Active Surveillance of Engineered Stone Workers Facilitates Early Identification of Silicosis: A Discussion of Surveillance of Occupational Lung Diseases

Details

• Personal Author:
  Alam A ; Cummings, Kristin J. ; Fazio JC ; Flattery J ; Gandhi SA ; Harrison RJ ; Heinzerling A
• Description:
  Silicosis in workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica while fabricating engineered stone products is an emerging respiratory health issue. We describe silicosis in engineered stone workers in California and examine clinical features by the source of identification. Cases were identified passively using hospital-based patient discharge data or actively through outreach and medical testing following enforcement investigation. Outcomes were examined based on the source of case identification. We identified 18 cases diagnosed between 2006 and 2020. Cases identified passively compared to other identification methods were associated with lower percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) (P ≤ .01), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (P ≤ .01), and diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) (P < .01) at the time of diagnosis and were more likely to be identified following death or lung transplant (P = .01). Our experience demonstrates delays in diagnosis and case identification when relying on passive surveillance methods. Enhanced public health surveillance systems can improve the early detection of occupational lung disease and inform future prevention policies. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Dust Lung Diseases Occupational Diseases Occupational Health Quartz Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Silicon Dioxide Silicosis
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Engineered Stone Clinical Symptoms Crystalline Silica Lung Disease Occupational Diseases Occupational Disease Surveillance Occupational Lung Disease Quartz Dust Stone Products Surveillance
• ISSN:
  1048-2911
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement ; Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  119-129
• Volume:
  33
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068408
• Citation:
  New Solut 2023 Nov; 33(2-3):119-129
• Contact Point Address:
  Sheiphali A. Gandhi, Division of Occupational, Environmental, and Climate Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 2330 Post St, Ste 460, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
• Email:
  sheiphali.gandhi@ucsf.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  Public Health Institute
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:39ed2a160df2e5e7dac6fb8242c003a864e3ea272961989e063097db65c98ea809404c73b756761c94cc9492306e4938197ac61a1186225122aa1fcd07267266
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230566/cdc_230566_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.01 MB ]