“All professions are harmful”: the most harmful jobs for health. Working is harmful, but working a lot is even more harmful. Is work dangerous?

It is believed that critical “workaholism” begins after 50 hours of work per week. Due to overexertion, problems with sleep may also appear, even without taking into account chronic lack of sleep during overwork, this leads to even greater fatigue.

Alcoholism

In 2015, an international team of scientists conducted the largest ever study of the relationship between alcohol abuse and long working hours. Scientists summarized data from 61 studies on more than 330 thousand people from 14 countries.

Exceeding working hours leads to depression, stress and sleep problems, and workaholics often relieve these effects by drinking alcoholic beverages.

If working hours are 49-54 hours a week, the risk of developing severe alcohol dependence increases by 13%, researchers warn.

This effect is more pronounced in men than in women, and it does not depend on geography or social and economic status.

An inadequate number of working hours, in addition to alcohol abuse and stress, often leads to a sedentary lifestyle, and as a result, problems with weight and joints.

What to do if you have to work a lot

The nervous system requires regular rest, this is due to the need to accumulate a certain amount of specific substances - neurotransmitters - in the nervous tissue. Fatigue tends to accumulate; every hour, every minute of such overtime work needs compensation, reminds neurologist Alexey Mishechkin.

If circumstances require, follow at least a few simple rules:

• Every hour, take a break for 5-10 minutes, during which you do not sit still, be sure to get up, move around, if possible - go out into the fresh air and natural light.
• If you feel very tired, allow yourself to take a short nap, even right at your desk.
• If possible, use gadgets and TV as little as possible during non-working hours.
• Avoid energy drinks, strong tea and coffee, fatty foods, drink more clean water, try not to smoke.
• In the evening, be sure to take a walk, do relaxation exercises, and meditative practices will help you recover after a difficult day.

Working conditions are all those factors that influence the employee, his environment at the workplace or place of work, and the labor process itself. Working conditions that adversely affect the working person and, with sufficient duration or intensity of work, even cause various occupational diseases are considered harmful to humans.

What working conditions are considered harmful?

Dangerous and harmful working conditions can also cause complete or partial disability, exacerbation of somatic and other diseases, and affect the health of offspring. Classification of hazardous working conditions is carried out according to the degree of harmfulness.

1. First degree: working conditions cause functional changes that are restored with prolonged interruption of contact with harmful factors.
2. Second degree: working conditions cause persistent functional changes, leading to manifestations of occupational diseases after long-term work (over 15 years).
3. Third degree: working conditions cause persistent functional changes, leading to occupational diseases and temporary loss of ability to work directly during the period of work.
4. Fourth degree: working conditions cause severe forms of occupational diseases, an increase in chronic diseases, and complete loss of ability to work.

There is a standard list of hazardous work. To determine whether working conditions are harmful, you need to refer to the relevant document. There is Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia No. 46n dated February 16, 2009 “On approval of the List of industries, professions and positions in which work gives the right to receive free therapeutic and preventive nutrition in connection with particularly harmful working conditions, rations of therapeutic and preventive nutrition, standards of free the issuance of vitamin preparations and the Rules for the free issuance of therapeutic and preventive nutrition.” Some positions in which work is harmful are indicated in the employment contracts of specific enterprises.

According to Article 57 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, if the nature of the work involves the presence of harmful or dangerous working conditions, then the following information must be indicated in the employment contract: specialties indicating qualifications; specific type of assigned work. Moreover, if the performance of work is associated with the provision of compensation and benefits or the presence of restrictions, then their names must correspond to the names specified in the qualification directories.

• working hours, if it differs from the general rules established by the employer;
• conditions of remuneration, additional payments and allowances for hazardous working conditions, indicating their characteristics.

In accordance with Article 91 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, normal working hours cannot exceed 40 hours per week. But Article 92 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation provides that workers engaged in work with harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions must be provided with a reduced working time - no more than 36 hours per week.

At the same time, according to Article 94 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, for workers engaged in harmful and dangerous work, the maximum permissible duration of daily work (shift) is established, which cannot exceed:

• with a 36-hour work week - 8 hours;
• with a 30-hour work week or less - 6 hours.

The employment contract may provide for an increase in the duration of daily work (shift) in comparison with that established by Article 94 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, subject to compliance with the norms of Article 92 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation and the hygienic standards of working conditions determined by law.

List of hazardous professions

The list of hazardous professions included the following positions:

• employees of mining industry enterprises;
• metallurgical workers extracting ferrous and non-ferrous metals;
• persons engaged in the production of coke-chemical, coke and thermo-anthracite substances;
• workers producing generator gas;
• citizens working on the creation of dinas products;
• employees of chemical companies;
• persons handling gunpowder, ammunition equipment, and initiators and explosives;
• employees of oil and gas processing enterprises, as well as shale, coal and gas condensate;
• persons involved in metalworking;
• citizens working in electrical production and repairing electrical devices;
• employees authorized to manufacture radio equipment and electronics;
• workers producing construction materials;
• persons working on the creation of glass and porcelain objects;
• citizens making objects from artificial and synthetic fibers;
• employees employed at pulp and paper industry enterprises;
• personnel working on the creation of drugs, medical and biological agents and materials;
• persons performing labor duties in healthcare organizations;
• citizens participating in printing production;
• transport service employees;
• workers dealing with radioactive substances who are exposed to the negative effects of ionizing radiation;
• persons working at nuclear energy and nuclear industry enterprises;
• citizens engaged in diving work;
• electric welders and gas cutters performing their work duties inside tanks, reservoirs or ship compartments;
• employees working with dangerous microorganisms;
• workers involved in metal etching procedures in hazardous solutions;
• persons cleaning metal or metal parts using quartz sand;
• personnel of mercury substations;
• citizens working on energy trains and power plants;
• employees of food industry enterprises;
• employees of film copying organizations;
• persons carrying out construction, restoration and repair work;
• personnel of enterprises providing communication services;
• citizens providing agrochemical services to agricultural organizations;
• employees providing training for mass professions who work in organizations in the chemical, coal and mining industries;
• soldering workers, lime extinguishers, mechanics and vulcanizers, stokers, varnishers and machinists.

Benefits for workers engaged in hazardous work

Article 117 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation provides for the right to additional annual paid leave for workers who are engaged in work related to the adverse effects on human health of harmful physical, chemical, biological and other factors.

• in areas of radioactive contamination;
• in underground and open-pit mining in open-pit mines and quarries.

The minimum duration of such leave must be seven calendar days. Its specific duration, depending on the class of working conditions, should be determined by the relevant instructions.

Additional leave is provided to employees if they actually worked in harmful and dangerous working conditions for at least 11 months during the working year. If less time is worked, additional leave is granted in proportion to the time worked. To receive additional leave for hazardous working conditions, you must have work experience in hazardous conditions, and this includes only the time actually worked in these conditions.
According to Article 126 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, replacing such additional leave with monetary compensation is not allowed; its payment is possible only upon dismissal of the employee.

If an employee has the right to receive additional leave due to harmful working conditions on several grounds, leave is granted on one of these grounds.

The length of service that gives the right to additional leave for work in harmful and dangerous working conditions does not include:

• period of temporary incapacity for work;
• maternity leave time;
• time for performing state and public duties.

Remuneration for workers with hazardous working conditions

Article 147 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation establishes that remuneration for workers engaged in work with harmful and dangerous working conditions is set at an increased rate compared to the tariff rates established for various types of work with normal working conditions, but not lower than the amounts established by labor legislation.

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 870 determines the minimum size of such an increase - no less than 4% of the tariff rate (salary) compared to normal working conditions. More specific standards are established by departmental regulations, industry agreements, collective and labor agreements.

In addition, the benefits include regular medical examinations, which are mandatory and periodic.

For those employed in hazardous industries, the law also provides for daily inspections, which must be carried out both at the beginning of the working day and during or at the end of the shift. The list of harmful and dangerous production factors and work, during the performance of which mandatory preliminary and periodic medical examinations are carried out, as well as the procedure for their conduct, are established by Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated April 11, 2011 No. 302n. This includes work at heights, steeplejack work, various types of geological exploration and construction work, including in mountainous areas, work involving the use of flammable and explosive materials, work under water, and various underground work.

A complete list of production factors and work, during which mandatory preliminary and periodic medical examinations are carried out, as well as the procedure for their implementation, are established by Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated April 11, 2011 No. 302n. According to Part 1 of Article 76 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the employer is obliged to suspend from work an employee who has not passed a mandatory medical examination (psychiatric examination) or if medical contraindications have been identified for his work in harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions. If the employee did not undergo a medical examination (examination) through no fault of his own, in accordance with Part 3 of Article 76 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, he is paid for the time of suspension as downtime.

Restrictions on work in hazardous conditions in accordance with Article 253 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation are established for minors and women.

The list of industries, jobs and positions with harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions, in which the work of women is prohibited, was approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of February 25, 2000 No. 162.

The main restrictions are restrictions on the use of women’s labor in heavy work and work with harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions, as well as in underground work, with the exception of non-physical work or work on sanitary and consumer services, a ban on the use of women’s labor in work associated with lifting and manually moving weights exceeding the maximum permissible standards for them.

For minors, there are also certain restrictions on working in harmful and dangerous conditions. These are underground work or harmful to health and moral development (trade in alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, narcotic and toxic drugs and their transportation, gambling, nightclubs), work related to the movement of heavy objects.

The rules for providing workers with special clothing, special footwear and other personal protective equipment are approved by Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated June 1, 2009 No. 290n. Providing workers with personal protective equipment, flushing and neutralizing agents is provided for in Article 212 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, according to which these funds must be provided by the employer at his expense, and before that undergo mandatory certification or declaration of conformity.

Personal protective equipment is issued based on the results of workplace certification for working conditions. The same order established the norms and conditions for the distribution of milk - 0.5 liters per shift, regardless of its duration. At the request of the employee, the provision of milk and other equivalent products can be replaced by a compensation payment.

A preferential old-age pension in accordance with Article 27 of the Federal Law of December 17, 2001 No. 173 Federal Law “On Labor Pensions in the Russian Federation” can be assigned earlier than that established for all ages to men at 50 years old and women at 45 years old, if they have worked respectively for at least 10 years and 7 years 6 months in underground work, in work with hazardous working conditions and in hot shops and have an insurance record of at least 20 and 15 years, respectively.

Men at 55 years old and women at 50 years old, if they have worked in jobs with difficult working conditions for at least 12 years 6 months and 10 years with an insurance period of 25 and 20 years, respectively.
If the period of work in hazardous conditions is less than half of the specified period, but at the same time there is a required length of insurance service, then a preferential pension is also assigned, but with a decrease in the base age:

• in the first case, for 1 year for each full year of work in hazardous conditions;
• in the second case, for 1 year: for men - for every 2 years and 6 months of hazardous work, for women - for every 2 years of hazardous work.

Other benefits when granting pensions, which depend on the specific profession, length of working hours and length of service.

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The working day is over, we can go home - but work follows us. In the evenings, on weekends, on vacation, she looms somewhere nearby and is always ready to burst into our lives through a mobile phone, email or Skype. Of course, these are the demands of today, but how does such constant inclusion and availability affect us?

A study on this topic was carried out by Jan Dettmers and his colleagues from the University of Hamburg 1. They suggested that the lack of a clear separation of work and free time should have a negative impact on well-being, since constant stress prevents the worker from recovering both physically and psychologically. The participants in the study were employees who on some days, due to work, had to be “in the access zone” all the time, and on other days, at their leisure, they could be completely their own.

During the experiment, 132 people (most of them men) from 13 companies of various profiles, from IT to transport, at the request of the researchers, wrote entries in a diary every morning, describing their psychological state. As it turns out, after a day of being on call, they felt tired, stressed, and generally out of sorts.

What is most interesting is that this condition was not associated with the number of calls received in free time, their duration or the complexity of the issues discussed.
It seems that the matter was different: the very anticipation of a possible call and, as a result, the feeling that they had lost control over their free time, practically “ate up” all the bonuses from the vacation.

In addition, cortisol levels were measured in 51 participants. This is a hormone that is a marker of stress. Its level rises sharply upon awakening, this is a kind of preparation for the expected stressful situations of the coming day. The higher the level, the greater the expectation of stress. It was measured using saliva samples. Immediately after waking up, after 15 minutes and after half an hour, the participant was required to chew a cotton ball and then place it in the refrigerator. The results of the tests revealed that the level of cortisol upon awakening was higher the morning after a day spent “on call.”

Previous studies by American psychologists Youngah Park, Charlotte Fritz and Steve Jex have already shown that business contacts in free time prevent a person from relaxing and disconnecting from professional concerns 2. Now it turns out that even waiting for a “business” call in your free time can increase stress. In fact, it would be incorrect to consider this time as non-working time, say the study authors.

In the organizations that participated in the experiment of German psychologists, the days when the employee should be on call were specified in advance in the contract. But there are many companies where such a connection is not specified, but is taken for granted. It's even harder for their employees. The more work interferes with their non-work time, the less control they feel over their free time.

However, it would be wrong to blame only new technologies for this situation. It largely depends on ourselves how much we can switch from work to leisure, emphasize Yonga Park and her co-authors. For example, they advise creating a ritual for ending the workday, as well as setting clearer boundaries in communication with your colleagues.

1 J. Dettmers et al. "Extended work availability and its relation with start-of-day mood and cortisol." Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, August 2015.

2 Y. Park, C. Fritz, S. Jex “Relationships between work-home segmentation and psychological detachment from work: The role of communication technology use at home.” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2011, vol. 16(4).

Working in an office is considered relatively safe - at least compared to cleaning windows on the 44th floor of a skyscraper.

But still, everyday office work can be harmful to health: for example, sitting at a computer for a long time causes neuromuscular disorder, and communicating with a grumpy boss leads to stress. Business Insider identified 16 reasons why working in an office can take a toll on your well-being over time.

16 reasons office work is bad for your health

Inactivity shortens life

Sitting in one place for a long time is very harmful. And body pain is only a small part of the possible problems, because a sedentary lifestyle shortens the duration of your existence. It also increases your chances of getting musculoskeletal diseases, heart problems, diabetes, cancer, obesity and other problems, even if you exercise regularly.

Approximately 86% of American workers sit at work all day. If you also lead this lifestyle, try to move for at least a few minutes every hour.

Pay attention to how you sit - slouched or upright.

• To begin, sit on the edge of a chair (no need to lean back). Take a hunched position.
• Now try to sit up straight, straighten your back as much as possible. Stay in this position for a few seconds.
• Loosen the position a little. But you shouldn’t bend more than 10 degrees. This is how you should sit.

Using a desk with a treadmill increases your chances of injury

Treadmill desks help prevent obesity and heart disease, which is why treadmill desks have been very popular for a while. But in 2013, the Wall Street Journal reported that their owners often fall.

If you have to travel more than 10 miles to get to work, remember that traveling that long can cause your cholesterol and blood sugar levels to rise. In addition, the risk of depression and stress increases.

Public transport is no better. One study found that people who commute more than 30 minutes by bus have significantly lower levels of life satisfaction than others. Moreover, even those who ride a bicycle to work are not immune from such a negative impact.

Another recent study reports that most people are unaware of how miserable commuting to and from work makes us. Think about this the next time you're looking for a new job.

Lack of fresh air leads to illness and reduces productivity

The Environmental Protection Agency has a term called "unhealthy building syndrome," which refers to "an unpleasant condition that people experience when they spend long periods of time in a building, in the absence of any underlying medical condition or other cause."

At the same time, one study showed that employees who work in “green” spaces - that is, in buildings with good ventilation and low levels of air pollution - exhibit better intellectual performance than those who work in “typical” offices.

If you work more than 55 hours a week, you risk apoplexy

Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Tired and irritated eyes after sitting in front of a monitor for a long time are a sign of “computer vision syndrome.” According to research, this syndrome occurs in more than 60% of Americans.

To prevent your eyes from getting tired, use the 20-20-6 rule: after every 20 minutes of work, look for 20 seconds at some object located at a distance of 6 meters.

Your eyes have muscles that help them move and focus on different objects. But if you spend hours looking at a screen, that is, at an object that is constantly at the same distance, these muscles weaken and have a hard time adjusting properly when we move our gaze.

Lack of sunlight leads to insomnia and poor concentration

Artificial lighting doesn't just make your skin look unhealthy. It negatively affects your body clock, causing you to become sleepy and inactive.

This is not an exaggeration - you can really die from boredom.

Researchers at University College London believe that those who complain of boredom are more likely to die young. And those who spend a lot of time in tedious monotony risk dying from heart disease or stroke.

Scientists are quick to assure that boredom is not a direct cause of fatal diseases. However, a monotonous lifestyle often leads to the development of bad habits, including drug use.

Offices and keyboards are breeding grounds for germs

If you don't keep your office clean, it will become a fertile breeding ground for harmful bacteria.

Scientists from the University of Arizona conducted an interesting experiment: they placed a virus in a building (which cannot be infected by people) and tracked its path through the office.

In just two hours, the virus entered the kitchen - on the coffee pot, the microwave button, the refrigerator door handle - and then penetrated into the toilets, private offices and workplaces. The researchers then discovered that virus particles densely covered phones, desks and computers.

After four hours, the virus could be found on more than 50% of all frequently touched surfaces and on the hands of almost half of the office employees.

Experts doubt that disinfectants can help in this situation, because they also destroy beneficial bacteria. How to stop the spread of germs? Perhaps we should give up shaking hands.

Open spaces are fashionable, but harmful

Almost 70% of all American offices have abandoned the office system in favor of open space. This office space may have a positive effect on teamwork and communication, but at the same time it has a negative impact on health.

If your mouse stays in the same place all day, you may develop chronic neuromuscular disorder (RSI).

These injuries occur when the tendons in the hand are strained for too long due to repetitive movements, prolonged awkward hand positioning, and constant pressure on a hard surface.

To avoid them, use a special wrist rest or get a smaller keyboard so that you have to move your hand less often.

Frequent use of a smartphone can cause your thumb to become inflamed.

Those who very often use a smartphone for texting can damage their thumbs, because they are the ones most often used to type text.

A physician at the Philadelphia Hand Center believes that excessive phone use can lead to finger inflammation and cause pain, cramps, aches and even osteoarthritis. The best way to treat this condition is with rest and ice.

Uncomfortable shoes can cause back pain, muscle cramps and chronic headaches

High heels may make you look taller and more confident, but they are surprisingly harmful to your body.

Between 2005 and 2009, the number of women visiting orthopedists increased by 75%.

Many people, when looking for a job, wonder whether it is worth considering advertisements for vacancies that require work at night? Today it is not so easy to find a job that would meet all the preferences of the applicant, so an increasing number of people, viewing vacancies, are beginning to pay attention to advertisements that require going to work at night.

How safe is it for health? Does working at night pose any danger to our body?

Who has to work at night?

As a rule, workers of services whose work must be ensured around the clock have to go on night shifts. These are police officers, ambulance doctors, firefighters, train drivers, pilots, airport ground service dispatchers, employees of various call centers, who are ready at any moment to provide advice to the client, whenever such a need arises.

The work of hotel administrators, maids, security guards, parking lot workers, watchmen, bartenders in nightclubs, representatives of the baking industry and people of many other professions cannot do without night shifts.

What are the health risks of working at night?

As numerous studies have shown, the human body has adapted over many centuries of evolution to produce wakefulness and sleep hormones at strictly defined times.

During the day, it helps to lead an active lifestyle, improves our reaction, speed of decision-making, and increases physical tone. And in the evening, with the start of melatonin production, activity gradually decreases, the body “switches” to the night phase. At this time, the activity of all processes in the body decreases, we calm down, and begin to prepare for sleep.

But if, instead of sleep, we have to go to work, the body receives serious stress - physical conditions at night are noticeably reduced, which does not make it possible to perform the same operations that can be done without much difficulty during the day, with the same ease.

Attention is distracted, which can pose a direct threat to the life and health of people driving any type of transport. Reaction at night decreases, and decisions made in a sleepy head can be very rash. It’s not for nothing that there is a saying: “The morning is wiser than the evening.”

Doctors advise considering night shift work only as a temporary job and only in cases of truly serious financial difficulties. It is advisable to change it at the first opportunity.

When constantly working at night, changes begin to occur in the body that can lead to serious harm to health. As studies have revealed, when regularly working night shifts, hormonal balance is disrupted, sleep deteriorates, a person becomes more nervous, problems with excess weight appear, which in this case will be very difficult to get rid of, since it is caused by impaired glucose regulation. There is a risk of developing diabetes, hypertension and various diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Statistics show that women who work night shifts have an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

As you age, working night shifts becomes increasingly harmful to your health. During one of the experiments conducted by scientists at the University of Virginia, a more than doubling of mortality was found among groups of experimental mice whose waking and sleeping hours were artificially shifted by several hours relative to their usual schedule.

How to reduce the harm from night shifts?

But what to do if you need to live on something, but there are no suitable vacancies for work during the day? Shouldn't we go to the porch?

Of course not. If you need income right now, you can temporarily get a job with night shifts and change it at the first opportunity. And during the period when you work at night, adhere to the following recommendations:

• try to sleep at least 7-8 hours a day;
• if it is not possible to sleep 8 hours in a row, divide your sleep into 2 parts - 6 hours after the shift and 2 hours before work;
• ask your loved ones not to disturb you during your vacation, explain how important it is for you to get enough sleep during night shifts;
• turn off your phone while you’re resting so that it doesn’t disturb you or keep you awake;
• hang thick, light-proof curtains in the room to block out light from the street to make it easier to get ready for sleep;
• try to purchase a special light-protective mask that is worn over the eyes and performs the same function as blackout curtains;
• buy earplugs that will help you get rid of the usual daytime noise of cars passing outside the window, TV talking behind the wall and other distracting sounds;
• try falling asleep to the sounds of “white noise”, a recording of the sea surf or rain.

How to eat properly when working night shifts?

You've probably noticed that after lunch you always feel sleepy? Therefore, working at night. try not to overeat before work.

The diet of a night shift worker must include:

• lean meat;
• dairy products;
• fresh vegetables and fruits.

Food should not contain large amounts of “harmful” carbohydrates. Refuse tea with cookies, exclude flour, sweets, and products containing potato starch from your diet.

Don't get carried away with coffee. Even if it helps you stay active, over time, large amounts of this energizing drink can lead to cardiovascular problems.

What to do if you want to sleep while working at night?

It is clear that it is impossible to deceive the body and its biorhythms always have a clearly defined cycle, allowing us to accurately determine the time of day.

But if you have to work at night, try to adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Try to provide good bright lighting for your work area. This will help “deceive” the body, letting it know that it is still too light for sleep.
2. Provide fresh air. Make sure the room you are in during the night shift is well ventilated.
3. Try a variety of invigorating scents. The smells of lemon, orange, bergamot, fir, and juniper are good tonic and help drive away sleep during night work.