Contemporary working conditions and assessment of occupational health risk for workers employed at flour-grinding productions

The paper gives a complex hygienic characteristics of working conditions at typical contemporary flour-grinding pro-ductions which deal with grain processing. It is shown that workers who are employed at flour-grinding production and per-form their work tasks at all the stages of technological cycle on grain processing are exposed to a set of adverse industrial factors related to their labor process. These factors create hazardous working conditions which are ranked as having the 2nd and the 3rd hazard degree (3.2 and 3.3 categories) as per the Guide Р 2.2.2006-05. Among primary factors which create hazardous working conditions we can mention flour dust; grain dust; industrial noise; adverse microclimate; labor hardness caused by overall high physical dynamic loads borne by arms, body, and legs; a necessity to stay in an inconvenient and forced working posture; constant moving related to maintenance of equipment and control over production processes. According to the Guide Р 2.2.1766-03, categories of expected occupational health risk for workers are estimated to vary from average (substantial) risk to high (intolerable) one depending on functions performed by a worker. Working area air contamination with grain dust and flour dust are considered to be a priority health risk factor for workers employed at flour-grinding production. As we assessed occupational risks as per data obtained during periodical medical examinations, we detected an average authentic cause-and-effect relationship between working conditions factors and respiratory organs dis-eases (RR = 1.64; EF = 39 %, CI = 0.5–4.5), which meant such diseases were occupationally induced. Basing on the per-formed research, we developed priority measures which can help to reduce occupational health risks for workers employed at flour-grinding production.