Documents Davies, Hugh W. 2 results

"A pilot study tested the feasibility of conducting occupational health research in Bangladesh while examining asbestos-related diseases, work-related respiratory symptoms, and attitudes to occupational health and safety among a group of internal migrant shipbreakers.Data was collected in Bengali on clinical and work history, respiratory symptoms, and occupational health and safety practices. Postero-anterior chest x-rays were read by a B-reader. In 104 male shipbreakers, prevalence of asbestos-related disease was 12 percent, of which asbestosis accounted for six percent. Knowledge of asbestos and occupational health and safety measures were almost non-existent. The prevalence of asbestos-related diseases is low compared to studies in shipbuilders and repairers, but a risk underestimate could have resulted from challenges identified during study design and implementation including: a) industry non-cooperation and a culture of corruption, b) technological and language barriers, and c) a regional lack of physician knowledge and research on occupational diseases. How these challenges affected the study is discussed and recommendations are made."

"Objective: To estimate the population attributable fraction (PAF) and number of incident and fatal lung cancers in Canada from occupational exposure to diesel engine exhaust (DEE).
Methods: DEE exposure prevalence and level estimates were used with Canadian Census and Labour Force Survey data to model the exposed population across the risk exposure period (REP, 1961–2001). Relative risks of lung cancer were calculated based on a meta-regression selected from the literature. PAFs were calculated using Levin's equation and applied to the 2011 lung cancer statistics obtained from the Canadian Cancer Registry.
Results: We estimated that 2.4% (95% CI 1.6% to 6.6%) of lung cancers in Canada are attributable to occupational DEE exposure, corresponding to approximately 560 (95% CI 380 to 1570) incident and 460 (95% CI 310 to 1270) fatal lung cancers in 2011. Overall, 1.6 million individuals alive in 2011 were occupationally exposed to DEE during the REP, 97% of whom were male. Occupations with the highest burden were underground miners, truck drivers and mechanics. Half of the attributable lung cancers occurred among workers with low exposure.
Conclusions: This is the first study to quantify the burden of lung cancer attributable to occupational DEE exposure in Canada. Our results underscore a large potential for prevention, and a large public health impact from occupational exposure to low levels of DEE."