Retrospective cohort study of a microelectronics and business machine facility.

OBJECTIVES

We examined health outcomes among 34,494 workers employed at a microelectronics and business machine facility 1969-2001.

METHODS

Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and standardized incidence ratios were used to evaluate health outcomes in the cohort and Cox regression modeling to evaluate relations between scores for occupational exposures and outcomes of a priori interest.

RESULTS

Just over 17% of the cohort (5,966 people) had died through 2009. All cause, all cancer, and many cause-specific SMRs showed statistically significant deficits. In hourly males, SMRs were significantly elevated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and rectal cancer. Salaried males had excess testicular cancer incidence. Pleural cancer and mesothelioma excesses were observed in workers hired before 1969, but no available records substantiate use of asbestos in manufacturing processes. A positive, statistically significant relation was observed between exposure scores for tetrachloroethylene and nervous system diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

Few significant exposure-outcome relations were observed, but risks from occupational exposures cannot be ruled out due to data limitations and the relative youth of the cohort.