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Sanitary doctor for occupational health
Last reviewed: 03.07.2025
A sanitary doctor for occupational hygiene is a qualified employee of the sanitary and epidemiological service, who is well-versed in issues of sanitary control over the implementation of certain rules in industrial, construction enterprises and agricultural organizations.
The requirements to be met include hygienic norms and rules aimed at preventing the development of occupational pathology and reducing the incidence of illness among employees of enterprises.
[ Who is an occupational health sanitary doctor?
A doctor involved in occupational hygiene is the organizer of work to prevent the occurrence of occupational diseases and increase the level of morbidity in industrial and agricultural sectors.
To obtain a complete picture of the sanitary situation at a particular research site, he must have a high level of training, qualifications and experience related to administrative and public activities.
The work of a sanitary doctor is based on the performance of official duties by cooperating in close contact with "executive" persons who are able to influence the development and implementation of recommended measures. Their main focus is the improvement of health of employees of enterprises and disease prevention.
This specialization involves the study of working conditions in children's institutions, their assessment and the main directions for eliminating harmful factors and ensuring favorable working conditions.
The effectiveness of a sanitary doctor's work largely depends on the correct and necessary choice of approach, method and techniques for implementing plans in a given situation.
When should you contact an occupational health inspector?
An appeal to a sanitary doctor should be made in the event of an increase in the level of illness at the enterprise, an increase in cases of injuries at work or heavy workload, as well as when it is necessary to obtain a conclusion on the sanitary and epidemiological conditions of a particular production or agricultural facility.
Considering that the sanitary doctor monitors compliance with the rules and regulations of the legislation on occupational hygiene during the design, construction and subsequent operation of industrial enterprises, agricultural facilities and other organizations of human production activity, therefore, violations of any of the above stages by the management of organizations are the reason for contacting the sanitary doctor.
The assistance of a sanitary doctor may be required to confirm incapacity due to unfavorable working conditions. This is due to the fact that the sanitary doctor monitors the provision of the most suitable working conditions from the external environment, work schedule and loads necessary to prevent the development of pathology due to occupational hazards.
What tests should be taken when visiting an occupational health doctor?
When a need arises to receive assistance from a sanitary doctor, a person is required to provide tests characterizing his or her health condition. They are needed for an additional assessment of the state of the sanitary and epidemiological regime of a certain production facility.
Thus, to detect pathology in a person, his blood and urine should be tested. The tests are necessary for the doctor of the sanitary and epidemiological service in order to visualize the disease, the development of which may have been facilitated by unfavorable production factors. In the future, the doctor will draw up a plan to improve working conditions and monitor their implementation in the production sphere.
To check the blood, clinical and biochemical analyses are sufficient. With their help, it is possible to suspect the presence of a general inflammatory process, an insufficient level of vital blood cells, and also to assess the functioning of the liver and kidneys.
In addition, a mandatory condition is the presence of an X-ray of the chest organs. With its help, pathology of the lungs or heart is visualized. If there are symptoms or an increase in the level of liver enzymes, bilirubin or creatinine with urea, then an ultrasound of the abdominal organs should be performed to confirm or exclude pathology of the internal organs.
To study the activity of the heart, an ECG or EchoCG will be required. Thanks to them, it is possible to establish rhythm disturbances, impulse conduction through the heart muscle, myocardial thickness, as well as foci with insufficient blood circulation.
What diagnostic methods does an occupational health sanitary doctor use?
To assess the health of workers in industrial and agricultural enterprises, a sanitary doctor uses laboratory and instrumental methods to detect a disease in a chronic or acute stage. With this assessment, he can determine which system of the body experiences the maximum negative impact of a harmful factor.
It is necessary to assess the sanitary and hygienic condition of a certain production facility using special modern methods. In the process of this study, an assessment of physical, chemical, biological and psychophysiological production factors is carried out. Thus, their level, concentration and impact on the human body should be identified.
Regular preventive medical examinations are also one of the methods used to assess the sanitary condition at the enterprise. They are carried out by departmental sanitary laboratories of medical and preventive institutions. If a large number of pathologies are detected, characterized by one cause of development, then the sanitary doctor must take measures to eliminate the harmful factor and improve working conditions.
What does an occupational health sanitary doctor do?
The duties of a sanitary doctor include monitoring compliance with certain legislative standards on occupational hygiene. He must organize and monitor the implementation of preventive measures aimed at preventing the spread of pathology and increasing the incidence rate.
In addition, the sanitary doctor must identify causal factors and unfavorable working conditions that have a direct impact on the occurrence and spread of diseases among employees of enterprises.
The duties of a sanitary doctor include participation in the preparation and implementation of a plan with target programs, thanks to which the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of workers will be ensured. The sanitary doctor is also responsible for educational work in working groups to improve the level of knowledge on the topic of occupational hygiene.
His job is to organize the sanitary and epidemiological examination with subsequent assessment of the toxicological and hygienic sphere. Thanks to the sanitary doctor, the rules of the order at the production, fire safety and sanitary and epidemiological regime are observed.
What diseases does an occupational health doctor treat?
The duty of a sanitary doctor is not treatment, but prevention of the development of pathology due to unfavorable working conditions at the production site. To successfully perform the main task, he should clearly understand the main principles of deontology of his specialty, possess a large base of professional knowledge and adhere to the principles of the general strategy.
Disease prevention consists of monitoring the implementation of legislative orders – the section on occupational hygiene, in parallel with developed tactics for solving specific issues in each individual situation.
He must find a common language with the management of those enterprises that are under his control, and also cooperate with trade unions and other organizations, including individuals and his colleagues.
In the process of performing his duties, the sanitary doctor must remember about professional, civil, moral and criminal responsibility (under certain circumstances) to society for the protection of the health of workers.
Advice from a sanitary doctor on occupational hygiene
The advice of a sanitary doctor on occupational hygiene consists of observing the rules of the sanitary and epidemiological regime in order to avoid industrial injuries or the development of an occupational disease.
Each enterprise has its own specific standards, exceeding which threatens the safety and health of the worker. Industrial organizations require compliance not only with maintaining optimal temperature, humidity and pressure, but also with the level of gas, heavy metals and other compounds harmful to humans.
The sanitary doctor's advice on occupational hygiene for office workers concerns the lighting of the office, the parameters of the table, the chair, which should have adjustable armrests, backrest and height. The monitor should be placed at a distance of about 70 cm from the eyes to avoid strong influence on the organ of vision.
The monitor should also be tilted at the right angle and installed at a certain height. The keyboard should be at elbow level so that the hands are not constantly tense and the fingers can move freely.
Thus, the sanitary doctor for occupational hygiene provides the most comfortable working conditions for workers to optimize production and prevent the development of adverse consequences due to non-compliance with sanitary and epidemiological standards.