Table 1. Characteristics of the asbestos removal workers in the survey and for those included in the analysis (1971–2005).

	All removal workers		Analysed workers
	Number	%	Number	%
Total	52 387	100.0	31 302	100.0
Main stripping method
Wet	17 634	33.7	17 634	56.3
Dry	9008	17.2	9008	28.8
Both	1413	2.7	1413	4.5
Missing	24 332	46.5	3247	10.4
Main respirator type
Positive pressure mask	21 130	40.3	21 130	67.5
Airstream helmet	60	0.1	60	0.2
Full face unpowered mask	5195	9.9	5195	16.6
Half face mask	635	1.2	635	2.0
Minimal	298	0.6	298	1.0
None	80	0.2	80	0.3
Mixed	1443	2.8	1443	4.6
Missing	23 546	45.0	2461	7.9
Average weekly hours spent stripping
<10	10 641	20.3	10 641	34.0
10−	3888	7.4	3888	12.4
20−	5333	10.2	5333	17.0
30−	4844	9.3	4844	15.5
40+	4786	9.1	4786	15.3
Missing	22 895	43.7	1810	5.8
Smoking status at last examination
Never smokers	13 033	24.9	7924	25.3
Current smokers	29 320	56.0	17 979	57.4
Former smokers	8966	17.1	4889	15.6
Missing	1068	2.0	510	1.6
Age at first exposure (years)
<20	10 261	19.6	4642	14.8
20−	21 894	41.8	13 573	43.4
30−	12 262	23.4	8135	26.0
40−	5784	11.0	3626	11.6
50+	2186	4.2	1326	4.2
Missing	0	0.0	0	0.0
Length of time in the survey
Short-term	34 165	65.2	17 898	57.2
Long-term	18 222	34.8	13 404	42.8
Missing	0	0.0	0	0.0
Length of exposure (years)
<10	37 887	72.3	23 863	76.2
10−	7257	13.9	4096	13.1
20−	4246	8.1	2024	6.5
30−	2164	4.1	926	3.0
40+	833	1.6	393	1.3
Missing	0	0.0	0	0.0
Time of first exposure
Pre-ALR	18 055	34.5	5339	17.1
Post-ALR	34 332	65.5	25 963	82.9
Missing	0	0.0	0	0.0