Self-Assessment of Exposure Levels to Harmful Occupational Factors at the Workplaces of Miners

BACKGROUND: The current methodology of special assessment of working conditions does not fully ensure objective identification of hazardous and/or harmful occupational factors in miners’ workplaces, nor does it adequately reflect their actual exposure levels or the specifics of work activities associated with mining conditions, regional climate, and labor intensity at different technological stages. Questionnaire surveys make it possible to supplement the understanding of working conditions, to use these data for identifying hazardous and/or harmful occupational factors as part of workplace assessment, and to assess the individual workers' appraisals of the conditions in which they perform their regular work. AIM: To evaluate the objectivity of identifying hazardous and/or harmful occupational factors and their levels at miners’ workplaces, and to determine specific features of work and rest regimes and medical care based on questionnaire survey data. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a one-time assessment of the prevalence of occupational factors and work environment characteristics using a questionnaire survey of 257 miners from a coal mine in the Kemerovo region. A database was compiled and analyzed, including information on potential exposure levels to hazardous and/or harmful occupational factors at the workplace, tools and equipment used, work and rest regimes, sanitary and welfare conditions, and workers’ health status. The significance of individual hazardous and/or harmful occupational factors in miners’ work was determined, and their ranking and impact on health were evaluated. RESULTS: By degree of severity and impact on miners’ health, hazardous and/or harmful occupational factors were ranked as follows: aerosols with predominantly fibrogenic effect (3.4 points), workload severity (3.4), noise (3.3), microclimate (3.1), local vibration (2.9), work intensity (2.9), whole-body vibration (2.6), chemical exposure (2.2). The most unfavorable working conditions were observed in shaft sinkers and longwall miners. Overall, 73.1% of miners reported that their work negatively affected their health; among them, 23% rated their health as satisfactory, and 20% as poor or very poor. CONCLUSION: The findings are of scientific and practical interest, as they provide current data on harmful occupational factors actually identified in miners’ workplaces by different professional groups. The study substantiates the importance of personalized general hygienic and biomedical preventive measures to mitigate modifiable occupational risks and to guide priority areas for preventive interventions.