SMOKING, PRODUCTION FACTORS AND PULMONARY INJURIES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING WORKERS

Abstract

The aim of the study is to determine what is the incidence of respiratory diseases among workers in mechanical engineering enterprises and which are leading risk factors. The subject of the study are 80 persons working in mechanical engineering enterprises. The studies were carried out at the University Hospital - Pleven during the period 2017-2020. Specific clinical and instrumental methods of diagnosis have been used. The largest number are people with professional experience over 15 years, 72% of them are smokers. The most frequent cases are Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Chronic bronchitis. The risk of developing lung disease in smokers (OR) is 22,71 times higher than their non-smoker counterparts in the same work environment. When using modern protective equipment, the main risk factors for respiratory diseases among mechanical engineering workers are related to lifestyle and smoking as a leading factor.