Assessment of workplace hazards of firefighters – the shortcomings of existing legislation, remarks and suggestions for alterations, based on scientific evidences
Posao vatrogasca karakterizira izloženost svim vidovima fizičke, kemijske i biološke ugroženosti života i zdravlja. Vatrogasci obavljaju poslove struke najvećim dijelom u mirnodopskom razdoblju, ali jednako tako su aktivni i u intervencijama prouzročenim ratnim djelovanjima. Moderan način života zahtijeva i upotrebu novijih vrsta kemikalija, novih materijala s različitim svojstvima i ponašanjem u procesu gorenja, te upotrebu novih tehnologija, pa je veoma teško predvidjeti i planirati sve vrste intervencija. Kao posljedica izazvanog, neposrednog i kratkotrajnog (mehaničkim, fizikalnim, kemijskim djelovanjem) ili naglog promijenjenog položaja i iznenadnog opterećenja tijela nastaje ozljeda. Težina ozljeda se određuje u odnosu na nekoliko faktora: opasnost po život, oštećenje organa, funkciju organa i radnu sposobnost. U skladu s tim dolazi do razvoja profesionalne bolesti koja je uzrokovana dugotrajnim i neposrednim utjecajem radnih uvjeta na zdravlje. Međutim, za primanje u ovu odgovornu i vrlo napornu službu kandidat mora ispunjavati više uvjeta, a između ostalog da je utvrđena njegova zdravstvena psihofizička sposobnost za poslove vatrogasca temeljem specijalističkog zdravstvenog pregleda na medicini rada koji je u skladu Pravilnikom o poslovima s posebnim uvjetima rada (NN 5/84), članak 3, točka 14. Prema Pravilniku vatrogasci se šalju na redovite liječničke preglede u vremenskom razdoblju od 24 mjeseca. No, uvidom i praćenjem obrađenih liječničkih nalaza evidentno je da kao posljedica rada u vatrogasnoj službi dolazi do raznih oštećenja i narušavanja zdravstvenog stanja i radne sposobnosti vatrogasaca. Jedan od čimbenika njihove radne sredine koji je veoma malo istražen u poslovima vatrogasaca, a dokazano liječničkim pregledima negativno djeluje na njihovo zdravlje i radnu sposobnost - je visokofrekventna buka. Štetno djelovanje buke na vatrogasce do sada nije istraživano iako postoje indicije i dokazi da je ona prisutna i štetno djeluje na zdravlje vatrogasaca. Izloženost vatrogasaca buci je u stalnom porastu jer raste broj vatrogasnih intervencija. Pri dizajniranju vatrogasnih sprava i vozila, kao i osobnih zaštitnih sredstava, nije primijećen značajniji pomak u iznalaženju kvalitetnijih rješenja koja bi smanjivala proizvodnju buke ili njen štetan učinak na zdravlje vatrogasaca. Analizirajući poslove vatrogasaca i njihovu radnu okolinu dolazi se do činjenice da buka kao jedan od faktora narušavanja zdravlja postoji, te da ona pri određenim situacijama prelazi dozvoljene razine. Stoga, kroz istraživanje uvjeta rada vatrogasaca, odnosno iznalaženje optimalnih materijala i opreme koja se koristi u vatrogastvu i koja će u odnosu na buku dovesti do postupnih smanjenja ili potpunog eliminiranja buke, rizik od profesionalnih oboljenja organa sluha svodi se na najmanju moguću razinu. Posljedično rezultatima znanstvenih istraživanja nameće se potreba da se Zakonskom legislativom odredi i propiše obvezno korištenje, kako osobnih zaštitnih sredstava za pojedinog vatrogasca na intervencijama, tako i da se u samom dizajnu opreme i vozila ide ka rješenjima koja bi emisiju buke smanjila na dopuštenu razinu. Osim toga, nameće se potreba promjene Pravilnika o poslovima s posebnim uvjetima rada (NN 5/84) prije svega zbog definiranja složenosti i kvalitete pregleda vatrogasca. Dakle, Pravilnikom bi trebalo odrediti da se vatrogascu sluh pregleda svakih godinu dana, a ne samo onda kada to struka/poslodavac traži. Ukoliko se kroz postojeće znanstvene indicije, ali i dokaze, problem svjesnog uništavanja sluha kod vatrogasaca kojima su izloženi kroz dugogodišnji rad bude zanemarivao, struka će imati velikih problema s kroničnim i ireverzibilnim posljedicama na zdravlje vatrogasaca.The work of firefighters is characterized in exposure to all forms of physical, chemical and biological threat of life and health. Firefighters perform profession duties in peacetime for most but are also active in interventions caused by war period. A modern way of life requires the use of newer type of chemicals, newer materials with different properties, the behavior in the process of burning and the use of new technology, so it is very difficult to predict and plan all kinds of interventions. As a result of induced, immediate, short-term (mechanical, physical, chemical action) or a sudden changed position and an unexpected load of the body also, the injury to the body is caused. Weight injury is determined in relation to several factors: the risk to life, damage to the organs, organs function and working ability. In line with this development comes to an occupational disease that is caused by long-term and direct influence of working conditions on health. However, for admission to this highly responsable and arduous office, the candidate must fulfill several conditions, among others things that his health is determined by pshycophysical ability for the firefighter jobs based on the specialist medical examination at the medical work in accordance with the Regulations on jobsrequiring special working conditions (Official 5/84), article 3, item 14. According to the Regulations, the firefighters are sent to regular medical examinations in a period of 24 months. Nevertheless, with inspection and monitoring of processed medical reports it is evident that as a consequence of the fire department work can lead to a variety of damage and disruption of health status and work ability of firefighters. One of the factors of their working enviroment, which is not much explored, and medical examinations prove the negative impact on their health and working ability, is the high frequency noise. Harmful effects of the noise on firefighters have not been investigated, althought there are indications and evidence that it is present and adversely affects the health of firefighters. Noise exposure of firefighters is increasing because of the growing number of fire intervention. When designing firefighter equipment and vehicles as well as personal protective equipment was not seen significant progress in finding better solutions todecreasing the production of noise and its detrimental effect on the health of firefighters. Analyzing the work of firefighters and their work environment leads to the fact that the noise exists as a factor in the decline of health and that in certain situations it exceeds the permitted level. Therefore, through study of working conditions of firefighters, apropos finding the optimum materials and equipment used in firefighting, which will in relation to noise, lead to a gradual reduction or complete elimination of noise, the risk of occupational diseases of the organs of hearing is reduced to the lowest possible level. Consequently the results of the scientific research a need is imposed, with the statutory legislation, to determine and prescribe the mandatory use of personal protective equipment for each firefighter on interventions and also that the design of equipment and vehicles moves toward solutions that would reduce the emission of noise to the allowed level. In addition, there is a need to change the Regulations on jobsrequiring special working conditions (Official 5/84) primarily due to defining the complexity and quality of the firefighters inspection. Thus, it should be determined by Regulations that the firefighter hearing is examined annually and not only when the profession/employer requires. If through the existing scientific indications, but evidences also, the problem of conscious destruction of hearing at which firefighters are exposed throughout years of service continues to be neglected, the profession will have considerable problems with chronical and irreversible consequences on the health of firefighters
