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Mortality in a Swedish rubber tire manufacturing plant: Occupational risks or an “unhealthy worker” effect?
Author(s) -
Wingren Gun
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.20328
Subject(s) - medicine , cohort , cohort study , occupational safety and health , environmental health , occupational medicine , poison control , injury prevention , epidemiology , demography , occupational exposure , pathology , sociology
Background In this cohort study a classification of 12 work categories, with specified common exposures, is used to evaluate the mortality among workers in a Swedish rubber tire plant. Methods Mortality among the cohort members is compared with expected values from national rates. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated for the total cohort, for sub‐cohorts and with the inclusion of a latency requirement. Results Male workers had increased risks for total mortality, circulatory death, respiratory death, mental disorders, epilepsy, injuries/poisoning, and for alcohol‐related death. Many risks were noted among workers exposed to dust, fumes, or vapor. No trend in risk with increasing duration of employment was seen. Discussion Some established risks for rubber workers could be related to some specified work categories. The highest risks were noted among workers having a very short duration of employment indicating a possible “unhealthy worker effect” associated with life‐style factors or to tasks offered to unskilled workers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.