[The microbiocenosis of the skin of the hands in the workers of a mechanical engineering plant].

Microbiocenosis of skin on hands of 160 men aged 16-60 (of them 40 healthy men not dealing with production (control) and 120 workers of the combine plant) has been studied. The level of bacterial dissemination of persons of the control group has been stated to vary within 3.62 +/- 0.07-3.78 +/- 0.08 1g KOE/lm2. This level in workers of the assembling and metal-working shops essentially decreases and depends on the peculiarities of the production process. The constant contact of skin on hands with oil causes an increase in the amount of bacteria and the contact with emulsions, on the contrary, promotes their decrease. Among the different ecological groups of microorganisms on skin of hands in workers staphylococci occupy a dominating position. The species composition of the latter is nonuniform in workers of different shops. The high level of contamination of skin on hands by Staphylococcus aureus belonging, mainly, to the second phage group has been determined.