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A great share of workers employed at polymetallic ores mining have to face harmful working conditions at their workplaces. To provide safe working conditions for them and to preserve their health is a vital task occupational medicine has to tackle. Polymetallic ore mining enterprises employ certain common technological processes; nevertheless, there are specific features depending on ore mining techniques and the mineralogical composition of different ores. These features determine differences both in working conditions and in occupational risks of developing occupational morbidity (OM) and work-related morbidity (WRM). By now, there have been enough studies on peculiarities of occupational health risks for workers employed at sulfide ore mines, copper-nickel ore mines and ferruginous quartzite mines. Considerably less attention has been given to assessing occupational risks for workers dealing with mining and processing copper-zinc ores. We performed complex clinical and hygienic examinations at a major copper-zinc ore mining enterprise located in the Southern Urals. The research results gave grounds for determining a category of working conditions, establishing formation peculiarities and the structure of occupational and work-related diseases among workers from various occupational groups. Occupational risks were assessed considering hygienic and medical-biological indicators. We established the highest occupational health risks for shaft sinkers, followed by drilling unit operators, timberers, excavator drivers, load haul dumper (LHD) operators and underground self-propelled machine (USPM) operators. The research results gave grounds for developing a conceptual model of assessing and managing occupational risks in the branch. The urgency of developing and implementing activities aimed at risk mitigation should be determined depending on how validated a risk is and on its rates established for specific occupational groups.

The article summarizes the data obtained in long-term research on working conditions estimates and studying damages to hearing organs in workers employed at petrochemical plants. We chose workers employed at five basic organic synthesis productions as an object of our study; these productions include ethylene-propylene, ethylbenzene-styrene, organic alcohols production (butanol and 2-ethylhexanol), phthalic anhydride. We detected that heating furnaces, compressors, and pumps were the main noise sources at the examined productions. Our research revealed that noise levels at the examined productions varied from 60 to 99 decibel, and calculated equivalent noise levels reached the 3 hazard class with 1st and 2nd hazard degree. Audiometric research showed that signs of impacts exerted by noise on hearing organs of workers belonging to basic occupational groups (processing machine operators and pumps and compressor operators) occurred authentically more frequently than in case of control equipment mechanics and automatic equipment operators (comparison group) (