Screening for asbestos‐induced diseases in Finland was carried out in 1990–1992 as a part of the Asbestos Program of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. The aim of the present study was to find the workers who had developed an asbestos‐induced disease in certain occupations. Examination of active or retired workers included a personal interview on work history and asbestos exposure, and a chest X‐ray. The target group for the screening comprised workers under 70 years of age who had worked at least for 10 years in construction, 1 year in a shipyard or in the manufacture of asbestos products. A preliminary questionnaire was sent to 54,409 workers, 18,943 of whom finally participated in the screening examination. The mean age of the workers was 53 years; 95% were employed in construction, 2% in shipyards, and 3% in the asbestos industry. The criteria for a positive screening result were (1) a radiographic finding clearly indicating lung fibrosis (at least ILO category 1/1), (2) a radiographic finding indicating mild lung fibrosis (ILO category I/O) with unilateral or bilateral pleural plaques, (3) marked abnormalities of the visceral pleura (marked adhesions with or without pleural thickening), or (4) bilateral pleural plaques. The positive cases totalled 4,133 (22%) and were sent for further investigation. In addition to the screening, information on the presence of asbestos in the work environment, prevention of asbestos exposure, as well as on the health effects of asbestos exposure and smoking were given to the participating workers. The screening acted as a preliminary survey to prompt further national follow‐up of asbestos‐induced diseases among the workers who have been exposed to asbestos. This article presents the material, methods, and overall results of the screening. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Exposure to mineral dust was studied among construction workers (N = 437) with the aid of a questionnaire and a chest X-ray examination of the lungs. The results of the questionnaire showed that 81% of the construction workers had been exposed to asbestos. Exposure had occurred in all of the occupational groups studied. Pleural plaques and/or lung fibrosis (ILO greater than or equal to 1/1) were found in 26% of the examined workers; the prevalence varied from 18 to 40% among the various occupational groups. Comparison with a representative sample of the Finnish male population from another investigation indicates that the frequency of lung fibrosis (ILO greater than or equal to 1/1) is at least two times higher among the examined construction workers than among the general population. It seems likely that exposure to asbestos dust can be considered an etiological factor for an appreciable number of the X-ray findings.