Mortality of welders and other craftsmen at a shipyard in NE England

Our plain-English summary of Mortality of welders and other craftsmen at a shipyard in NE England, by M.L. Newhouse, D. Oakes, A.J. Woolley (British Journal of Industrial Medicine, 1985).

The study

• Authors: M.L. Newhouse, D. Oakes, A.J. Woolley
• Journal: British Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Published: 1985;42(6):406-10
• Cited by: 55 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text
• In J-M's library: Johns-Manville's company medical library held a copy (J-M no. 000496).

Abstract

Personnel records of over 1000 welders and electricians but only 235 caulkers and 557 platers employed at a shipyard in NE England between 1940 and 1968 were obtained and the mortality followed up to December 1982. The observed number of deaths (13 from mesothelial tumours, nine among the electricians) were compared with the number to be expected in the Newcastle connurbation. Welders and caulkers were most exposed to welding fumes, electricians to asbestos. The study was limited by the lack of accurate job exposure details, and there was no record of smoking habits, but welders and caulkers showed a higher standardised mortality ratio for all causes, lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease, pneumonia, and accidents than platers and electricians.

In plain English

This historical mortality study followed 3489 men in four crafts employed at a shipyard in NE England between 1940 and 1968: 1027 welders, 235 caulker burners, 557 platers and 1670 electricians. Deaths were traced to December 1982 and compared with the numbers expected from Newcastle conurbation death rates, using standardised mortality ratios (SMRs, where 100 means deaths matched expectation). The authors judged that welders and caulkers had the most welding fume exposure and electricians probably the most asbestos exposure. There were 13 deaths from mesothelial tumours: nine among electricians, two among platers, and one each among welders and caulkers. Lung cancer deaths among electricians were close to expected (SMR 104). Caulkers had 12 lung cancer deaths against 5.2 expected (SMR 232). Welders and caulkers had raised death rates from all causes. The authors concluded that the pattern of mesothelioma deaths suggested electricians were at increased risk of asbestos related disease. They described the evidence of raised lung cancer risk in welders as suggestive but not conclusive. They noted that there was no information on smoking, that asbestos exposure was uncertain, and that some groups were small.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Historical (retrospective) mortality study comparing observed deaths in four groups of craftsmen with deaths expected from regional and national rates
• Who was studied: 3489 male craftsmen employed at one shipyard in NE England between 1940 and 1968: 1027 welders, 235 caulkers (caulker burners), 557 platers and 1670 electricians. Women were excluded. Mortality was followed to December 1982. 543 men had died, 143 had emigrated and 17 were untraced.
• Exposure: Welding fume, ranked subjectively as highest for welders, then caulker burners, platers and electricians. Asbestos insulation was used in ships' engine and boiler rooms, pipework and ventilation systems. Electricians were thought to have probably had the highest asbestos exposure of the four groups. The authors state that all three main types of asbestos were probably used, but they do not name them. No individual exposure measurements were available.
• Main results:
  • There were 13 deaths from mesothelial tumours: nine among electricians, two among platers, and one each among welders and caulkers. No expected numbers were given for mesothelioma.
  • Lung cancer (excluding mesothelioma), SMRs based on Newcastle rates with 90% confidence limits: welders 26 observed vs 22.9 expected, SMR 113 (80, 157); caulkers 12 vs 5.2, SMR 232 (133, 374); platers 12 vs 12.1, SMR 100 (57, 161); electricians 35 vs 33.6, SMR 104 (75, 133).
  • When welders and caulkers were combined, the excess of lung cancer deaths was statistically significant.
  • All causes of death, SMRs with 90% confidence limits: welders 114 (100, 127) from 195 observed vs 171.6 expected; caulkers 131 (100, 161); platers 96 (79, 113); electricians 82 (73, 91).
  • Ischaemic heart disease: welders 66 observed vs 50.7 expected, SMR 130 (104, 156); caulkers 14 vs 11.2, SMR 125 (75, 195).
  • Accidents among caulkers: 8 observed vs 3.4 expected, SMR 233 (117, 424). Welders and caulkers also had raised pneumonia SMRs (welders 184), but the authors said these numbers were too small to give a reliable estimate.
  • Welders' SMRs were higher when based on England and Wales rates than on Newcastle rates: all causes 147 vs 114, lung cancer 191 vs 113.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the distribution of mesothelioma deaths suggested the electricians were at increased risk of asbestos related disease. They found suggestive but not conclusive evidence of raised lung cancer risk in welders. They said that, apart from mesothelial tumours, welders and caulkers in general fared worse than platers and electricians.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • There was no information on smoking habits.
  • The degree of exposure to asbestos was uncertain.
  • Craftsmen moved between yards, so the records gave incomplete work histories. Total employment duration and date of first employment in the trade could not be reliably estimated, and results were presented without regard to duration or latency.
  • In the smaller groups, especially the caulkers, the numbers of deaths were small and the confidence limits wide, so the results must be interpreted with caution.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Welders.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Habit, Lung Cancer.

Related studies

• Incidence of lung cancer among shipyard welders investigated for siderosis — T.E. Danielsen, S. Lang rd, et al. (1998)
• Incidence of cancer among welders and other workers in a Norwegian shipyard — A. Melkild, S. Langård, et al. (1989)
• A historical prospective study of European stainless steel, mild steel, and shipyard welders — L. Simonato, A.C. Fletcher, et al. (1991)
• Incidence of cancer among welders, platers, machinists, and pipe fitters in shipyards and machine shops — S. Tola, P.L. Kalliomäki, et al. (1988)
• Cancer incidence among mild steel and stainless steel welders and other metal workers — K.S. Hansen, J.M. Lauritsen, et al. (1996)
• The health of welders in naval dockyards. The risk of asbestos-related diseases occurring in welders — G.H. McMillan (1983)

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