Mortality of steelworkers employed in hot jobs.
Authors
Redmond-CK; Emes-JJ; Mazumdar-S; Magee-PC; Kamon-E
Source
J Environ Pathol Toxicol 1979 May/Jun; 2(5):75-96
Abstract
Heat stress and cause specific mortality were examined in a large cohort of male steelworkers. Jobs were categorized by environmental heat exposure and work load. The mortality experience of workers employed in each job category was compared to that of men who were never employed in any of the work areas surveyed. Mortality was compared within each category of heat stress based on length of employment. Workers in jobs involving higher environmental heat had a decreased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and this risk decreased with increasing length of exposure. Work load did not appear to be a contributing factor. Workers with less than 6 months exposure had a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Increased risk of mortality from digestive disease was found for workers employed in jobs in higher heat categories; when cirrhosis of the liver was excluded, this risk was noted in only the highest category of heat stress. The authors recommend future study or additional analysis of current data to investigate the possible mortality effects of intermittent, intense periods of heat stress. The findings concerning mortality from digestive disorders should be evaluated further using a prevalence survey among heat exposed and unexposed workers, and specific etiologic hypotheses should be formulated.
Keywords
Mortality-data; Thermal-stress; Heat-death; Heat-exposure; Working-load; Environmental-stress; Biostatistics; Statistical-analysis; Epidemiology; Temperature-measurement; Steel-foundries
Document Type
Journal Article
Editors
Bridbord-K; French-J
Source Name
Journal of Environmental Pathology and Toxicology. Toxicological and Carcinogenic Health Hazards in the Workplace: proceedings of the First Annual NIOSH Scientific Symposium, Cincinnati, Ohio, April 1978
