Silicosis in the metal mining industry : a revaluation, 1958-1961.

  • United States Public Health Service
Date:
[1964]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Silicosis in the metal mining industry : a revaluation, 1958-1961. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    THE POPULATION SAMPLE EXAMINED The final decision as to whether a worker would present himself for examination was a matter for individual choice. The benefits to be derived from entering the examination program were carefully ex- plained to all the men, but no coercion was applied. Rosters including the names of all workers were supplied to the examining team. These lists were kept up to date as the status of individual workers changed. At the 50 metal mines studied there were 17,208 workers eligible for examination. Of this number, 13,181 or 76.6 percent presented them- selves for examination. The proportion of the total eligible workers who came for examina- tion was 90 percent or over at 8 mines, from 80-89 percent at 19 mines, 70-79 percent at 12 mines, and less than 70 percent at 11 mines. One way to learn if the workers who came for examination had dif- ferent characteristics from those who did not come in was to study the age distribution of the two groups. This type of analysis was pos- sible using the available records from 36 mines which included 71 percent of all workers. Table V.I shows the percent according to age of all eligible workers who were examined. It will be observed that from 25 through 59 years of age three-fourths of the workers were examined. A smaller percentage of the younger men were included. Men 60 years of age and over were very slightly under-represented compared with the middle age group. Among underground workers 72.1 percent were examined as com- pared with 78.4 percent for surface workers. The difference was con- centrated in the groups under 50 years of age, while for workers above this age the percent of underground and surface workers examined was nearly the same. There was a tendency for men to transfer from underground to sur- face work as they become older and less fit for hard labor, but if any large group of potentially silicotic older men failed to appear for examination this table does not indicate it. Apparently a wide variety of factors influenced the decision of the workers to take or not take the physical examination. A major reason for nonparticipation was absence from work at the time of the survey because of vacation, temporary illness or other reasons. Failure to come for examination was frequently attributed to the use of carpools for commuting workers. In many instances, one man would not wish to delay the other members of his carpool. Sometimes men refused to come when they learned it was to be on their own time. Other men had a dislike and suspicion of any medical examination. A determined effort was made by the medical team to get all workers to come for examination. Management and union help was solicited and various publicity methods were used.
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