Follow-up study of workers in a nylon carpet yarn plant after remedial actions taken against a contaminated humidification system.
Int Arch Occup Environ Health
; 73(6): 376-83, 2000 Aug.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-11007340
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effectiveness of remedial actions taken against a contaminated humidification system, after an outbreak of humidifier disease in a nylon carpet yarn plant.METHODS:
Two and 6 years after modification, a follow-up investigation of a stratified (age, smoking habits) sample of exposed (n = 75) and non-exposed (n = 56) workers was carried out. Outcome-parameters were respiratory symptoms, spirometry, skin tests and serology with various humidifier fungi. In addition, the yearly incidence of work-disability because of chronic respiratory disease during the 2 years before, and 11 years after the modification was compared.RESULTS:
At follow-up, exposed workers, who remained at the same workplace no longer had significantly more frequent chronic respiratory symptoms. The prevalence of positive serology was still higher (P < 0.05) in exposed workers after 2 years, but at the 6 year follow-up investigation, the difference was no longer significant. Prevalence of positive skin tests after 2 years no longer differed from that of the non-exposed workers. Slopes (ml/years) of the graphs of forced vital capacity (FVC) and one-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1) during the 6 year follow-up after the first investigation did not differ between exposed and non-exposed workers, both before and after adjustment for age, smoking habits and results of skin tests and serology before modification. Before modification, exposed workers with a positive late skin test had a lower FVC than non-exposed workers. After 6 years of follow-up their FVC was still lower, but the difference was no longer significant. There were no indications of selective loss to follow-up. After remedial actions no new cases of humidifier disease occurred. Moreover, the yearly incidence of work-disability in this plant because of chronic respiratory disease, decreased from 1.30% to 0.27% compared with a decrease from 0.30% to 0. 12% in other synthetic fibre plants.CONCLUSION:
Follow-up investigation of exposure-effects demonstrated the effectiveness of remedial actions taken against a contaminated humidification system.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Doenças Respiratórias
/
Exposição Ocupacional
/
Pisos e Cobertura de Pisos
/
Nylons
/
Doenças Profissionais
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int Arch Occup Environ Health
Ano de publicação:
2000
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Holanda
País de publicação:
ALEMANHA
/
ALEMANIA
/
DE
/
DEUSTCHLAND
/
GERMANY