Evaluation of occupationally conditioned and non-occupational risks of health disorders in truck drivers.

The authors present analysis of changes in genera! morbidity related to age and length of service for truck drivers (chronic diseases of cardiovascular system, respiratory and digestive organs, urinary system, spine, locomotory system and connective tissue) exposed to complex combination of occupational hazards (unusual work schedule, night shifts, air pollution with automobile transport exhaust gases). Morbid "ity parameters were calculated according to deep medical investigation results in periodic examinations of drivers and their appealability to medical office. General hygienic evaluation of work conditions was performed according to increment in risk of diseases for length of service years (annual risk increase).

[Legal and methodologic problems of assessing relationships between diseases and occupational activities].

The article covers improvement of examination methods aimed to assess relationship between disease and occupation. The authors describe the most topical problems of this examination, not considered by operating regulatory acts, and possible ways to improve: unify the regulations determining criteria of relationships between disease and occupation, give arbitration functions to some occupational centers for resolving conflict and ambivalent examination situations about relationships between disease and occupation, presumption of employer's guilt principle to be implicated into examination concerning relationships between disease and occupation in the case of the employer's inability to justify safe working conditions for the diseased worker who has probable occupational disorder signs.

[Working conditions and health among transport drivers in Saint Petersburg].

The authors present data on working conditions and health state among professional transport drives in Saint Petersburg.

[N.A. Vigdortchik--outstanding national scientist, teacher and public figure, as founder of scientific occupational medicine school in Leningrad (to the 140th birthday)].

The authors analyze activities of N.A. Vigdortchik as a founder of scientific, teaching and practical directions in doctors' work on occupational problems and industrial hygiene in Leningrad.