Working conditions and health status in workers in gas transportation companies (narrative literature review)

Abstract

Until the 1990s, scientific research focused on the oil and gas industry as a whole. However, no studies were conducted on working conditions or worker health specifically related to gas transportation enterprises. Subsequent studies from 2000 to 2020 showed that workers in key occupations in the gas transportation industry are exposed to a range of adverse occupational factors. The leading one is industrial noise. Therefore, for more than 50 years, sensorineural hearing loss from industrial noise exposure remained the primary occupational disease among workers at gas transportation enterprises.The purpose of the study. Based on the analysis of literature data, to identify harmful and dangerous production factors at the workplaces of employees of gas transmission enterprises and to determine the main ways to prevent diseases that are contraindications for continuing work.Scientific publications indexed in international (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed) and in domestic (RSCI) databases for 1990–2026 were analyzed. A feature of the gas transportation industry in the Russian Federation is that most of the large natural gas transportation enterprises are concentrated in the regions of the Far North and equivalent territories. These territories are characterized by remoteness from the main industrial centers with frequent poor transport accessibility, which requires a special procedure for medical care for workers on the basis of a wide network of departmental health posts. Recent studies have shown that in the territories equated to the Far North, the greatest health risks for employees of the main production of gas transmission enterprises are associated with exposure to industrial noise. In this regard, a program for the prevention of the development and progression of arterial hypertension and sensori-neural hearing loss has been developed and tested, which can significantly reduce the likelihood of loss of occupational disability.Conclusion. Unfavorable factors of the production environment at the workplaces of employees of the main occupations of gas transmission enterprises are considered and systematized. Traditional harmful and dangerous production factors for the personnel of gas compressor and gas distribution stations are industrial noise, general vibration, physical overloads, unfavorable microclimate, potential fire and explosion hazard of equipment.Contribution: Ikonnikova N.V. – collecting and processing material, writing text; Grebenkov S.V. – concept and design of research, analysis, editing; Boyko I.V. – concept and design of research, analysis, editing; Nikanov A.N. – writing the text, editing. All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.Funding. The study had no sponsorship.Received: April 17, 2026 / Revised: June 23, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 202