Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Industrial Medicine logoLink to British Journal of Industrial Medicine
. 1977 Nov;34(4):291–297. doi: 10.1136/oem.34.4.291

A mortality study of coke oven workers in two South Wales integrated steelworks.

G M Davies
PMCID: PMC1008279  PMID: 588485

Abstract

Six hundred and ten coke oven personnel were studied retrospectively over a period of 11 years (1954-65). During this time 82 died, 88 retired and 80 left, but all were treated. The Standardised Mortality Ratios (SMRs) have been calculated for four principal causes which have then been further analysed into 30 subgroups. The work was limited because the population was small and the records not detailed enough to analyse the mortality rates according to environmental exposures. Differences between SMRs obtained at the two works were quite marked (73 and 98) and the overall SMR of 85% was better than expected. The observed number of deaths from respiratory disease, malignant neoplasms and all other causes excluding cardiovascular, was very near that expected, but the numbers of deaths from cardiovascular disease and in particular arteriosclerotic disease, showed a significant deficit.

Full text

PDF
292

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BUCK C., REID D. D. Cancer in coking plant workers. Br J Ind Med. 1956 Oct;13(4):265–269. doi: 10.1136/oem.13.4.265. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. DOLL R., FISHER R. E., GAMMON E. J., GUNN W., HUGHES G. O., TYRER F. H., WILSON W. MORTALITY OF GASWORKERS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CANCERS OF THE LUNG AND BLADDER, CHRONIC BRONCHITIS, AND PNEUMOCONIOSIS. Br J Ind Med. 1965 Jan;22:1–12. doi: 10.1136/oem.22.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DOLL R. The causes of death among gas-workers with special reference to cancer of the lung. Br J Ind Med. 1952 Jul;9(3):180–185. doi: 10.1136/oem.9.3.180. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. KREYBERG L. 3:4-Benzpyrene in industrial air pollution: some reflexions. Br J Cancer. 1959 Dec;13:618–622. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1959.67. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. LAWTHER P. J., COMMINS B. T., WALLER R. E. A STUDY OF THE CONCENTRATIONS OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN GAS WORKS RETORT HOUSES. Br J Ind Med. 1965 Jan;22:13–20. doi: 10.1136/oem.22.1.13. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Lloyd J. W., Ciocco A. Long-term mortality study of steelworkers. I. Methodology. J Occup Med. 1969 Jun;11(6):299–310. doi: 10.1097/00043764-196906000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lloyd J. W. Long-term mortality study of steelworkers. V. Respiratory cancer in coke plant workers. J Occup Med. 1971 Feb;13(2):53–68. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lloyd J. W., Lundin F. E., Jr, Redmond C. K., Geiser P. B. Long-term mortality study of steelworkers. IV. Mortality by work area. J Occup Med. 1970 May;12(5):151–157. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lowe C. R., Campbell H., Khosla T. Bronchitis in two integrated steel works. 3. Respiratory symptoms and ventilatory capacity related to atmospheric pollution. Br J Ind Med. 1970 Apr;27(2):121–129. doi: 10.1136/oem.27.2.121. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lowe C. R., Pelmear P. L., Campbell H., Hitchens R. A., Khosla T., King T. C. Bronchitis in two integrated steel works. I. Ventilatory capacity, age, and physique of non-bronchitic men. Br J Prev Soc Med. 1968 Jan;22(1):1–11. doi: 10.1136/jech.22.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. MORRIS J. N., HEADY J. A., RAFFLE P. A., ROBERTS C. G., PARKS J. W. Coronary heart-disease and physical activity of work. Lancet. 1953 Nov 21;265(6795):1053–contd. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(53)90665-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McMichael A. J. Standardized mortality ratios and the "healthy worker effect": Scratching beneath the surface. J Occup Med. 1976 Mar;18(3):165–168. doi: 10.1097/00043764-197603000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Redmond C. K., Ciocco A., Lloyd J. W., Rush H. W. Long-term mortality study of steelworkers. VI. Mortality from malignant neoplasms among coke oven workers. J Occup Med. 1972 Aug;14(8):621–629. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Redmond C. K., Smith E. M., Lloyd J. W., Rush H. W. Long-term mortality study of steelworkers. 3. Follow-up. J Occup Med. 1969 Oct;11(10):513–521. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Robinson H. Long-term mortality study of steelworkers. II. Mortality by level of income in whites and non-whites. J Occup Med. 1969 Aug;11(8):411–416. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sawicki E. Airborne carcinogens and allied compounds. Arch Environ Health. 1967 Jan;14(1):46–53. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1967.10664693. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Warner C. G., Davies G. M., Jones J. G., Lowe C. R. Bronchitis in two integrated steelworks. II. Sulphur dioxide and particulate atmospheric pollution in and around the two works. Ann Occup Hyg. 1969 Jul;12(3):151–170. doi: 10.1093/annhyg/12.3.151. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Industrial Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES