Study on the Mortality of Asbestos Exposed Workers in RailRoad Shopworkers

The following details a study conducted by Ohlson CG, Klaesson B, Hogstedt C. The researchers investigated the mortality experience of 3,297 railroad maintenance shopworkers exposed to asbestos. The study period was 1951-1980, and the vital status was assessed for 99.6% of the men. Individual estimates of cumulative asbestos exposure were based on detailed records on work tasks and divisions.

Dust measurements were scanty in earlier decades, and estimates of average fiber levels were therefore based on information on the amount and kind of asbestos used, job descriptions, and interviews with older workers. The overall mortality was lower than expected from the national death rates (standardized mortality ratio = 82).