FORMATION OF OCCUPATIONAL AND NON-OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES IN UNDERGROUND APATITE ORE MINERS

Introduction. Living and working in the Arctic is associated with an increased health risks. The aim of the study was to assess features of non-occupational and occupational disease formation in underground apatite ore miners in the Kola Arctic. Materials and methods. We studied data ofthe periodic medical examination and results of social and hygienic monitoring "Working conditions and occupational morbidity of the population of the Murmansk region". Results. In 2007, 2649 miners were diagnosed with 6778 chronic diseases, of which the most prevalent were diseases of the musculoskeletal system (34.4%) and eye (16.9%). In 2008-2019, 496 occupational diseases were diagnosed for the first time in 290 (10.9%) miners. The risk of developing occupational pathology in drifters exceeded indicators of all other miners, including lumbermen (RR = 1.60; CI 1.07-2.38, р=0,015), operators of a vibratory loading installation (RR = 1.63; CI 0.97-2.74, p=0,041), drillers (RR = 1.57; CI 1.11-2.22, р=0,009) and blasters (RR = 2.13; CI 1.56-2.90, р<0,001). In the structure of occupational diseases, the first places were occupied by vibration disease (19.7%), radiculopathy (19.3%) and deforming osteoarthritis (16.0%). Conclusion. Modernization of ore mining processes and personal protective equipment, as well as a current system of medical measures should include more effective solutions to the problems of preserving health of underground apatite miners in the Kola Polar region.

Occupational diseases of chemical etiology at the enterprises in the Russian Arctic

Chemicals are among the most common harmful production factors causing occupational pathology among workers in various industries. The purpose of the study was to investigate the conditions of development, prevalence and structure of occupational diseases of chemical etiology among employees of enterprises in the Russian Arctic. Materials and methods. The analysis included results of the monitoring study «Working conditions and occupational morbidity» of the population of the Arctic zone of Russia in 2007–2018. Results. It was established that in 2007–2018, at the enterprises in the Arctic, the share of chemicals in the structure of harmful production factors was 8.0 %, and their impact was associated with the development of 7.7 % of cases of occupational pathology mainly among metallurgists of nickel and miners of mining enterprises. The risk of contact with harmful chemicals in 2007 was higher than in 2018: RR = 1.40; CI 1.38–1.43; p < 0.0001. Most often, the development of occupational diseases was caused by water-insoluble nickel compounds (40.6 %) and nickel hydroaerosols (27.2 %). The structure of the pathology of chemical etiology was dominated by chronic bronchitis (43.2 %), intoxication with metals and gases (19.3 %) and bronchial asthma (19.0 %). Acute forms of intoxication occurred mainly in miners exposed to carbon oxides (84.6 %), and chronic ones when in metallurgists exposed to nickel compounds (88.2 %). In 2007–2018, there was a decrease in the number of occupational diseases of chemical etiology. The risk of their development in 2007–2009 was higher than in 2016–2018: RR = 1.49; CI 1.21–1.83; χ2 = 14.7; p = 0.0001. Conclusion. To reduce the risk of occupational intoxications, first of all, it is necessary to reduce exposure to nickel compounds and carbon oxides by means of the technical modernization of production and use of modern personal protective equipment for workers.

Design Under Arctic Conditions: A Summary of the Arctic Materials Project Guideline

The main goal of the 10 years Arctic Materials KMB project run by SINTEF (2008–2017) and supported by the industry is to establish criteria and solutions for safe and cost-effective application of materials for hydrocarbon exploration and production in arctic regions. The objective of the arctic materials project guideline (PG) is to assist designers to ensure safe and robust, yet cost-effective, design of offshore structures and structural elements in arctic areas through adequate material testing and requirements to material toughness. It is well known that when the temperature decreases, steel becomes more brittle. To prevent brittle fracture in the Arctic, the structure needs adequate toughness for the loading seen at low temperatures. None of the common offshore design codes today consistently address low temperature applications. In this respect, arctic areas are defined as minimum design temperatures below what current international standards have considered per today, i.e. −10 °C to −14°C. For practical applications, the PG defines arctic areas as minimum design temperature lower than −10 °C. It is acknowledging that design standards to a certain degree are based on operational and qualitative experiences gained by the offshore industry since the 1970’s. However, for arctic offshore facilities, limited operational experiences are gained by the industry. The basis of the guideline is that safe and robust design of structures and structural elements are ensured by combining standard industry practice today with learnings and findings from the 10 years Arctic Materials project. This paper is concerned with the rationale behind the material and test requirements provided in the arctic material guideline. The material requirements will be discussed in detail with emphasis on toughness requirement, constraint effect, thickness effect, acceptance criteria and material qualification criteria.