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

Fundamentals of organizing sanitary and hygienic measures in ground forces during peacetime emergencies and wartime. Hygiene of field quartering of troops and the population.
State Sanitary Supervision (SSS)

Special attention is paid by our state to state sanitary supervision over the performance of functional duties by formation officials (management) regarding the hygienic support of the personnel and the population.

State sanitary supervision is the monitoring of compliance with sanitary legislation, Sanitary and anti-epidemic norms and rules by state bodies, local self-government bodies, enterprises, institutions, organizations, other economic entities, and citizens in order to prevent violations and, if detected, eliminate them. It is carried out on behalf of the state by bodies and institutions of the Sanitary and epidemiological service of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

In the Armed Forces of Ukraine, state sanitary supervision is carried out by specialists of the sanitary and epidemiological service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. It is divided into preventive and current supervision.

Preventive sanitary supervision is conducted at the stages of design, development, construction, and acceptance testing of stationary and mobile assets of weapons and military equipment, general-purpose and special-purpose buildings and structures, items of military clothing, footwear, gear, personal protective equipment, as well as objects and material assets approved for operation, armament, and supply in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Preventive state sanitary supervision involves monitoring compliance with sanitary norms and rules during the construction of stationary and mobile military equipment and weapon systems, the establishment of equipment storage parks, workshops, educational buildings, sports halls, firing ranges, and sports grounds. It also covers hygienic requirements when developing new samples of military uniforms, footwear, gear, and personal protective equipment, as well as establishing training, work, and rest schedules for personnel to maintain their combat readiness, working capacity, and health.

The tasks of the specialists in the institutions carrying out this supervision are:

- approval and submission for approval of drafts of state standards that establish norms and requirements for workplace environmental quality, occupational safety, environmental protection, as well as departmental building codes;

- participation of sanitary and epidemiological service specialists in selecting land plots for the construction of stationary military-technical facilities;

- conducting hygienic expert evaluations of standard and individual construction projects for military-technical facilities, as well as design documentation for the industrial manufacturing of prototype military equipment and weapon systems;

- exercising selective control over compliance by design and engineering organizations with hygienic norms and medical-technical requirements in their developed documentation concerning the construction or manufacturing of facilities, equipment items, weapons, clothing, footwear, gear, and personal protective equipment;

- monitoring compliance with hygienic requirements during the construction, manufacturing, and modernization of military-technical facilities, equipment items and samples, military clothing, footwear, gear, and personal protective equipment;

- participation of medical and sanitary-epidemic service specialists in laboratory, range, and military (naval) trials of facilities and equipment prototypes, as well as in working and state commissioning committees for their Introduction into service and supply;

- participation of medical service specialists in developing daily routines, the most rational work and rest schedules for military personnel, finding optimal Methods and Means to enhance their endurance and physical conditioning, and conducting professional psychophysiological Selection of military specialists.

Current sanitary supervision is carried out during combat training and logistical support of personnel to assess the Sanitary and hygienic condition of formations (population groups), identify its impact on morbidity and other health indicators of military personnel, and develop proposals for preventive measures and control over their Structure/175.html">Implementation.

State sanitary supervision over military working conditions is conducted to prevent occupational and other diseases, injuries, and traumas associated with harmful environmental workplace factors. It constitutes a system of control over compliance with hygienic norms and sanitary rules during the Organization of combat training for troops (naval forces), maintenance and operation of mobile and stationary military equipment and weapon systems, as well as production, construction, and other operations performed by personnel of military units and formations.

The Functions of state sanitary supervision during the daily combat training activities of military personnel include:

- participation of medical service chiefs of ships and military units, and specialists of sanitary and epidemiological institutions, in drafting combat training plans to most fully implement hygienic requirements. These ensure adherence to work and rest regimes, optimal physical exertion intensity throughout the day and the entire training period, alternation of various classes, and time distribution throughout the day taking into account personal hygiene, morning physical exercises, regular meals, rest, and Sleep for military personnel;

- monitoring classroom conditions in accordance with hygienic requirements regarding the area of educational premises, natural and artificial lighting, ventilation, heating, furnishings, maintenance, cleaning quality, and ventilation routines;

- inspecting the equipment and gear of military personnel during outdoor classes and ensuring compliance with Prevention requirements against hypothermia and overheating, as well as assessing the sanitary condition of training sites;

- monitoring the implementation of measures to prevent injuries and poisoning of military personnel by technical substances, gunpowder, and exhaust gases during firing exercises and the operation of military equipment;

- verifying the execution of preventive measures against adverse environmental and meteorological factors, high and low temperatures, ensuring rest, and preventing fatigue among personnel during long marches;

- assessing the compliance of the magnitude and intensity of physical exertion with the physical conditioning level of military personnel.

Specialists performing state sanitary supervision over compliance with hygienic requirements during the organization and conduct of physical training and hardening of personnel in military units and on ships evaluate the sanitary condition of outdoor and indoor physical training and sports facilities, and monitor the sanitary and technical condition of sports equipment and structures. Particular attention is paid to inspecting injury prevention measures, one of which is monitoring the gradual increase in physical exertion during daily sessions and throughout the entire training period, as well as ensuring rational sports training regimens. An effective way to strengthen the health of military personnel is the implementation of body-hardening Procedures, but this process also requires systematic control.

During state sanitary supervision over the working conditions of military personnel engaged in the repair and maintenance of weapons and military equipment, as well as construction and housekeeping tasks at facilities, the following are checked: the compliance of their Location, equipment, and outfitting with established sanitary standards; adherence to safe work rules according to available instructions; and the briefing of personnel on safety precautions prior to work and its registration.

The duties of specialists in sanitary and epidemiological institutions include taking measurements and conducting Laboratory tests on microclimate parameters, lighting, levels of harmful impurities in the working zone air, noise, vibration, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and other environmental factors to determine their compliance with hygienic standards.

Supervision over the proper accounting, storage, and consumption of toxic technical fluids and radioactive substances, as well as the provision of personnel with special clothing and personal protective equipment for the eyes, respiratory Organs, and Skin, must be planned and systematically carried out at all facilities included in the list of those subject to sanitary inspection.

Creating conditions for personnel to wash up after completing tasks, and during the cold season, also Setting up warming shelters for specialists servicing equipment outdoors, is a direct duty of unit commanders.

The presence and full stocking of first-aid kits at all facilities is mandatory. Personnel proficiency in using them is achieved through military-medical training sessions conducted primarily by mid-level medical staff under the supervision of physicians.

To safeguard health, individuals working under METABOLISM/18.html">The Influence of occupational hazards must undergo timely medical examinations.

The organization of therapeutic and preventive Nutrition is an effective measure for preserving the health of service members.

Based on the analysis of sanitary inspection results regarding combat training conditions and the standard of living and logistics support for service members—taking into account morbidity rates and overall health indicators—sanitary-epidemiological service specialists develop proposals for preventive measures; provide organizational and methodological guidance to the medical service of military units regarding sanitary supervision over working and living conditions; offer practical assistance to the command in implementing measures aimed at preserving and strengthening personnel health, ensuring the sustained sanitary well-being of military units and formations; and conduct systematic work on the hygienic education of all categories of personnel.

Thus, the implementation of State Sanitary Supervision (SSS) by specialists from sanitary-epidemiological institutions and military (naval) doctors over the conditions and compliance of military personnel with the work-rest schedule in the armed forces generally makes it possible to maintain the health and operational capability of military specialists at a sufficiently high level.

Accordingly, sanitary and hygienic measures are an integral part of combat training and logistics support for personnel. Their content and scope are determined by the sanitary legislation of Ukraine, regulations, orders, and decrees of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, as well as hygienic standards and sanitary rules that are mandatory for execution by commanders at all levels, support service officials, and the medical service.