Document k6QLVRvJ7XODMoD3GrDKv0ojE

occupational health studies NEWS LETT jyersity of North Carolina at Chajtel Hill School of Public/Health Vol. Ill, No. 3 March, INTRODUCTION A This issue of Che newsletter prSaeficfc summaries of Che December 18-19 meeting of health professionals here in Chapel Hill and recent industrial hygiene site visits. In addition, a section is devoted to graduate students and their OHSG related research projects. We also have included a personnel section introducing recent staff members. \ SCIENTIFIC CRITIQUE MEETING - CHAPEL HILL. N. C. On December 18 and 19, 1975, an OHSG research program critique was conducted in Chapel Hill with health professional representatives from the OHSG, URW and the Firestone, General, Goodyear and Uniroval companies. The purpose of the meeting was informal discussion and professional review of the project's major areas of investigation as veil as general comment on research priorities. To open the discussion. Dr. Harris presented a summary status report of current major research problems and findings to date. He also outlined the major prospective areas of work. The principal OHSG scientists with chief responsibility for these areas of work provided a more detailed scientific program review along with questions, comments and discussion from the participants. The OHSG findings in the research program to date, very briefly, are: 1. The overall death rate in the rubber Industry is about the same as that for the total United States population when adjustments are made for the age and sex of the rubber workers. It is recognized, however, that healthy workers without job health hazards have lower death rates than the general popula tion. 2. The numbers of deaths caused by some specific diseases, for example those caused by leukemia, stomach cancer, prostate cancer, and heart disease, have generally been somewhat greater than would be expected among the general population. For some of these diseases the mortality experience differs for different age groups of rubber workers. The numbers of deaths from some to lp gD 2- - other diseases, for example lung cancer, bladder cancer, and suicide are greater than expected in the general population for some groups of rubber workers and not for others. 3. More than the expected numbers of deaths from some specific diseases (leukemia and stomach cancer, for example) have been found for groups of workers who have had particular kinds of work experience in the past. This kind of data analysis, based on an occupational classification system, is only beginning to be reported. Much work remains to be done in trying to find cause-effect associations which can be used to help control work health hazards. 4. The results of our studies of illness have been less clear-cut than those for studies of causes of death. Work done so far suggests somewhat more illness among rubber workers than among the general population; this could be associated with work, or it could be the Influence of other factors such as convenient access to medical services by rubber workers, or to their ability to obtain and use such services. Some health testing studies have shown associations between health and specific work conditions, for example shift in pulmonary function with exposure to some kinds of particulates. 5. Environmental surveys have shown that industrial hygiene practice in the rubber industry is generally good for an industry as complex as this one. The surveys do reveal that exposures to some agents in some plants exceed established standards such as Threshold Limit Values from time to time. The surveys also show that some control systems, materials used, or work practices, result in exposures to chemicals or other agents higher than necessary for the job being done. Such situations, when detected, are identified in survey reports. The major areas of current and prospective work which were discussed are: 1. Surveillance (first priority). The OHSG plan is to complete the current experimental projects on development of records systems which will be used to detect and prevent future occupational diseases and hazardous environmental conditions. Several approaches will be tried. When the details have been worked out, the procedure which will work best for a particular plant or company can be chosen. The OHSG will work with the URW and the companies In establishing compatible surveillance systems so the records and data from all plants and companies can be combined for disease prevention and research purposes. 2. Mortality (Cause of Death) Studies. The plan is to complete studies on data already in hand and to initiate new data gathering retrospective studies only as a specific need arises. The continuing studies will concentrate on identifying any associations between jobs held in the past and specific diseases for which the numbers of deaths which have occurred in the past URI- 21598 -3- are greater than the numbers expected. In addition, development of procedures for some health effects screening of process materials used now and in the past In work areas suspected of contributing to disease will be explored. 3. Morbidity (Sickness) Studies. Broad scale industry wide health testing studies are not contemplated; such studies are extremely expensive. Specific health studies related to specific diseases or health problems such as dermatitis or to specific agents such as solvents, talc, or vinyl chloride will be undertaken as appropriate. Questionnaire type surveys on health status have been useful in the past and in other research projects; use will be made of such surveys from time to time. In addition to the above prospective areas of work, the opportunities to undertake plant population projects to improve health, for example to detect and control high blood pressure, were discussed. Interest was expressed in such work, but it was felt by the participants that such projects would involve many factors not now in the Joint occupational health program, and that such activity might not utilize the unique capabilities of. the OHSG in the best possible way at this time. The possibility that a trial program at an individual plant might be undertaken was favorably discussed. In summation, this meeting of health professionals from the Union and Companies provided the OHSG with needed feedback and scientific critique. Many useful recommendations and insights were put forth. Useful commentary on the format of OHSG technical reports and other modes of communication and cooperation between the three contract parties were exchanged. The OHSG is pleased with the results of the meeting and is confident that the overall joint occupational health research program as conducted for the URW and the Companies here at the University of North Carolina will be better because of it. IJRL 21599 Seated from left to right are Mr. Ernest Schoenfeld, Dr. Robert Harris, Dr. Tony McMichael, Mr. Louis Beliczky and Dr. Dexter Forbes. Seated from left to right are Dr. Ed Sowlnski, Mr. Earl Arp, Dr. Laurence Ballou, Mr. George Wilson, Dr. C. A. Johnson, and Ms. Carolyn Bell. Not pictured, but also attending the meeting were Roy Johnson and R. W. Modrell. INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE SURVEYS -4- Uniroyal - Washington, Indiana Field investigations of the workroom environment, part of a research project underway at the Washington, Indiana plant were continued with visits in both December, 1975, and January, 1976. Occupational Health Studies Group personnel, Mr. Earl W. Arp, and Mr. John D. Taulbee, were joined by Dr. David A. Conover and Mr. John Zonker of the Cincinnati research laboratories of the National Institute for Occupa tional Safety and Health during this cooperative study phase of the field investigation. Extensive solvent vapor sampling was performed with the dual objective of providing insight into the environmental conditions and developing information for OHSG quality control studies. The quality control aspect of this effort was designed by Mr. Taulbee, OHSG Biostatistician. Dr. Conover, who is engaged in research on measurements of physical agents, made his first measurements at the Washington plant during the December visit and completed the field phase of this cooperative study on the return visit in January. On both occasions, he was assisted by Mr. Zonker. Additional solvent and particulate samples were collected by Mr. Arp during the January study. Overall objectives of the study have been reviewed with Mr. George Demarest, Plant Mgr., Mr. Robert Hodgson, Industrial Relations Manager, and Mr. Henry Jaclanan, President of URW Local No. 337. In Mr. Jackman's absence in January, Mr. Paul Ham, URW Local Vice-President, assisted the study team. UPl 21600 Firestone - Russellville, Arkansas and Albany, Georgia Environmental walk-through surveys were conducted at the Russellville and Albany Firestone plants on December 2 and 9, respectively. The Russellville survey, conducted by Dr. Mark Van Ert and Mr. Ted Williams from the Occupational Health Studies Group, was guided by Mr. Larry Brown, Safety Committee Chairman, URW Local No. 884, and Mr. Truman Hill, Safety Engineer and Supervisor of Labor Relations. Mr. James Sellars, Plant Manager and Mr. Noel Huneycutt, President of URW Local 884 were instrumental in making arrangements for the plant survey. In addition to the aforementioned individuals, Messrs. Frank Henry, Production Manager, Gene Rankin, Personnel Manager, and David Moore, Chief Chemist, were active participants at the preliminary meeting at the plant. The purpose of the survey, as well as other activities of the OHSG, were detailed at this meeting. The Albany walk-through survey began with a preliminary meeting arranged by Mr. James Dean, Sr. Safety Engineer, and chaired by Mr. E. Keathley, Plant Manager. Also attending the meeting were Mr. K. English, URL 21602 6- - James Higgins is a full-time student in the Department of Biostatistics at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health. He Is a third year candidate for the Ph.D. degree. Jim is working under the direction of Dr. Michael J. Symons on a study of cardio-vascular mortality, primarily in two large cohorts which have been identified in the regular course of the OHSG program. The study is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Dragana Andjelkovic and is expected to produce a statistical description of cardio vascular disease in the rubber industry. In addition Mr, Higgins hopes to identify statistical short-comings in current methodology available for analyzing such data. An approach to improving the analytic tools in this area may develop into his doctoral dissertation. Joel Frockt is a part-time student in the Department of Biostatistics at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health. He is a third year doctoral candidate for the Dr. P.H. degree. Joel is working under the direction of Dr. Michael J. Symons on the modelling of data from the pulmonary function testing which has been done by Dr, John Gamble. The modelling hopefully will not only smooth out irrelevant "noise" in the lung function test tracings, but will provide means of classifying individuals into levels of lung function health status. Pam Wolf has been involved in several projects since joining the OHSG in the Fall of 1973. Currently, she is coordinating the collaborative leukemia study involving all four companies under contract. In addition, she is exploring applications of stochastic techniques to some of the OHSG data. Pam holds the Master of Science in Public Health degree from the Department of Biostatistics and is presently engaged in study as a candidate for the Doctor of Public Health degree. Parke Thomas and Kofi Semenya, both second year students in the Department of Biostatistics and candidates for the M.S. Degree, are working on rubber studies projects for academic credit in their degree programs. Kofi is working with Dr. Dragana Andjelkovic on further analysis of the 1973 Health Survey at the Gadsden plant. Parke has worked with the industrial hygienists in the laboratory preparation and analyses of gravi metric samples. Both will engage in statistical analysis of epidemiological data from a selected plant cohort before completing their academic courses. Deborah Winn has worked part-time with the OHSG as a student research assistant since the Fall of 1974. She is currently a second year student in a Master of Science in Public Health program in the Department of Epidemiology. As a student assistant under the direction of Dr. Dragana Andjelkovic, she has been Involved In proportional, mortality studies for many of the Goodyear plants. The academic research project which she is developing involves a study of symptom reporting in relation to occupational exposures to a variety of environmental agents - noise, dust, heat, fumes and vapors - within one of the Goodyear plants. Steve Blum has worked on several projects since he began part-time work with the OHSG in the Fall of 1974. His main effort has been in the study of stomach cancer; his current work in this area involves a casecontrol study among rubber workers. In addition, he is analyzing morbidity data from one large plant population. Steve received his master's degree in Biology from Rhode Island College in Providence. He also holds a URL 21603 -7- master's degree In Epidemiology which he received from che University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He is currently a doctoral candidate in the Department of Epidemiology. David Goldsmith, a part-time student research assistant, joined the OHSG in the Fall of 1975. He began working with Dr. Tony McMichael and Robert Holbrook on the bladder cancer project. David is presently working with Dr. McMichael on a new analysis of prostate cancer mortality using che Firestone data. David is a master's degree candidate in the Department of Epidemiology. Tim Martin, a graduate student in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, has served as a part-time graduate research assistant with the OHSG laboratory since the Fall of 1974. As a member of the laboratory team, he has been involved in the preparation, analysis, and interpretation of environmental field samples and as an industrial hygiene assistant during environmental sampling surveys. For his research project, to satisfy the requirements for his master's degree, Tim is currently investigating the presence of ben2o(a)pyrene in air samples obtained from various working areas of tire manufacturing plants. PERSONNEL NOTES The Occupational Health Studies Group takes pleasure in announcing that Mr. Jerry Leggett, Dr. Bernard Most, and Dr. Roger Grimson have joined our staff. Jerry Leggett joined our staff in June of 1975 as Manager of the Computer Group. Previously, he was employed by the University of North Carolina Computation Center where he was a computer programmer for ten years and a computer engineer for five years. Mr. Leggett replaces Ms. Anna Colosi who had served as manager of the OHSG computing group. Dr. Most is in the first year of a three year full-time post-doctoral fellowship from the National Institutes of Health - Environmental Health Sciences division. The fellowship is Intended to extend his range of competence to the area of biostatistics and specifically to the area of environmental health studies. Dr* Most holds degrees in engineering (B.E.E., M.E.E.) and mathematics (M.S., Ph.D.). Since obtaining his Ph.D. from the University of Texas, he has taught statistics at the University of Texas and Duke University. Dr. Grimson is responsible for the Quality Control of the Environmental Laboratory of the Occupational Health Studies Group which involves studying flow rate patterns for personal sampling pumps with Dr. Mark Van Ert, one of our Industrial hygienists. Dr. Grimson is also helping with the development of a surveillance system for prospective studies of workers in the General Tire Company. Dr. Grimson holds B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mathematics. Both Drs. Most and Grimson are funded fully through the National Institutes of Health. 8- - The OHSG is pleased to aonounce that two of our members have completed their academic programs and have been awarded doctoral degrees* On August 9* 1975, John Gamble was awarded the Ph.D. degree upon comple tion of his academic program in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering. The title of his dissertation is, "Respiratory Function and Symptoms: An Environmental-Epidemiologic Study of Selected Rubber Workers". In this study. Dr. Gamble analyzed associations between conditions of work and the presence or absence of reported symptoms (e.g. itch, rash, cough, chest tightness, burning eyes) as well as changes in ventilatory capacity of the small airways of the lung in workers exposed to various components of selected rubber stocks. On December 29, 1975, Robert Spirtas was awarded the Doctor of Public Health degree in Biostatistics. His support program was drawn from the departments of Environmental Sciences and Engineering and Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health. The title of Dr. Spirtas' dissertation is, "A Statistical Analysis of Work History Data in a Retrospective Occupational Mortality Study of the Association of Solvents with Leukemia in Rubber Workers". URL 21604 Dr. Roger Grimson Dr. John Gamble Dr. Robert Spirtas