Background Increased risks of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) may be attributable to the workplace, however, associations are not well‐established. Using the Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS), we sought to estimate associations between occupation and industry of employment and AMI risk among workers in Ontario, Canada. Methods The study population was derived by linking provincial accepted lost‐time workers' compensation claims data, to inpatient hospitalization records. Workers aged 15–65 years with an accepted non‐AMI compensation claim were followed for an AMI event between 2007 and 2016. Adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each industry and occupation group, compared to all other workers in the cohort. Sex‐stratified analyses were also performed. Results In all, 24,514 incident cases of AMI were identified among 1,502,072 Ontario workers. Increased incidence rates of AMI were found across forestry (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.19–1.58) and wood processing (HR 1.50, 1.27–1.77) job‐titles. Elevated rates were also detected within industries and occupations both broadly related to mining and quarrying (HR 1.52, 1.17–1.97), trucking (HR 1.32, 1.27‐1.38), construction (HR 1.32, 1.14–1.54), and the manufacturing and processing of metal (HR 1.41, 1.19–1.68), textile (HR 1.41, 1.07–1.88), non‐metallic mineral (HR 1.30, 0.82–2.07), and rubber and plastic (HR 1.42, 1.27–1.60) products. Female food service workers also had elevated AMI rates (HR 1.36, 1.23–1.51). Conclusion This study found occupational variation in AMI incidence. Future studies should examine work‐related hazards possibly contributing to such excess risks, like noise, vibration, occupational physical activity, shift work, and chemical and particulate exposures.

Background The recently established Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS) was used to examine breast cancer risk in women and men by occupation and industry. Methods Ontario workers in the ODSS cohort (1983‐2016) were followed up for breast cancer diagnosis through the Ontario Cancer Registry. Cox‐proportional hazard models were used to calculate age‐adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results A total of 17 865 and 492 cases were identified in working women (W) and men (M), respectively. Elevated risks were observed in management (W: HR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.40‐1.70; M: HR = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.44‐5.39), administrative/clerical (W: HR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.11‐1.21; M: HR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.06‐1.99), and teaching (W: HR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.44‐1.63; M: HR = 3.00, 95% CI = 1.49‐6.03). Other elevated risks were observed in nursing/health, social sciences, and janitor/cleaning services for both genders. Conclusions Common occupational associations in both genders warrant investigation into job‐related risk factors, such as sedentary behavior, shift work, ionizing radiation, and chemical exposures.

Objective We sought to characterize detailed patterns of mesothelioma and asbestosis incidence in the workforce as part of an occupational disease surveillance program in Ontario, Canada. Methods The Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS) cohort was established using workers' compensation claims data and includes 2.18 million workers employed from 1983 to 2014. Workers were followed for mesothelioma and asbestosis diagnoses in Ontario Cancer Registry, physician, hospital, and ambulatory care records through 2016. Trends in incidence rates were estimated over the study period. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results A total of 854 mesothelioma and 737 asbestosis cases were diagnosed during follow‐up. Compared with all other workers in the ODSS, those employed in construction trades occupations had the greatest adjusted incidence rate of both mesothelioma (223 cases; HR, 2.38; 95% CI: 2.03–2.78) and asbestosis (261 cases; HR, 3.64; 95% CI: 3.11–4.25). Rates were particularly elevated for insulators, pipefitters and plumbers, and carpenters. Workers in welding and flame cutting, boiler making, and mechanic and machinery repair occupations, as well as those in industrial chemical and primary metal manufacturing industries, had strongly elevated rates of both diseases. Rates were greater than anticipated for workers in electrical utility occupations and education and related services. Conclusions Results substantiate the risk of mesothelioma and asbestosis in occupation and industry groups in the Ontario workforce with known or suspected asbestos exposure. Sustained efforts to prevent the occurrence of additional cases of disease in high‐risk groups are warranted.