Mortality Patterns Among Electrical Workers Employed in the U.S. Construction Industry, 1982 – 1987

Details

• Personal Author:
  Palu S ; Petersen, Martin R. ; Robinson CF
• Description:
  Background: Studies of electrical workers in the utility and manufacturing industries have reported excess site-specific cancer. No previous studies of electrical workers in the construction industry have been conducted. Methods: Our study evaluated the mortality patterns of 31,068 U.S. members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers who primarily worked in the construction industry and died 1982-1987. Results: Comparison to the U.S. population by using the NIOSH life table showed significantly elevated proportionate mortality for many causes. Excess mortality for leukemia (proportionate mortality ratio (PMR)=115) and brain tumors (PMR=136) is similar to reports of electrical workers with occupational exposure to electric and magnetic fields in the electric utility or manufacturing industry. Excess deaths due to melanoma skin cancer (PMR=123) are consistent with findings of other PCB-exposed workers. A significantly elevated PMR was observed for the diseases caused by asbestos: lung cancer (PMR=117), asbestosis (PMR=247), and malignant mesothelioma (PMR=356) and from fatal injuries, particularly electrocutions (PMR=1180). The findings of statistically significant excess deaths for prostate cancer (PMR=107), musculoskeletal disease (PMR=130), suicide (PMR=113), and disorders of the blood-forming organs (PMR=141) were unexpected. Conclusions: Results suggest that more detailed investigations of occupational risk factors and evaluation of preventive practices are needed to prevent excess mortality in this hazardous occupation. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coal Coal Mining Environmental Monitoring Ergonomics Geology Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Asbestosis Author Keywords: Electrician Blood-disorders Blood Disorders Brain-damage Brain-disorders Brain-tumors Brain Tumor Cancer Cancer-rates Construction-industry Construction-workers Electrical-fields Electrical-industry Electrical-shock Electrical-workers Electrocution Electrocutions Electromagnetic-fields Indoor Injuries Injury-prevention Leukemia Magnetic-fields Magnetic Field Mesothelial-cells Mesothelioma Mortality-data Mortality-rates Musculoskeletal-system Musculoskeletal-system-disorders Outdoor Prostate-cancer Skin-cancer Statistical-analysis Traumatic-injuries

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  36
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20027697
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 1999 Dec; 36(6):630-637
• Contact Point Address:
  Cynthia F. Robinson, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, Mail Stop R-44, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Email:
  CFR2@CDC.GOV
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2000
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:afbfa8860812b60b5dfc90dc1141dabf27d2086033b99b575ecc9fa1425f0ecec12f1abe2fd92806527a2ca9f245e50209d1beecd319ae9d1bac9726823af019
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/197632/cdc_197632_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 229.28 KB ]