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Medical surveillance practices of blue collar and white collar hazardous waste workers
plied with wheel spoke covers or overcoat guards. The common overcoat guards appeared to be too frail to guarantee effective protection. Parents are not sufficiently aware of spoke injury risks nor do they have adequate know-how to avoid this risk. It is recommended to develop safety criteria for effective spoke guards for bicycle wheels and seats combined with an information campaign to parents how to prevent spoke injuries.
Industrial Proportionate Mortality Among Construction Laborers. E Stern, I? Schulte, M. H. Sweeney, M. Fingerhut, P. Vossenas, G. Burkhardt, M.-E Kornak. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 27(4), 485-509. This report presents the results of proportionate mortality ratio (PMR) analysis and proportionate cancer mortality ratio (PCMR) analyses among the 11,685 members of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), who died between 1985-1988, using U.S. proportionate mortality rates as the comparison population. Statistically significant elevated mortality risks were observed for all malignant neoplasms (N = 3285, PMR = 1.13, CI = 1.09-l. 17) as well as for site-specific neoplasm of the lung (N = 1208, PCMR = 1.06, CI = 1.00-l. 12) stomach (N = 170, PCMR = 1.44, CI = 1.23-I .68) and thyroid gland (N = 10 PCMR = 2.24, CI = 1.074.12). The PCMRs for these malignant neoplasm were elevated among both white and non-white males regardless of length of union membership. in most IO-year categories of age at death above 40 and for the three largest LIUNA regions examined. The study also observed 20 mesothelioma deaths, which indicated that some LIUNA members had been previously exposed to asbestos. Statistically significant elevated risks were also observed for deaths from transportation injuries (N = 448, PMR = 1.37, CI = 1.25-l .5 l), falls (N = 85, PMR = 1.34, CI = 1.07-1.66), and other types of injuries (N = 245, PMR = 1.61, CI = 1.42-1.83). The deaths due to injuries were most often observed among those members who had the shortest amount of time within the union, were younger, and first entered the union after 1955. This is the first study that has examined the general mortality experience limited Spring
1997Nolume
28/Number I
to construction code 869).
laborers only (Bureau of Census
Medical Surveillance Practices of Blue Collar and White Collar Hazardous Waste Workers. D.J. Abatemarco, C. D. Delnevo, M. Rosen, B. L. Weidnel; A.R. Gotsch. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 37(5). May 1995. Given the occupational risks of hazardous waste workers, this study was conducted to explore possible differences in medical surveillance practices among blue and white collar workers. Demographic and medical surveillance data were collected from 636 white collar and 206 blue collar trainees, enrolled in health and safety training courses. Overall, 4.5% of the trainees reported being ill or injured because of hazardous substances. Significant differences (p < .OOOl) were noted between groups; blue collar trainees were more likely to have been ill or injured. Differences also existed for medical surveillance enrollment; 2% of the white collar trainees report enrollment compared to 19% of the blue collar trainees (p = ,004). This study indicates that blue collar trainees are more likely to be injured and less likely to be enrolled in medical surveillance programs. Issues of illness and injury, as well as medical surveillance enrollment, must be addressed; ensuring that all workers receive medical surveillance needed to prevent occupational illness in the hazardous waste field. Fatal Farm Injuries: a Five-year Study Utilizing a Unique Surveillance Approach to Investigate the Concordance of Reporting Between Two Data Sources. G. J. Hayden, S. Goodwin Gerberich, G. Maldonado, JOEM, 37(5), May 1995. The agricultural industry has been ranked among the most hazardous. Yet, it has been alleged that occupational injuries and fatalities are seriously under reported. Access to quality agricultural injury data poses a special problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the concordance of reporting of fatal agricultural injuries between death certificate data and the Newspaper Clipping Service data in the state of Minnesota, utilizing a surveillance system developed by the University of Minnesota. 65
Industrial Proportionate Mortality Among Construction Laborers. E Stern, I? Schulte, M. H. Sweeney, M. Fingerhut, P. Vossenas, G. Burkhardt, M.-E Kornak. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 27(4), 485-509. This report presents the results of proportionate mortality ratio (PMR) analysis and proportionate cancer mortality ratio (PCMR) analyses among the 11,685 members of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), who died between 1985-1988, using U.S. proportionate mortality rates as the comparison population. Statistically significant elevated mortality risks were observed for all malignant neoplasms (N = 3285, PMR = 1.13, CI = 1.09-l. 17) as well as for site-specific neoplasm of the lung (N = 1208, PCMR = 1.06, CI = 1.00-l. 12) stomach (N = 170, PCMR = 1.44, CI = 1.23-I .68) and thyroid gland (N = 10 PCMR = 2.24, CI = 1.074.12). The PCMRs for these malignant neoplasm were elevated among both white and non-white males regardless of length of union membership. in most IO-year categories of age at death above 40 and for the three largest LIUNA regions examined. The study also observed 20 mesothelioma deaths, which indicated that some LIUNA members had been previously exposed to asbestos. Statistically significant elevated risks were also observed for deaths from transportation injuries (N = 448, PMR = 1.37, CI = 1.25-l .5 l), falls (N = 85, PMR = 1.34, CI = 1.07-1.66), and other types of injuries (N = 245, PMR = 1.61, CI = 1.42-1.83). The deaths due to injuries were most often observed among those members who had the shortest amount of time within the union, were younger, and first entered the union after 1955. This is the first study that has examined the general mortality experience limited Spring
1997Nolume
28/Number I
to construction code 869).
laborers only (Bureau of Census
Medical Surveillance Practices of Blue Collar and White Collar Hazardous Waste Workers. D.J. Abatemarco, C. D. Delnevo, M. Rosen, B. L. Weidnel; A.R. Gotsch. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 37(5). May 1995. Given the occupational risks of hazardous waste workers, this study was conducted to explore possible differences in medical surveillance practices among blue and white collar workers. Demographic and medical surveillance data were collected from 636 white collar and 206 blue collar trainees, enrolled in health and safety training courses. Overall, 4.5% of the trainees reported being ill or injured because of hazardous substances. Significant differences (p < .OOOl) were noted between groups; blue collar trainees were more likely to have been ill or injured. Differences also existed for medical surveillance enrollment; 2% of the white collar trainees report enrollment compared to 19% of the blue collar trainees (p = ,004). This study indicates that blue collar trainees are more likely to be injured and less likely to be enrolled in medical surveillance programs. Issues of illness and injury, as well as medical surveillance enrollment, must be addressed; ensuring that all workers receive medical surveillance needed to prevent occupational illness in the hazardous waste field. Fatal Farm Injuries: a Five-year Study Utilizing a Unique Surveillance Approach to Investigate the Concordance of Reporting Between Two Data Sources. G. J. Hayden, S. Goodwin Gerberich, G. Maldonado, JOEM, 37(5), May 1995. The agricultural industry has been ranked among the most hazardous. Yet, it has been alleged that occupational injuries and fatalities are seriously under reported. Access to quality agricultural injury data poses a special problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the concordance of reporting of fatal agricultural injuries between death certificate data and the Newspaper Clipping Service data in the state of Minnesota, utilizing a surveillance system developed by the University of Minnesota. 65