention to what you are sitting on. Many entrepreneurs, having achieved a certain financial well-being, first of all acquire the chair of their dreams with a soft leather seat. And they take the first step towards a not at all funny disease - hemorrhoids.

Because you can’t think of better conditions for its development: a sedentary lifestyle, rich food and prolonged sitting on a soft surface - be it an office chair or a car seat. As a result, the blood in the pelvis stagnates, which leads to inflammation of the hemorrhoids. If you don’t want extra hemorrhoids in your already busy life, give up the easy chair.

Symptom No. 3: demon in the rib

It is well known that in the second half of the nineties there was a surge in alcoholism among entrepreneurs. For some, it was caused by dizziness from success. Others tried to relieve stress in this way. The outcome of all the stories was the same - turning to doctors, and already at the stage of formed addiction. The businessmen underwent treatment anonymously. Many of the “former alcoholics”, after cleansing the body and coding, continue to conduct their business successfully and soberly today. There are, however, those who were unable to cope with their addiction to drinking, sold their business, or simply went bankrupt.

By the way, alcoholism is not a purely male prerogative. Very often, business women turn to doctors for help. It is much more difficult to treat them, because, as a rule, personal tragedies are added to the typical “professional” problems of women.

But the practice of venereologists suggests that “love diseases” relate to the risks of male businessmen, and of a certain age category. As a rule, middle-aged and older entrepreneurs, who have decided to fully appreciate the delights of their social and financial situation, “catch” sexually transmitted diseases. “Gifts” in the form of chlamydia, gonorrhea and other nasty things are given to their benefactors by young mistresses and “escort” girls, in other words, highly paid prostitutes for VIPs. As a result, wealthy lovers with “gray hair in their beards” spend a lot of money on getting rid of vein diseases.

“Office” diseases: You need to know the enemy by sight

You don't have to be a pilot or a tiger tamer for your profession to be considered hazardous to your health.

You can comfortably spend your days in the office, where you have soft chairs, air conditioning, a coffee machine and other amenities of civilization, but still acquire a lot of illnesses. And without even noticing how it happened...

I got up in the morning, quickly got ready and ran to work. During a break between tasks, I had a cup of coffee with my colleagues and snacked on cookies. I was too carried away by a new project and didn’t have time to have lunch - okay, a bun bought in the passage and quickly eaten with another espresso will do... Is this a familiar situation?

Then you shouldn’t be surprised when your stomach suddenly makes itself known. Chronic diseases of the digestive system often punish hasty office workers for poor nutrition. It all starts with you giving up breakfast. At first, deliberately - because I overslept or took too long to style my hair. And then the desire to eat disappears completely, as a result you get used to starting the work day on an empty stomach.

But in the office you still develop an appetite, as a result you snack every hour - either candy, or cookies, or something else tasty. And at the same time you wash down the sweets with coffee. All these harmful things on a stomach empty from the night are a direct road to gastritis and ulcers. Well, if you add to this a penchant for fast food, which replaces a full meal, you can say goodbye to a normal metabolism. Just like with a good figure.

Haemorrhoids

Please note that when we sit, the pressure on the spinal discs in the lumbar region increases 4 times. At the same time, flabby abdominal muscles do not support the spine at all, which means that it has to withstand this load on its own. As a result, the lower back sags, the stomach sags and the internal organs begin to shift.

And this cannot but affect all processes taking place in the body - from digestion to bile formation. In addition, a sedentary lifestyle leads to vein thrombosis (which can result in a heart attack), poor circulation in the pelvic organs (sexual life will then be covered with a copper basin) and hemorrhoids.

Saggy breasts

Many office workers complain of pain in the thoracic spine - as if a knife is piercing between the shoulder blades. Muscle spasm in this area leads to curvature of the back. As a result, young ladies who sit in front of the computer all day long, with age, acquire a characteristic stoop, difficulty breathing and, alas, saggy breasts.

Migraine and dizziness

The main problem of office employees is physical inactivity, or lack of mobility. If throughout the working day you get up from your office chair only when absolutely necessary, you can get a whole bunch of all kinds of diseases. First of all, a sedentary lifestyle begins to cause overstrain in the cervical spine.

All those who work at a computer for a long time are very familiar with nagging pain in the neck and shoulders. But few people think about the consequences of this unpleasant symptom. But problems in this area are fraught with impaired blood circulation in the head, which, in turn, causes frequent migraines and even attacks of dizziness.

Dry eye

Not only the computer, but also the air conditioner and batteries, or rather, the air dehydrated by them, can cause damage to vision. This technique can cause the so-called “dry eye syndrome” - redness, burning and foreign body sensation. This is a serious disease that even leads to loss of vision.

To avoid such developments, buy special drops - vasoconstrictor or moisturizing. The first ones are the fastest and most effective way to defeat redness. However, you should not get carried away with them: use them only as a last resort, otherwise there is a risk that your eyes will get used to the drops and stop producing their own tear fluid.

Moisturizing preparations, similar in composition to human tears, are suitable for daily use, but this does not mean that they can be instilled every hour: several times a day is enough to take care of your eyes.

By the way, the most useful drugs are those that do not contain preservatives: due to their absence, the drops are absolutely safe, but, alas, they do not last long and are expensive.

Office allergies

From time to time, wipe your mouse, keyboard, telephone with disinfectants - everything that you often touch with your hands. Remember, bacteria and viruses do not sleep! By the way, paying attention to hygiene will also help you in the fight against diseases such as office allergies - runny nose and cough all year round. It is caused by toxic substances released by equipment (printer, scanner, etc.).

True, it will not be possible to completely defeat this disease with the help of wet cleaning. You will have to go to the doctor and select a drug that reduces the sensitivity of the nasopharynx.

Attention!

If you don’t want to put on glasses soon, don’t forget that the distance from your eyes to the monitor should be 50-60 cm. Don’t place your computer near a window or under a lamp, because looking at the screen in too bright light is harmful. And give your eyes a rest: close them for at least 5 minutes every 40-45 minutes.

Every employer is obliged to provide insurance to its staff not only against risks. The law imposes obligations on them to provide insurance to workers against occupational diseases. This is due to the fact that sometimes working conditions provoke extremely negative consequences for the body. If the performance of work functions is associated with such unfavorable conditions, then there is a high risk of either exacerbating a chronic disease or developing a new disease associated with professional activity.

What is an occupational disease

Dysfunction of internal organs and important vital systems, provoked by harmful working conditions, is called an occupational disease.

The most common misconception is the substitution of the concepts of occupational illness and deterioration of health due to overwork or excessive physical activity during the work shift.

A typical example in this regard is the observation of emotional overstrain and general mental depression among theater artists who serve for a long time. This dysfunction of the body is explained by the need to live through someone else's tragedy and drama. In addition, the consequences of an accident that leads to serious injury at work cannot be considered as an occupational disease.

An occupational disease is a functional disorder of the body, aggravated due to systematic contact with obviously harmful factors or substances while performing work duties. In addition, this group includes a variety of complications associated with chronic abnormalities that already exist in the body.

Occupational pathologies are determined by the level of organization of the technological process. The statistics of occupational diseases is determined by the quality of workplace equipment and general conditions at work. This problem is not a purely medical issue.

Just as the prevention of occupational injuries requires certain measures from the administration, the prevention of occupational diseases consists of comprehensive provision of workers with acceptable working conditions.

According to existing legislation, responsibility for carrying out prevention and ensuring decent working conditions rests with the employer. It does not matter whether we are talking about a state or private enterprise.

Chronic occupational disease is a field of study in occupational pathology. This science examines the mechanisms of occurrence and the picture of the disease that arose as a result of the presence of industrial hazards.

Occupational pathology considers the following important issues:

diagnostics;
treatment methods;
a set of preventive measures.

Moreover, the analysis of disorders in the body is carried out by a general practitioner. Initial diagnosis is based on medical history. Then the medical card records all the features of performing professional tasks and the nuances of organizing the workplace.

Currently, there is a classification of the root causes of occupational diseases:

Based on diagnostic data, the health worker determines the occupational disease or its absence.

Types of occupational diseases

Experts distinguish between chronic and acute occupational diseases. Acute ones include those that provoke a one-time impact on the body of a shock dose of a toxic substance. The fact of intense intoxication entails negative consequences, including death.

A chronic disease develops if an employee performs professional duties for a long period of time under the influence of negative factors on the body.

Experts classify occupational diseases as follows:

hypothermia/overheating caused by weather conditions;
intoxication caused by toxic factors;
convulsive illness caused by weather conditions;
hypertensive crisis caused by pressure changes in the atmosphere;
tuberculosis or candidiasis caused by biological factors;
dust fibrosis caused by contact with dust;
dust bronchitis caused by excess concentration of organic dust in the atmosphere;
bronchial asthma caused by contact with allergens, which include corrosive gases or solvents;
venous diseases and thrombophlebitis caused by the need to perform professional duties while standing;
hearing loss caused by working in conditions of high decibels;
cataract caused by radiant energy;
vibration disease caused by static tension of a muscle group during monotonous body movements.

Most often, workers in large industries with aggressive working conditions are susceptible to occupational diseases.

The list of occupational diseases also includes illnesses of teachers from systematic nervous stress. In addition, radiation sickness may also be characteristic of health workers serving patients in X-ray rooms.

How to register an occupational disease

Registration is carried out according to a certain algorithm. First of all, you need to make an appointment with your local therapist. This is the first step; it is needed to obtain a referral to a clinic for examination by specialized specialists.

After a thorough medical examination (or series of medical examinations), a diagnosis is determined.

Further steps involve:

Contact Rospotrebnadzor. This body immediately begins an inspection of the place of work.
Obtaining an extract from the labor protection inspector.
Receiving the commission's report on the work.
Contact the pathological center (this is where the final conclusion is issued).

In order for the work of the pathological center to be as complete as possible, it is necessary to submit all collected certificates and documents. In addition, for an objective conclusion from the center’s specialists, a full range of analyzes and, possibly, additional studies are necessary.

How is an occupational disease investigated?

The regulatory document that establishes the procedure for investigating occupational diseases is government decree number 967 (12/15/2000). It is relevant for:

employees who perform duties under a civil contract or under;
students who are under an employment contract.

As soon as a diagnosis of an acute occupational disease is established, the clinic is obliged to send a notification to the sanitary biological supervision. In addition, the employer receives a corresponding notice.

Work to identify all the circumstances provoking the disease should begin with sanitary and epidemiological surveillance employees no later than 24 hours. Their responsibility is to compile an objective description of compliance with the sanitary standards of the workplace. This descriptive characteristic is then forwarded to the medical facility.

The employer retains the right to disagree with the conclusions. He can go to court, refuting the provisions of the sanitary and hygienic characteristics.

If a chronic occupational disease is established, the medical institution will perform similar actions. In this case, 2 weeks are allocated for the formation of sanitary and hygienic characteristics.

Then, within a month, the victim must be sent with all accompanying documents and certificates to a medical institution that has specialists in occupational pathology on staff.

Here the final diagnosis must be made.

Then (no later than 3 days) the final diagnosis must be presented:

employer;
insurance fund;
center for sanitary and epidemiological surveillance;
medical institution.

The employer is given 2 weeks to create an investigation commission.

It includes:

legal representative of the employer or the production manager himself;
representative of the labor protection department;
members of the trade union committee;
enterprise health worker.

The commission has 3 days to draw up a report based on the results of the commission’s work. The act must have 5 copies, which are sent to all of the above authorities. In this case, the act must reflect information about the degree of guilt of the victim (up to 25 percent). Situations are allowed in which the victim himself provoked harm by non-compliance with safety precautions or failure to comply with sanitary standards during the performance of work duties.

The report on the presence of an occupational disease with all accompanying documents is stored for 75 years in the institution that carried out the investigation.

The commission aims not only to find out an objective picture of what happened with this particular employee. Sanitary and epidemiological supervision specialists must develop recommendations for implementing a set of measures that will prevent the occurrence of similar cases in the future.

Occupational disease: what are the payments and benefits?

The final stage is the work of the insurance company. She scrupulously monitors all submitted documents to decide whether this is an insured event.

A positive decision is made if the diagnosis was made during the validity of the employment contract. Accordingly, due to temporary or partial loss of ability to work, the employer pays certain compensation.

All accruals are made upon provision of sick leave, in which the identified illness is directly related to the professional duties of the employee.

If all formalities are met, the victim has the right to count on:

one-time benefit;
monthly payments in the absence of the ability to continue working.

In the event of the death of an employee, payments are due to his relatives. If an employee has lost the practical opportunity to work in his specialty, then he is entitled to a one-time compensation. It is determined by the depth of the disease and the degree of loss of performance.

For all calculations, the amount of wages that the employee stopped receiving due to illness or disability is relevant.

Retirement age may come earlier if a specialist determines the presence of an occupational disease. Moreover, the pension for occupational illness is, as a rule, larger than the usual one.

In addition, the victim can count on receiving benefits from the employer. At the same time, he is entitled to additional social protection in the form of provision of a means of transportation due to disability (as necessary).

Finally, every victim has the right to legal services regarding further rehabilitation.