Association of Disability and Selected Occupational Hazards

Abstract

Subjective evaluations by a panel of industrial hygienists were used to classify occupational groups by degree of exposure to airborne particulates, irritant gases, organic vapors, and temperature extremes. These were compared with grouped proportionate morbidity ratios for the occupations for each of 75 disease conditions, using disability awards made by the Social Security Administration. Chi-square tests of the resulting tables showed a number of significant differences. The most important of these appeared to be a strong association of particulate exposure and excess disability from emphysema. No such association was found for particulate exposure and excess disability from lung cancer.