Occupational pathology and risks of its development in the extraction of fuel and energy minerals in the Russian Arctic

The combination of the harsh climate of the Arctic with harmful working conditions negatively affects the course of many occupational diseases (OD). The purpose of the study was to assess working conditions and occupational pathology of workers involved in the extraction of oil, gas and coal in the Arctic. Materials and methods. The data of socio-hygienic monitoring "Working conditions and occupational morbidity” in the Arctic zone of Russia in 2007-2017 were studied. Results. It has been established that coal mining does not have jobs with satisfactory working conditions, and in more than 90% of miners they are extremely unsatisfactory. On the contrary, 51.8% of workers in the oil and gas industry have satisfactory working conditions and in less than 4% of them they are extremely unsatisfactory. The most common OD among miners were radiculopathy (32.1%), chronic bronchitis (27.7%), and mono-polyneuropathy (15.4%). Sensory hearing loss (48.8%), radiculopathy (20.9%) and vibration disease (18.6%) predominated in the structure of occupational pathology in oil and gas industry workers. In 2017, in the Arctic, the level of occupational morbidity of miners exceeded the national indicator by 2.82 times, while in oil and gas industry it was by 1.75 times lower than the national indicator. The risk of developing OD during coal mining was significantly higher than that of employees of oil and gas companies (OR = 331.1; CI 242.2-452.5). Conclusion. Improving comprehensive measures to preserve the health of coal miners is a priority for specialists in occupational safety and health in the Arctic.