[Occupational diseases in Poland, 2006]

The aim of the paper was to present basic statistical data on occupational diseases diagnosed in 2006.

The work was based on the data compiled from "Occupational Disease Reporting Forms" received by the Central Register of Occupational Diseases in 2006. The data comprised information on individual diseases, gender and age of patients, and duration of occupational exposure to harmful agents responsible for the development of specified pathologies. These data were further classified by sectors of the national economy and voivodships (provinces). The incidence was specified in terms of the number of cases per 100,000 paid employees and per 100,000 employed persons.

In Poland, the number of occupational diseases diagnosed in 2006 accounted for 3129 cases. The incidence rate was 32.8 cases per 100,000 paid employees. The highest incidence rates were noted for chronic disorders of the voice organ (8.0 per 100,000), pneumoconioses (7.0), contagious and parasitic diseases (6.3) and permanent bilateral hearing loss (3.1 per 100 000). As many as 75.8% of patients affected by occupational diseases had been exposed to harmful agents for longer than 20 years. In industrial sectors of the national economy, the highest incidence was noted among workers employed in the mining industry (309.1 cases per 100,000 paid employees), particularly in coal mining (366.8). The highest incidence rates were recorded in the Lubelskie (73.7), Silesian (70.2) and Swietokrzyskie (62.6) voivodships.

The incidence of occupational diseases in Poland continues to abate. A downward trend is primarily due to a lower number of cases of hearing loss, diseases of pleura or pericardium induced by asbestos dust, skin diseases, and intoxications with chemical substances. However, an increase in the number of cases of chronic diseases of the voice organ was revealed.