An analysis of nuclear industry workers' death risk and related occupational harms

Objective: The causes of death and related occupational harms in nuclear industry worker were investigated and analyzed emphatically to determine the relationship between occupations and health. Methods: Workers of 11 units from the time of their foundation to the end of 1990 were observed by groups. The number of workers and death data in every year were investigated. The causes of death were classified according to ICD-9. Results: The crude mortality was 193.66 x 10-5, standard mortality 237.65 x 10-5, those for exposed group and control group were 346.11 x 10-5 and 202.03 x 10-5, respectively (P<0.01), which were lower than those for whole China. When the exposed group was compared with the control, RR was 1.70 (P<0.01), but when silicosis and accidental deaths were excluded, the RR was 1.30 (P<0.05). tumor was first cause of death and injury and poisoning came next. SMR of total death cause was 0.46, that of tumor 0.76, injury and poisoning 1.20 (P<0.01), lung cancer 1.40 (P<0.01), and brain tumor 1.51 (P<0.05). In uranium mines, lung cancer, brain tumor, stomach cancer, liver cancer and leukemia increased obviously. Conclusion: The occupational harms related to death were dust, industrial injury and radon daughters. Because of them the death risk in the exposed group was increased, but conditions were changing constantly. Males had more death risk than females and the increase of uranium miner's lung cancer was considered to be associated with exposure to radon daughters