Occupational diseases caused by physical working environment risk factors in lithuania in 2005-2009

Occupational diseases which are caused by physical work environment risk factors are the most prevalent occupational diseases in Lithuania. These diseases represented the largest proportion of all occupational diseases in Lithuania in 2005-2009. The aim of the work is to determine the morbidity and incidence of occupational diseases caused by physical work environment risk factors and to determine the distribution of these diseases in Lithuania from 2005 to 2009 according to various criteria. In order to attain this objective, a review of literature has been performed first of all. It presents the definition of occupational diseases and definition of occupational diseases caused by physical work environment risk factors, identifies and describes the main physical risk factors in working environment and occupational diseases caused by them. Also it presents the prevention of occupational diseases. The second part of the work presents research methods used in this work. Descriptive research has been carried out. Data analysis obtained from the Lithuanian State Register of Occupational Diseases. Statistical analysis of data has been performed by use of the programs MS Excel 2003 and WinPepi. In Lithuania in 2005-2009 were observed downward trend in morbidity of occupational diseases caused by physical work environment risk factors. In this period were recorded 4646 occupational disease events caused by thermal environment (7), noise (1659), mechanical vibrations (2988). Most of these diseases were diagnosed to people with basic education (1946) and to equipment, machine operators and assemblers (4034). The maximum morbidity rates were for people involved in agriculture, hunting and forestry, construction also for people who lived in county of Telšiai and county of Šiauliai. Male morbidity rates in all years were significantly higher than women. More often old people (from 60 years) and people with greater work experience (31-40 years) had these diseases. Physical work environment risk factors in Lithuania in 2005-2009 mainly caused web and osseous-muscular system diseases (1915) and ear diseases (1690)