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The Health Risks Analysis in the Workplace of Stone Quarries, Measure and Evaluation
STODOLOVSKÁ, Květa
The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate the work environment of quarries. Four research questions were asked: What factors can be determined in the working environment of quarries? Are hygienic limits of the monitored factors in the work environment of quarries respected? What measures to protect the health of workers in the quarries are applied by the employers? Are the proposed measures to protect employees' health effective? The bachelor thesis was conducted as qualitative research. Conditions in two quarries in the South Bohemian Region were studied. For data collection, the technique of direct, disinterested and obvious observation, the study of professional literature, legislation, trial protocols and the findings obtained from interviews with managers were used. The data were processed by content analysis. In the theoretical part, I focused on individual risk factors in the work environment of quarries and on health risk assessment. In the practical part, I compared the measurement results with the health limits set out in Government Regulation No. 361/2007 Coll. laying down the conditions of health protection in the workplace, as amended, and in Government Regulation No. 272/2011 Coll. that lays down hygienic limits of noise and vibration. Individual professions were categorized according to Decree No. 432/2003 Coll., as amended. The factors assessed in the work environment of quarries were quarry dust, total and hand-transmitted vibrations, noise and physical strain. The lowest rated factors include dust and total vibrations. Hygienic limits were not always observed, and thus the employer is obliged to take measures to protect the health of employees. The most important step in the development of quarries is the purchase of new, modern machines and the overall modernization of production, resulting in reduction of the workers´ exposure to risk factors.
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