[Bases of risk management issues in health impairment in occupational medicine]

Theoretical issues and practical implications of risk methodology as applied to occupational health with account for WHO, ILO and ISO concepts are discussed. Conceptual models of risk assessment, risk management and risk communication as well as hazard effective exposure approach and optimization criteria (min exposure and/or risk and optimum cost/benefit relation) are presented. Priority and urgency of risk management procedures are substantiated based on publications and standards of England, Germany, EC, etc for different grades of hazardness with numerical values of occupational morbidity index (N.F. Izmerov et al., 1993b) as quantitative measure of occupational risk for workers' health. The usefulness of risk methodology for occupational and environmental health with regard to more effective prophylaxis is stressed.