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Beryllium disease among construction trade workers at Department of Energy nuclear sites.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Welch, LS; Ringen, K; Dement, J; Bingham, E; Quinn, P; Shorter, J; Fisher, M
Published in: Am J Ind Med
October 2013

BACKGROUND: A medical surveillance program was developed to identify current and former construction workers at significant risk for beryllium related disease from work at the DOE nuclear weapons facilities, and to improve surveillance among beryllium exposed workers. METHODS: Medical examinations included a medical history and a beryllium blood lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT). Stratified and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore the risk of disease by age, race, trade, and reported work in buildings where beryllium was used. After adjusting for covariates, the risk of BeS was significantly higher among boilermakers, roofers, and sheet metal workers, as suggested in the stratified analyses. Workers identified as sensitized to beryllium were interviewed to determine whether they had been subsequently diagnosed with chronic beryllium disease. RESULTS: Between 1998 and December 31, 2010 13,810 workers received a BeLPT through the BTMed program; 189 (1.4%) were sensitized to beryllium, and 28 reported that they had had a compensation claim accepted for CBD. CONCLUSIONS: These data on former construction workers gives us additional information about the predictive value of the blood BeLPT test for detection of CBD in populations with lower total lifetime exposures and more remote exposures than that experienced by current workers in beryllium machining operations. Through this surveillance program we have identified routes of exposures to beryllium and worked with DOE site personnel to identity and mitigate those exposures which still exist, as well as helping to focus attention on the risk for beryllium exposure among current demolition workers at these facilities.

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Published In

Am J Ind Med

DOI

EISSN

1097-0274

Publication Date

October 2013

Volume

56

Issue

10

Start / End Page

1125 / 1136

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States Government Agencies
  • United States
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Logistic Models
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Environmental & Occupational Health
  • Construction Industry
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Welch, L. S., Ringen, K., Dement, J., Bingham, E., Quinn, P., Shorter, J., & Fisher, M. (2013). Beryllium disease among construction trade workers at Department of Energy nuclear sites. Am J Ind Med, 56(10), 1125–1136. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22202
Welch, Laura S., Knut Ringen, John Dement, Eula Bingham, Patricia Quinn, Janet Shorter, and Miles Fisher. “Beryllium disease among construction trade workers at Department of Energy nuclear sites.Am J Ind Med 56, no. 10 (October 2013): 1125–36. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22202.
Welch LS, Ringen K, Dement J, Bingham E, Quinn P, Shorter J, et al. Beryllium disease among construction trade workers at Department of Energy nuclear sites. Am J Ind Med. 2013 Oct;56(10):1125–36.
Welch, Laura S., et al. “Beryllium disease among construction trade workers at Department of Energy nuclear sites.Am J Ind Med, vol. 56, no. 10, Oct. 2013, pp. 1125–36. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/ajim.22202.
Welch LS, Ringen K, Dement J, Bingham E, Quinn P, Shorter J, Fisher M. Beryllium disease among construction trade workers at Department of Energy nuclear sites. Am J Ind Med. 2013 Oct;56(10):1125–1136.
Journal cover image

Published In

Am J Ind Med

DOI

EISSN

1097-0274

Publication Date

October 2013

Volume

56

Issue

10

Start / End Page

1125 / 1136

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States Government Agencies
  • United States
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Logistic Models
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Environmental & Occupational Health
  • Construction Industry