Review of risks of developing occupational and production-related diseases in workers of mining and metallurgical enterprises in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation

Despite the recent technological modernization of mining and metallurgical production companies, the level of professional and work-related morbidity of workers in this industry remains quite high. The aim of the study is to analyze and systematize the literature on the potential risks of developing occupational and production-related diseases in employees of mining and metallurgical companies in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. We studied publications from the bibliographic databases Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed and RSCI. It was shown that in the course of their work, employees of mining and metallurgical companies in the Russian Arctic are exposed to a number of workplace health risk factors, among which the heavy work activities , vibration (local and hole-body), and noise have the most impact on workers' health. These factors lead to the development of diseases of the musculoskeletal, respiratory, and nervous systems, vibration disease, and sensorineural hearing loss. Adverse environmental factors, along with harmful behavioral habits, increase the risk of developing diseases of the musculoskeletal system, skin, psychoemotional disorders, and acute respiratory diseases. The results of published scientific papers have shown that both production and non-production factors have a significant impact on the health of employees of mining and metallurgical enterprises in the Russian Arctic. When developing measures for the prevention of occupational and work-related diseases, a detailed accounting and analysis of the factors under consideration is necessary. The materials of this literature review may be of interest to medical professionals who carry out preliminary and periodic medical examinations and provide therapeutic and preventive care to employees of mining and metallurgical enterprises, specialists in occupational safety and organization at enterprises, teachers, and students of medical educational organizations.