mgr Agnieszka Rybka

ORCID: 0000-0003-1017-9692

The topic of my dissertation is: "Analysis of exposure to carcinogenic / mutagenic factors in the work environment in the Podkarpackie Province in 2017-2021 and the prevention and awareness of the risk in employees"

BACKGROUND

According to data from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, collecting comprehensive data on carcinogens or mutagens will help to increase the effective supervision of carcinogens or mutagens and will set priorities in the field of occupational cancer prevention. Occupational cancer is underestimated. It is related to the lack of differences in occupational and non-occupational etiology. According to data from the World Health Organization, 200,000 people die from workplace-related cancer. Millions of workers are at risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma, which are the most common occupational cancers. One in ten deaths from lung cancer are closely related to workplace hazards. 125 million people worldwide are at risk from asbestos in the workplace, and at least 90,000 people die from asbestos-related diseases. More than 1,000 people die from leukemia caused by contact with benzene used in the chemical industry. The literature data show that in the case of occupational cancer prevention, health promotion based on employees' motivation to follow cancer prevention in the workplace is effective.

OBJECTIVES:

The aim of the study is to analyze and assess the effectiveness of monitoring carcinogens or mutagens in the work environment in the Podkarpackie Province in 2017-2021 and the attitude of employees to preventive behaviors.

METHOD:

In this study, an anonymous questionnaire will be developed, on the basis of which it will be possible to determine the gender, age structure, education, ethnic origin, general well-being, diseases that employees suffer from, including occupational diseases, prophylaxis, awareness of working with carcinogens, motivation to work with carcinogens. respect. In the event of occupational diseases occurring in plants existing in Podkarpacie, detailed questions will be developed regarding the course of work and the amount of exposure to a carcinogenic or mutagenic factor, length of service, type of activities performed, and applied collective and individual protection measures. In addition, due to the occurrence of an occupational disease in the establishments that carried out the results of the environmental research, their concentration levels will be analyzed.

IMPLICATIONS:

The obtained test results will allow to illustrate the exposure of workers to carcinogenic or mutagenic factors in the Podkarpackie Province and the degree of risk of them to workers in the form of a risk of developing a neoplastic disease. In addition, they will provide knowledge about the perception of the awareness of this part of the Polish population about the importance of compliance with safety rules and procedures adopted in the workplace. This will allow the introduction of methods and procedures in the workplace that could increase compliance with anti-cancer prevention, thus ultimately helping to minimize the risk of developing occupational cancers to an acceptable minimum.

KEYWORDS:

Health protection, carcinogens, mutagenic factors, cancer, work environment.