Prophylaxis of occupational disease

Medical prophylaxis takes great place among technical, organizational and other measures to preserve health and increase work production of computer operators. It includes:

- medical examination (initial and periodical);

- rational and prophylactic nutrition;

- special exercises, massage and psychological relaxation.

Medical examination

In accordance to the document “Medical Examination of Computer Operators of Certain Category” stated by order of Ministry of Health of Ukraine from 31.03.1994, #45 computer operator should pass obligate medical examination.

Initial medical examination is passed on enrolling of new employees. This examination has the purpose to diagnose physical and psychological applicability of a person for certain occupancy. It’s important to detect persons who’s got medical indications due to which they can’t be accessed to work characterized by inherent hazards. The basic criteria of applicability to computer operation is vision characteristics: acuity of vision, refractivity indication, accommodation, eyes binocular vision condition.

DSanPiN 3.3.2-007-98 defines vision organs’ contra-indications listed below:

- acuity of vision with correlation not less 0.5 for one eye and 0.5 – for another;

- refractivity: myopia over 6.0 D, hypermetropia over 4.0 D, astigmatism over 3.0 D;

- no binocular vision;

- lagophtalm;

- chronic ailment of eye’s front section;

- visual nerve and retina illness;

- glaucoma.

Periodical medical examination is conducted during occupation for workers referred to certain category stated by order of Ministry of Health of Ukraine from 31.03.1994, #45. Such examinations provide dynamic controlling health condition, detecting first consequences of hazard’s exposure, illness due to which employee can’t continue his work at such occupancy. Identifying exact hazards and considering specificity of work process they set periodicity of medical examination, members of medical commission, list of laboratory and test to make during examination. Computer operators should pass medical examination once for two years arranged by commission consisting of therapeutist, neuropathologist and ophtalmologist. For female employees medical examination is conducted by accoucheur-gynaecologist once for two years. Female employees are not accessed to work on computer during period of pregnancy and breast-feeding.