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ards." He said industry was cooperating witli dent, said the typographers have death records
Cancer Society Sets
Study of Exposure
Hazards to Workers t e*
the study.
dating to 1904 and also keep complete health
Dr. E. Cuyler Hammond, a leading cancer records of current members, including a quar
researcher, noted that it would be equally ben terly report on length of exposure to potentially
eficial if the study shows that some suspect liazardous substances.
agents aren't harmful.
He said the union will provide this informa
Left unsaid at the news conference was what effect the study could have on workmen's compensation if it can ba shown that many
tion to the cancer society researchers and also
will attempt to trace members who have left the union since 1963.
Workmen's Compensation Could Be Affected if Results Prove
workers contract cancer as a result of hazard ous substances handled on the job. George H. R. Taylor, executive secretary of the AFL-
Incidence
of
Disease
Grows 6
CIO's standing committee on safety and occu pational health, said after the conference, how
ever, that "as move health hazards are dis
By a Wall Street Journal Staff Reporter
NEW YORK--The American Cancer Soci ety, with the help of some cf the nation's major
cerned, there is going to be an increase" in the number of diseases covered under workmen's compensation laws. Such coverage would in crease. he said, "until ouch time as conditions
trade unions, says it's going to conduct a mas arc improved."
sive study of the exposure of workers to chemi The cancer society said it would make an
cals and other agents that might cause cancer. annual donation of $1 million to support the sta
The mi!!ion-do!lar-a-year study--if its results tistical side of the study and hoped for dona
confirm that, some substances commonly used tions from'other sources as well.
in industry can raise the incidence of cancer The first union to participate in the study,
among workers--could have a malor imnact on New Vr.Hr Ty;''-'grrp!'.i--! Union No. C, i.utcd
levels of workmen's compensation in years to that its 1G1.0C0 members are exposed to the
come.
possibly harmful effects of curbcn black, metal
As the general public also is in contact with many of the same substances, the study also
fumes, lead filings, and vaiicus chemicals, inks and dyes. Bortiarn A. Powers, union presi
will look into the relationship of environmental
pollution to cancer, the society said at a news
conference.
It's estimated that 50 million workers in the U.S. are exposed cn the job to dust, fumes, va pors, chemicals and radioactive materials. Some of these substances, such as asbestos and radioactive materials, are known to cause can cer. Others, such as carbon black, benzy-a-pyroiie, sulphur compounds, oxides of nitrogen, in secticides and some fertilizers, silicates, some dyes, and various solvents are suspect, the cancer society said.
The basis of the study will be the volumi nous death records kept by the unions on their
deceased members, some of which go back into the last century. Dr. Irving J. Selikoff, director of the Environmental Sc'ences Laboratory at Mount.Sinai School of Medicine here, said at the news conference that the study would at
tempt to "define where hazards exist so we can cooperate with industry in removing those haz-.
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