Occupational health in open-pit iron ore miners in the Kola Peninsula

Introduction. Modern technologies of iron ore mining reduce, but do not eliminate, the increased risk of developing occupational pathology.

The aim. Occupational health at open-pit iron ore mining on the Kola Peninsula deposits.

Materials and methods. Analysis of information from the Murmansk region occupational disease register and results of social and hygienic monitoring in the section “Working conditions and occupational morbidity” for 2004–2023.

Results. In open-pit iron ore mining, noise, aerosols with predominantly fibrogenic action (APFA) and harmful chemicals had the largest shares in the structure of harmful production factors: 16.8%, 16.3%, 15.6%. Over twenty years, the share of whole-body vibration increased (from 4.6 to 7.6%) and there was a decrease in the shares of noise (from 19.3 to 14.6%), APFA (from 17.7 to 14.6%) and harmful chemicals (from 17.5 to 12.5%). In 2004–2023, 320 diseases were first diagnosed in 222 workers, including drivers of quarry dump trucks (n=90), excavator operators (n=50). and bulldozer operators (n=27). The most common diseases were vibration disease (n=135), radiculopathy (n=41) and sensorineural hearing loss (n=28), while over 20 years there was a rise in the proportion of vibration disease (from 6.9 to 70.5%), and a decrease in the proportion of sensorineural hearing loss (from 27.6 to 7.7%). The number of diseases diagnosed in one miner was 1.44±0.04 cases, the incidence rate reached 28.09 cases / 10,000 workers. The risk of developing occupational pathology in 2019–2023 exceeded the indicators in 2004–2008: RR = 1.70; 95% CI 1.10–2.63.

Limitations. Lack of data on working conditions before 2004 that could influence the occupational pathology development in 2004–2023.

Conclusion. It is necessary to improve methods of preventing occupational pathology in workers engaged in iron ore mining on the Kola Peninsula, especially vibration disease in quarry truck drivers, excavator, and bulldozer operators.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study does not require submission of the opinion of the biomedical ethics committee and other documents.

Contribution. The author confirms sole responsibility for the study conception and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of results, and manuscript preparation.

Conflict of interest. The author declares no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: April 25, 2025 / Accepted: June 26, 2025 / Published: September 25, 2025

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