title: [Individual protection devices--opinion and practice of occupational medicine physician].
abstract: Technological developments have led to changes in work conditions and the character of work itself that modify the responsibilities and tasks of occupational medicine physicians. Their major task is to protect workers' health through primary prevention, which means the employment of all available measures to prevent adverse health effects resulting from working conditions unfavorable to human health. Statistical data on the incidence of occupational diseases and accidents at work in Poland show that despite many beneficial changes, better labor organization or new technologies in production and services, social and economic consequences of exposure-related diseases induced by so called hard harmful agents in the work environments are still the major problem, hence the significance of prevention. Activities aimed at preventing hazards at workplace should be carried out by employers, safety and work hygiene services and physicians involved in prophylactics. In addition, the selection and supply of individual protectors as well as their use by workers to protect themselves against dangerous and harmful factors occurring in the work environment play an essential role. The authors discuss the significance of using individual protectors from the viewpoint of occupational medicine physicians, and the tasks of this group of physicians in the light of epidemiology of occupational diseases induced by various agents present in the work environment.
authors.affiliation: Katedry i Kliniki Chorób Wewnetrznych, Zawodowych i Nadciśnienia Tetniczego Akademii Medycznej we Wrocławiu.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Broszko-Dziedzic
authors.forename: Bogusław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Ryszard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andrzejak
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009787:Occupational Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010819:Physician's Role; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011322:Primary Prevention; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000592:standards*; D012307:Risk Factors