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Biomedical subjects

W E Halperin

Publications and source records attributed to W E Halperin.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Work-related injuries in minors.

Since 1938, federal child labor laws have restricted employment of persons under 18 years old, in part to protect them from hazardous occupations. Workers' compensation claims reported to the Supplementary Data System of the Bureau of Labor Statistics were examined to define the current status of occupational injuries among minors. Data tapes from 1980 to 1983 were searched to identify all current claims for injuries and illnesses occurring in 1980 in persons under age 18. Injury rates were calculated using information about employment in 1979 available from the 1980 census. In the 24 states included in this study, 23,823 claims were reported for persons less than 18 years old. Of these claims, approximately 10% were from persons under age 16. Rates of injuries in 16- and 17 year olds were 12.6 per 100 full-time male workers and 6.6 per 100 full-time female workers. Serious injuries included fractures, dislocations, and amputations, accounting for 5.8%, 0.7%, and 0.6% of cases, respectively. California, the only state that coded whether injuries resulted in fatalities, reported 12 deaths in this age group. Machines and vehicles, many of which are restricted under child labor laws, accounted for 8.3% and 5.8% of claims. These data suggest that persons under age 18 years are not adequately protected from occupational injury. Further attention and, possibly, new preventive strategies are needed.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1988

NIOSH selection of chemicals and study publications: setting priorities for reproductive research.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) prioritizes topics for reproductive research in order to allocate limited resources to the most important issues. In the past, we have relied on an informal network including our own project officers, toxicologists, and the public to nominate chemicals to study. Setting priorities has consisted of the evaluation of research ideas by criteria such as the chemical's probable toxicity and the extent of exposure to the chemical in the workplace. NIOSH researchers are developing a system for evaluating large databases of toxicologic and occupational exposure information to identify potential reproductive toxins. When this system is operational it will provide a systematic way to nominate chemicals for study.

Government Publications as Topic↗
PubMed1988

Heart disease mortality among bridge and tunnel officers exposed to carbon monoxide.

The authors investigated the effect of occupational exposure to carbon monoxide on mortality from heart disease in a retrospective study of 5,529 New York City bridge and tunnel officers employed between January 1, 1952 and February 10, 1981, at any one of nine major water crossings operated by the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority of New York City. Among former tunnel officers, 61 deaths from arteriosclerotic heart disease were observed, as compared with 45 expected (standardized mortality ratio = 1.35, 90% confidence interval 1.09-1.68); expected rates were based on the New York City population. Using a proportional hazards model, the authors compared the risk of mortality from arteriosclerotic heart disease among tunnel officers with that of the less-exposed bridge officers. No association of arteriosclerotic heart disease with length of exposure was observed, but there was significant interaction of exposure with age. The elevated risk of arteriosclerotic heart disease among tunnel officers, as compared with that of bridge officers, declined after cessation of exposure, with much of the risk dissipating within as little as five years. The parallel findings of this study of occupational exposure to carbon monoxide and those studies showing the relation of cigarette smoking to cardiovascular mortality suggest that carbon monoxide may play an important role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular mortality associated with cigarette smoking.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Occupational vitiligo due to unsuspected presence of phenolic antioxidant byproducts in commercial bulk rubber.

We investigated the occurrence of cutaneous depigmentation (vitiligo) among employees of a company that manufactured hydraulic pumps. The interiors of these pumps were injection-molded with rubber. We identified a small but significant cluster of vitiligo cases among a group of employees who frequently handled the rubber used in this injection molding process. Although none of the additives specified in the rubber formulations was a phenolic or catecholic derivative, known to be potential causes of chemically induced vitiligo, gas chromatographic analysis identified a para-substituted phenol (2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, DTBP) in solid samples of the most frequently used rubber. Surface wipe analysis confirmed that workers could be exposed to DTBP from simple handling of the rubber. We subsequently established that the solid bulk rubber used as the base in these stock rubber formulations contained both DTBP and smaller quantities of p-tert-butylphenol. Both had formed as unsuspected byproducts during chemical synthesis of two antioxidants added to the solid bulk rubber by a major rubber supplier. We conclude that the unsuspected presence of potential chemical depigmenting agents in solid bulk rubber, from which industrial rubber products are formulated, may contribute to the occurrence of occupational vitiligo, and that a simple review of ingredients in rubber formulations is inadequate to detect their presence.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Sexual assault of women at work.

Review of twenty-one workers' compensation claims for sexual assault filed in Ohio for the period 1983-1985 revealed that five (62%) of the rapes by unknown assailants after dark occurred in convenience food stores. The rape rate was 7.0 per 100,000 females employed in convenience food stores per year compared with a rate of 0.3 per 100,000 females employed in Ohio (IRR = 25.6, CI 8.1-132.3). In addition, three rapes occurred among motel maids and housekeepers, and three among residential property managers. Police reports for sexual assault in Memphis, Tennessee for 1985 corroborated the observation of a potential increased risk of rape in female employees of convenience food stores. Strategies for the provision of personal security against assault in the workplace have not previously been addressed in the public health literature. A review of workers' compensation claims has identified an area for which strategies to prevent workplace injuries should be developed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Morbidity from repetitive knee trauma in carpet and floor layers.

Carpet layers comprise less than 0.06% of the United States workforce yet they submit 6.2% of compensation claims for traumatic knee inflammation. Their work involves multiple sources of acute and chronic knee trauma including kneeling, pressure from sharp objects, and use of a device called a "knee kicker" to stretch wall to wall carpet. To characterise the knee morbidity in carpet layers and to identify occupational risk factors, a questionnaire was completed by 112 carpet and floor layers, 42 tile and terrazo setters, and 243 millwrights and bricklayers (MWBL). The MWBL comparison workers seldom kneel and do not use a knee kicker. Physical and xray examinations were conducted on a subset of 108 respondents to validate the questionnaire responses. Compared with the MWBL, carpet layers reported more frequent bursitis (20% v 6%), needle aspiration of knee fluid (32% v 6%), and skin infections of the knee (7% v 2%). A score indicating frequency of using the knee kicker was the only statistically significant predictor of bursitis, whereas the score for kneeling was one of several predictors of knee aspiration and skin infections of the knee. These data suggest that carpet and floor layers experience substantially more knee morbidity than other occupational groups, and that kneeling and use of the knee kicker are risk factors providing opportunities for prevention.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Mortality of chrome leather tannery workers and chemical exposures in tanneries.

A retrospective mortality analysis was conducted in a cohort of 9,365 individuals employed as of 1940 in two chrome leather tanneries in the United States and followed to the end of 1982. Vital status as of the closing date was determined for over 95% of the cohort. Potential hazardous workplace exposures varied with department and included nitrosamines, chromate pigments, benzidine-based direct dyestuffs, formaldehyde, leather dust, and aromatic organic solvents. Mortality from all causes combined was lower than expected for each tannery, the standardized mortality ratio being 81 for one and 93 for the other. Deaths from cancer of each site, including the lung, were also lower than expected compared to those of either the population of the United States or of local state rates. A significant excess of deaths was observed, however, due to accidental causes in one tannery and cirrhosis of the liver, suicide, and alcoholism in the other. These excesses did not appear to be causally associated with occupational exposures. The findings of this study are consistent with those of the only other mortality investigation of leather tannery employees.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1987

Phytophotodermatitis from celery among grocery store workers.

We detected 19 cases of phytophotodermatitis during a cross-sectional epidemiological investigation of two Oregon grocery stores that were part of the same supermarket chain. Outdoor sunlight exposure during the workshift and tanning salon use were identified as risk factors; the most severe cutaneous reactions tended to occur among tanning salon users. Although both stores carried the same brands and varieties of produce, all 19 cases occurred among employees of one store, which had held a celery sale coincident with the outbreak, resulting in a quadrupling of the usual volume of celery sold. We found elevated psoralen levels in two of three celery samples obtained from the affected store; cutaneous provocation tests with trimmed surfaces of these celery samples produced phototoxic reactions. Preliminary experiments with one brand of celery have demonstrated psoralen levels as high as 25 micrograms/cm2 of trimmed surface. These observations suggest that clinical phytophotodermatitis among grocery store workers may be caused by healthy celery and results from a complex interaction of exposure variables, including ultraviolet radiation from tanning salon use, frequency of handling celery, celery brand, and sporadic elevation of psoralen content from environmental stresses.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed1987

Lung cancer mortality in workers exposed to sulfuric acid mist and other acid mists.

Mortality patterns were studied in 1,165 workers exposed to sulfuric acid mist and other acid mists (primarily hydrochloric acid mist) in steel-pickling operations. Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) analysis of the full "any acid exposure" cohort (n = 1,165), with the use of U.S. death rates as a standard, showed that lung cancer was significantly elevated, with a mortality ratio of 1.64 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.14-2.28, based on 35 observed deaths]. The lung cancer mortality ratio for workers exposed only to sulfuric acid (n = 722) was lower (SMR = 1.39), but further restriction to the time 20 years and more from first employment in a job with probable daily sulfuric acid exposure (approximately equal to 0.2 mg/m3) yielded a mortality ratio of 1.93 (95% CI = 1.10-3.13). An excess lung cancer risk was also seen in workers exposed to acids other than sulfuric acid (SMR = 2.24; 95% CI = 1.02-2.46). When comparison was made to other steel workers (rather than to the U.S. general population) to control for socioeconomic and life-style factors such as smoking, the largest lung cancer excess was again seen in workers exposed to acids other than sulfuric acid (SMR = 2.00; 95% CI = 1.06-3.78). Adjustment for potential differences in smoking habits showed that increased smoking was unlikely to have entirely explained the increased risk. Mortality from causes of death other than lung cancer was unremarkable, with the exception of significantly low rates for deaths due to digestive system diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

A case-control study of leukemia at a naval nuclear shipyard.

A matched case-control study was conducted of 53 leukemia deaths and of 212 controls within a previously studied cohort of 24,545 on-shore workers employed between January 1, 1952 and August 15, 1977 at the Portsmouth (New Hampshire) Naval Shipyard. The study sought to ascertain a priori whether there was an association between leukemia deaths and occupational exposure to either ionizing radiation or organic solvents. To obtain information on individual exposures, radiation dose histories and detailed work histories by job and shop were evaluated for each subject. No statistically significant associations were found either between ionizing radiation or presumed solvent exposure and myelogenous or lymphatic leukemia. However, when specific job categories and shops were examined without benefit of a priori hypotheses, two occupations, electrician and welder, were found to be associated with leukemia. For electricians, the Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio (ORMH) was significantly elevated for all leukemias (ORMH = 3.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.29-6.98), particularly for lymphatic leukemia (ORMH = 6.00, 95% CI = 1.47-24.45). For welders, the odds ratio was not significantly elevated for all leukemias (ORMH = 2.25, 95% CI = 0.92-5.53), but was significantly elevated for myeloid leukemia (ORMH = 3.83, 95% CI = 1.28-11.46). These findings persisted when potential confounders were adjusted by means of a conditional logistic regression model.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Medical screening in the workplace: proposed principles.

Medical screening and biological monitoring are two techniques in a continuum of practices used to prevent occupational disease. Medical screening is the examination of workers for pathological conditions. Biological monitoring is the examination of the worker for the presence of an intoxicant or its metabolite. These techniques are common in industry, and are frequently components of health standards recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. However, an underlying set of principles for medical screening and biological monitoring in the workplace has not been delineated. In this paper, a modification of the principles for screening in the community is proposed that will be more appropriate to the workplace. This modified set of principles is not a statement of the policy of NIOSH on this important subject, but rather a presentation of the authors' views as a starting point for dialogue on these issues.

Humans↗
PubMed1986

The prevalence of screening in industry: report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health National Occupational Hazard Survey.

Data from 4,500 workplaces surveyed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the National Occupational Hazard Survey (1972 to 1974) and National Occupational Exposure Survey (1981 to 1983) show an increase in both preplacement and periodic medical screening in US industries during the past decade. The distribution of screening is primarily related to plant size, but also varies considerably by industry type; further, plants with industrial hygiene and safety programs and/or unions are more likely to provide screening examinations than those without, irrespective of plant size. As for workers potentially exposed to selected chemical hazards, the first survey provides no consistent evidence that such workers were more likely to receive exposure-specific tests than other workers. The significance of these findings is discussed in the context of the proposed framework for medical screening practices developed by NIOSH researchers.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.↗
PubMed1986

Occupational lead poisoning in Ohio: surveillance using workers' compensation data.

To determine the utility of workers' compensation (WC) data in a system for the surveillance of occupational lead poisoning, we reviewed workers' compensation claims for lead poisoning in Ohio. For the period 1979 through 1983, 92 (81 per cent) of the 114 claims attributed to lead met our case definition of lead poisoning. The likelihood that a company had a case of lead poisoning was strongly correlated with the number of claims against the company. Thirty companies accounted for the 92 cases; two companies accounted for 49 per cent of these. Inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) occurred at 14 of these companies, all of which were cited for violations of the OSHA lead standard. Comparison of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes for the 14 companies inspected by OSHA with the 15 companies not inspected by OSHA revealed that OSHA inspected battery manufacturers, non-ferrous foundries, secondary smelters, and primary lead smelters, but not bridge painters, manufacturers of electronic components, mechanical power transmission equipment, pumps, and paints, nor a sheriff's office where firing range slugs were remelted to make new bullets. Neither the number of cases of lead poisoning at a company nor the size of a company was related to the likelihood of being inspected by OSHA. Claims for WC appear to be a useful adjunct to an occupational lead poisoning surveillance system; their usefulness should be compared to that of other systems such as laboratory reports of elevated blood lead levels in adults.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Skin effects of occupational kneeling.

To evaluate chronic knee trauma associated with kneeling, we conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey among floorlayers and tilelayers, two trades that require kneeling. Bricklayers and millwrights were studied for comparison. Approximately 28% of the 432 questionnaire respondents volunteered for a subsequent medical examination. Ultimately, data were analyzed for 112 floorlayers, 50 tilesetters, and 235 "comparison" workers. We found that the history of past skin infection in the knee area was about four times more prevalent among floorlayers (7.1%) than among workers in the other two categories combined (1.8%). Unilateral or bilateral patellar skin thickening and erythema were found to be more prevalent among those who kneel: 79% of floorlayers and 98% of tilelayers vs 35% of the control group were found to have skin thickening; 52% of floorlayers and 49% of tilelayers vs 24% of the control group were found to have erythema on the frontal aspect of the knee.

Erythema↗
PubMed1985

Mortality among a cohort of U.S. cadmium production workers--an update.

A previous retrospective mortality study of 292 U.S. cadmium production workers employed for a minimum of 2 years showed increased mortality from respiratory and prostate cancer and from nonmalignant lung disease. To examine further the mortality experience of these workers, investigators from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health extended the study to include 602 white males with at least 6 months of production work in the same plant between 1940 and 1969. Vital status was determined through 1978, which included the addition of 5 years to the original follow-up. Cause-specific mortality rates for seven causes of death potentially related to cadmium exposure were compared between the overall cohort and U.S. white males and between subgroups. Mortality from respiratory cancer and from nonmalignant gastrointestinal disease was significantly greater among the cadmium workers than would have been expected from U.S. rates. All deaths from lung cancer occurred among workers employed for 2 or more years. A statistically significant dose-response relationship was observed between lung cancer mortality and cumulative exposure to cadmium. A 50% increase in lung cancer mortality, which was not statistically significant, was observed even among workers whose cumulative exposure to cadmium was between 41 and 200 micrograms/m3 over 40 years. Since the previous investigation, no new deaths from prostate cancer and no excess of deaths from nonmalignant respiratory disease have been observed.

Arsenic↗