METHOD FOR EVALUATING RISK OF OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE RELATED TO EXPOSURE TO DUST Russian patent published in 2015 - IPC A61B5/00 

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: actual average per shift concentration and relevant average per shift maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of dust substances in work zone air. Worker's labour intensity and length of employment are determined. A probability (P_t+1) of an occupational disease is determined. If the average per shift dust concentration remains unchanged for the whole length of employment, a time interval is taken as 1 year. If the average per shift dust concentration varies during a quarter or a season, the time interval is 1 month. If the average per shift dust concentration varies during 1 month, the time interval is 1 week. If the average per shift dust concentration varies during 1 week, the time interval is 1 day. If the average per shift dust concentration varies during a shift, the time interval is 1 hour. The calculated probability of occupational disease provides a basis to derive a risk (R_t) of the occupational disease. If R_t is from 0 to 1±10^-3, the low, i.e. mild, risk of the dust-caused occupational disease is stated. R_t varying from 1±10^-3 to 1±10^-2 shows the moderate, i.e. substantial, risk. R_t varying from 1±10^-2 to 1±10^-1 shows the high, i.e. intolerable, risk. R_t from 1±10^-1 to 1 testifies to the very high risk.

EFFECT: more accurate assessment of the risk of occupational disease related to the exposure to dust by increasing multiple factors of the time parameters used and extending categories of the risk scale, presenting the calculation process as an integration process taking into account dynamical characteristics of the exposure to dust.

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