Screening for occupational health hazards in the rubber industry. Part I.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Monson RR ; Peters, John M. ; Weeks, James L.
• Description:
  Use of a multiphasic health testing program, combined with industrial hygiene assessment of workplace exposures to identify potential occupational health hazards, was evaluated. Audiometric exams, chest X-rays, forced expiratory ventilatory function tests, and standard blood and urine tests were performed on 744 rubber workers employed in the production area of a tire manufacturing factory. Workers also filled out a personal history form and were placed into categories according to similarity of exposure to contaminants. Worker exposure to respirable particulates, solvent vapors, and noise also were measured. The frequency of positive screens among workers classified by exposure was computed and compared with expected values adjusted for confounding variables, including age, sex, race, and smoking and drinking habits. Workers exposed to higher concentrations of respirable particulates had a significantly higher than expected incidence of respiratory and abdominal symptoms. Workers exposed to emissions from heated uncured rubber undergoing plastic deformation had a higher than expected incidence of chest tightness on return to work. Workers exposed to dust in the mill or compounding areas had a higher than expected incidence of urinary tract problems. Exposure to noise or solvent vapors did not increase the incidence of positive screens for any of the tests. The authors conclude that multiphasic health testing, combined with workplace exposure assessment, is a valid method for identifying possible occupational health hazards. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Diagnosis Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Multiphasic Health Testing Diagnostic Tests Gastrointestinal Morbidity Among Rubber Workers Industrial Health Programs Industrial Hygiene Assessment Medical Monitoring Medical Screening Occupational Health Hazard Detection Occupational Medicine Respiratory Morbidity Among Rubber Workers Rubber Industry Screening Methods

  More +
• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  125-141
• Volume:
  2
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00121507
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 1981 Feb; 2(2):125-141
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr. Richard R. Monson, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1981
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19770930
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• End Date:
  19940630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8d2137f7f3e0b070204c996ea1de405e29a936b0551c5248f372a1a9e3504f9cddf83a44f227af61e43cfc722012c37ec493e1a45f6caf0a87cfe76fbde2089f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/184526/cdc_184526_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 905.47 KB ]