Table 3

Power distribution workers: similar exposure groups, cumulative exposures and job tasks (n = 2491; 99.7% of the total group). Evaluable data on specific job tasks were available in 99% (n = 2469) of the 2491 workers with usable data

Exposure group

n (%)

Age^g

Exposed^h

Fibre-

Drilling^k

Sawing^k

Grinding^k

Other^k

Cords^l

Boards^l

Heater^l

(years)

(years)

yearsⁱ

(%)^m

(%)^m

(%)^m

(%)^m

(%)^m

(%)^m

(%)^m

Metalworker^a

50 (2)

53 (12)

15 (9)

2.8 (6)

52

52

48

66

52

30

10

Electrician^b

1875 (75)

44 (13)

12 (8)

2.8 (23)

77

72

58

72

25

27

38

Plant operator^c

13 (< 1)

56 (11)

12 (8)

5.1 (9)

23

31

15

38

31

23

-

Other craftsman^d

250 (10)

46 (11)

12 (8)

1.3 (3)

48

46

34

57

19

20

21

Supervisor^e

160 (6)

46 (10)

11 (8)

1.9 (13)

48

46

31

58

24

22

34

Other occupation^f

143 (6)

48 (12)

12 (9)

1.0 (2)

48

43

33

49

12

19

28

Total

2491 (100)

45 (12)

12 (8)

2.5 (20)

70

66

51

68

24

25

35

^a including welder, insulator, mechanic

^b including communications technician

^c including system controller, boiler operator

^d for example roofer, pipefitter, car mechanic, mason, gauge mechanic, turner, smelter, fire fighter, driver, painter, warehouseman, forklift operator

^e present in the contaminated area, but not executing manual work, for example civil engineer, work planner

^f for example gardener, office staff, laboratory assistant, doorman, occupation unknown (n = 7)

^g age at fixed reference date 1 September 2002, standard deviation in parentheses

^h periods of asbestos exposure from self administered data sheets, standard deviation in parentheses

ⁱ cumulative asbestos exposure calculated for a standard airborne concentration of 1 × 10⁶ fibres per cubic metre, standard deviation in parentheses

^k tooling of asbestos cement sheets with a drill, saw, angle grinder or some other instrument

^l handling of asbestos cords or boards, maintenance of night storage heaters

^m percent of exposure group with evaluable data executing specific job task

Felten et al. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology 2010 5:15   doi:10.1186/1745-6673-5-15