This study assessed the relationships of job tasks and living conditions with occupational injuries among coal miners. The sample included randomly selected 516 underground workers. They completed a standardized self-administred questionnaire. The data were analyzed via logistic regression method. The rate of injuries in the past two years was 29.8%. The job tasks with significant crude relative risks were: power hammer, vibrating hand tools, pneumatic tools, bent trunk, awkward work posture, heat, standing about and walking, job tasks for trunk and upper/lower limbs, pain caused by work, and muscular tiredness. Logistic model shows a strong relationship between the number of job tasks (JT) and injuries (adjusted ORs vs. JT 0-1: 2.21, 95%CI 1.27-3.86 for JT 2-6 and 3.82, 2.14-6.82 for JT>or=7), and significant ORs>or=1.71 for face work, not-good-health-status, and psychotropic drug use. Musculoskeletal disorders and certain personality traits were also significant in univariate analysis. Therefore job tasks and living conditions strongly increase the injuries, and occupational physicians could help workers to find remedial measures.
A previous study on 536 retired coke oven plant workers in Lorraine Collieries (France) reported an excess of deaths from lung cancer (standardised mortality ratio (SMR) = 251) compared with the French male population. Occupational exposures during working life were retraced for each subject, but the number of deaths during the observation period was small, and smoking habits were known only for dead subjects. In 1988, the cohort was re-examined (182 deaths occurred between 1963 and 1987) and smoking habits were determined for all the subjects. This study confirmed the excess of lung cancer (SMR = 238, p < 0-001). It showed an excess of mortality from all causes (SMR = 141, p < 0-001), overall cancers (SMR = 133, p < 0 05), and cardiovascular diseases (SMR = 133, p < 0-05). A significant excess of deaths was found for subjects who worked near the ovens for all causes (145, p < 0-01), lung cancer (SMR = 252, p < 0-01), colon cancer (SMR = 381, p < 0-05), and cardiovascular diseases (SMR = 155, p < 0-05). A significant excess mortality was also found from all causes (176, p < 0-05) and stomach cancer (SMR = 538, p < 0-01) in subjects who worked in byproducts, from lung cancer (SMR = 433, p < 0-001) in those in the workshops, and from cirrhosis of the liver and alcoholism (SMR = 360, p < 0-01) in those underground; but, due to small numbers, these figures were not robust. An excess of mortality from all INSERM U 115 "Sante au Travail et Sante Publique: A Patris causes (SMR = 163, p < 0-01), lung cancer (SMR = 228, p < 0-05), and cardiovascular diseases (SMR = 179, p < 0-01) was shown also for non-exposed or slightly exposed subjects. The fact that, on the whole, mortality of various exposed groups was similar to that of non-exposed or slightly exposed workers may be explained in part by the selection at hiring and the healthy worker effect. As an increased risk of lung cancer was noted among subjects who worked in the old generations of plant compared with the other workers (although the relative risk was not significant) it is concluded that the role of occupational hazards could not be excluded. (British Journal of Industrial Medicine 1993;50:127-135) The effect ofoccupational hazards in coke oven plants (notably of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon from the ovens, coal dusts, tar, etc) on mortality has been extensively investigated.`'3' A previous study carried out in 1983 on 536 retired workers from the two coke oven plants of Houilleres du Bassin de Lorraine (Lorraine Collieries) reported a significant excess of mortality from lung cancer (SMR = 251, p < 0 01) with reference to the French male population.' The small number of deaths found during the observation period (1963-82) did not allow a full analysis of the effect ofoccupational exposures. Also, smoking habits were known only for dead subjects. In 1988, the cohort was re-examined, and smoking habits were determined for all the cohort members. A question of interest was whether there was an increased risk, notably for lung cancer, in the old generations...
The main activity of the Houilleres du Bassin de Lorraine (Lorraine Collieries), employing 23 000 operatives and executives, is coalmining. The coke production is carried out by two coke oven plants with a workforce of respectively 747 and 552 workers. The coal coking process entails the emission of noxious products such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from the ovens. The influence of occupational exposure on mortality due to respiratory cancers, and particularly to lung and upper respiratory and alimentary tracts cancer, was investigated among a cohort of 534 male workers from the two coke oven plants who had retired from work between 1963 and 1982. The job history of each subject has been precisely reconstructed by indicating the duration of exposure on the ovens, close to the ovens, and in maintenance occupations. The cohort mortality has been analysed according to the method of indirect standardisation with reference to the French male population and by a case-control study concerning the consumption of tobacco per cohort. The mortality due to lung cancer is 2-51 times higher than expected. This excess of mortality differs, but not significantly, between the two coke oven plants (standardised mortality ratio equals 3 05 and 1-75 respectively). It is not significantly higher among subjects exposed for more than five years, directly exposed on the ovens or working near the ovens or at maintenance occupations on the ovens (SMR = 2-78), than among those exposed for less than five years (SMR = 2-35) or those not exposed at all. Even taking into account the excess of mortality due to lung cancers in the Moselle district (1 6 time that of France), the excess of lung cancers does not seem to be explained by the regional factor, or by tobacco and alcohol consumption. Although no significant relation was offered between lung cancer and the duration of exposure to PAH, even when taking smoking habits into account, the carcinogenic role of occupational nuisances cannot be excluded.
Lung function was studied in 354 coke oven plant workers in the Lorraine collieries (Houilleres du Bassin de Lorraine, France) who retired between 1963 and 1982 The aim of this work was to study the long term effect of occupational exposure on lung function in retired coke oven workers from the HBL. This work is part of a study on mortality and morbidity in survivors.'7 It continues a previous study carried out in 1983 on mortality which showed an excess of mortality from lung cancer (standardised mortality ratio (SMR) = 2 51) with reference to the French male population.'8 Material and methodsThe study sample consisted of all the male workers from the two coke oven plants who had retired between 1 January 1963 and 31 December 1982 (536 subjects) and who were still alive on 1 January 1988 (354 subjects). They were born between 1902 and 1935. Executives were excluded from the study.The subjects were asked to attend a medical examination at the firm's occupational health centre. The protocol included a standard questionnaire, conducted by the occupational physician, concerning diseases treated or followed up for more than five years (cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, infectious, and psychiatric diseases, traumas, cancers, etc), the questionnaire for the study of chronic bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema of the European Steel and Coal Commission (ECSC) of the EC,'9 and the notion of "regular overconsumption" of alcoholic drink. Because of low numbers we did not distinguish between smokers and ex-smokers. The respiratory symptoms taken into account were chronic bronchitis defined by a daily cough and phlegm for three consecutive months each year over a period of two years, wheezing or chest noises heard daily, day and night, and dyspnoea classified into five stages.To be aware of the respiratory symptoms in the period nearing retirement we sought information 316 on 12 May 2018 by guest. Protected by copyright.
Selenium (Se) plasma levels were studied 222 coal miners to assess whether selenium is decreased in relation to coal dust exposure, taking age, alcohol, and tobacco consumption into account. Selenium levels decreased significantly with age and current tobacco consumption, among miners aged 34–50. Long‐term and current exposure to coal dust were studied. The lowest Se values were observed for those with both long‐term and current exposure (60.2 ng/ml), the highest for those never or slightly exposed (64.1 ng/ml); those with long‐term exposure not currently exposed fell in an intermediate position (61.3 ng/ml). No relation was observed with alcohol consumption. The association of coal dust with low selenium remained significant after adjustment for age and smoking. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
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