Military Hygiene and Hygiene in Emergency Situations - K.O. Pashka 2005

Occupational hygiene of military personnel during the mitigation of emergency consequences and in wartime
Occupational hygiene in the naval forces

The specifics of military service aboard ships are associated with the body's exposure to a complex of adverse environmental factors, namely: specific air composition and microclimate in ship compartments; specific accommodation of personnel; sensory deprivation; rapid and frequent changes in climate zones and time shifts causing circadian rhythm disruption; intensive noise, vibration, rolling, physical inactivity, etc.

During the operation of military equipment and weaponry, environmental parameters can deteriorate due to wear, malfunctions, or design flaws in mechanisms and systems that regulate environmental impacts (such as noise, heat emission, and gases). Sources of these factors may include operating engines, transmission and chassis mechanisms, weapon systems, heating devices, and various technological equipment.

All environmental factors aboard ships can be divided into four groups:

- physical (ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, noise, vibration, microclimate, lighting, mechanical Shock, etc.);

- chemical (normal atmospheric air components and harmful chemical substances, etc.);

- biological (all elements of wildlife, including humans themselves, drinking Water, seawater, food products, etc.).

- socio-domestic (accommodation, Organization OF WORK and rest, water supply, Nutrition, etc.);

Taking into account MODERN CONCEPTS OF the environment on surface ships and submarines, another group of factors must be distinguished—moral and psychological (personal character traits of each crew member, interpersonal relationships, the moral and psychological "climate" within the crew, etc.).

Personnel are affected by microclimatic factors (Temperature, humidity, air velocity, radiant temperature), mechanical-acoustic factors (sound and sound pressure levels, vibration), electromagnetic factors (artificial lighting of workstations, exposure to electromagnetic fields), and Chemical factors (hydrocarbon fuel vapors, exhaust gas components, battery gases, rocket propellant components) of the living and working environment.

These factors dictate medical requirements for personnel Selection for service in the Navy. When permissible limits are exceeded, they may also cause various illnesses among personnel during their service.

The largest share in The Structure of diseases that lead to conscripts being declared unfit for military service, including naval service, consists of mental disorders and Digestive System diseases. Among the conditions rendering officers and warrant officers unfit for military service, the leading places are occupied by Circulatory system diseases, mental disorders, and Nervous system diseases; for naval service specifically, the top concerns are digestive system diseases, followed by circulatory system diseases, nervous system diseases, and mental disorders.

To date, the causes of diseases among officers—and naval officers in particular—have not been sufficiently studied. Therefore, attention must be paid to risk factors contributing to The Development of ischemic Heart disease, mental disorders, nervous system diseases, and digestive disorders among them, and specific proposals should be developed to reduce morbidity rates, discharges, and decommissioning of officer personnel from ships.

Professional and psychological selection of naval specialists is considered one of the promising ways to further improve the quality of Navy personnel staffing.

In recent years, efforts have been underway to preserve the professional longevity of naval aviation personnel, enhance their combat performance, endurance, and psychophysiological resistance to adverse flight factors, including impact overloads during aircraft landings on aircraft carrier decks, which cause high neuro-emotional stress. The combination of hazardous factors typical of Air Force operations with shipboard living conditions—such as noise, vibration, temperature fluctuations, sea sickness, and electromagnetic radiation—negatively affects the health of naval aviators and increases the likelihood of preconditions for flight incidents. Therefore, a significant share of responsibility for ensuring accident-free flight operations of carrier-based aviation crews rests with flight surgeons, who must strictly monitor compliance with hygienic requirements in the daily routine, work and rest schedules of flight personnel, and the provision of adequate nutrition, etc.