Mortality study of workers at the Hillhouse PVC plant

BackgroundAn epidemiological survey of workers exposed to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) had been carried out by the IOM in 1979. The study found (i) an association between breathlessness and exposure to PVC dust in cigarette smokers, (ii) lower FEV1 in men who had higher PVC dust exposure and who were current smokers and (iii) lower FVC in men who had higher PVC dust exposure and who had been employed at the time of the survey. To assist in sample selection for the surveys, identification data had been received for 1700 men, including all1501 current workers in 1979. These identification data, including work histories, were still available, together with data from medical surveys of 663 current workers examined in 1979,making possible a study of mortality of this group of workers.ObjectivesThe aim of the current study was to carry out a follow-up mortality analysis of the men studied in the earlier IOM research to investigate (i) whether there was evidence that mortality from respiratory diseases is different among workers at the Hillhouse PVC plant from that in the general population in the same geographical area, (ii) to what extent any differences were specific to particular age groups, calendar periods or work area within the plant, (iii) to what extent did respiratory health in 1979 predict future mortality and (iv) what evidence there was regarding other differences in mortality possibly related to occupation within the PVC plant. “”