A Focus Group Assessment of Work Organization Risk Factors for Workplace Violence in Mental Health [2005]

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cullen MR ; Holm CT ; Liu-Y ; Redlich CA ; Sparer, Judith ; Stowe MH ; Wisnewski AV ; Woskie SR
• Description:
  Isocyanates are a common cause of immune-mediated occupational asthma. However, the health and immunologic effects of isocyanates under current working conditions and risk factors remain poorly defined. A cross-sectional epidemiologic study of 262 body shop workers from 36 shops, Survey of Painters and Repairers of Autobodies by Yale (SPRAY), was performed to characterize isocyanate exposures and their effects on body shop workers, using questionnaires, physiologic and immunologic assessment of the workers. Individual isocyanate exposures were estimated based upon total reactive isocyanate concentration determined from air and personal sampling and personal worker activity diaries. A low prevalence of asthma (2.3%) using spirometry, methacholine challenge, symptoms, and peak flows was noted, but isocyanate-specific immunologic responses were present in 26% workers. Hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI)-specific IgG was present in 21% of HDI-exposed workers. The presence of HDI-specific IgG was strongly associated with current total isocyanate exposure (total NCO 24.1 vs 8.8 ug NCO/m3; p = .0004), but did not correlate with race, total IgE, asthma symptoms or smoking. However, work-related asthma-like symptoms and methacholine responsiveness were more prevalent in those with higher HDI-specific IgG (>1:160). HDI specific IgE was present in 6 workers (3%), 5 of whom also had HDI-specific IgG, only one of whom had work-related asthma symptoms. These findings demonstrate that HDI-IgG is present in a substantial proportion of HDI exposed workers and correlates with current isocyanate exposure. High HDI-IgG titres may suggest isocyanate asthma. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asthma Asthma, Occupational Automobiles Environmental Monitoring Epidemiology Immune System Isocyanates Occupational Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety

  More +
• Keywords:
  Air-sampling Automotive-industry Bronchial-asthma Diseases Exposure-assessment Exposure-levels Immunology Occupational-diseases Occupational-exposure Workers
• ISSN:
  1546-3222
• Publisher:
  American Thoracic Society
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary ; Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  Connecticut ; Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20030108
• Citation:
  Proc Am Thorac Soc 2005 May; 2(Abstracts):A816
• Email:
  meredith.stowe@yale.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2005
• NORA Priority Area:
  Disease and Injury: Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Performing Organization:
  Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  19970901
• End Date:
  20020831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:65f27df7f8d17d8f3aa156200cf1e86034efe2c40197e7da2c28866ce2a0b2dc2bb4e9f5f663bdd3f7bcde25f3c6e7284ed585314ef02e640822c236c24c4c75
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/190932/cdc_190932_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 483.48 KB ]