Nancy A. Nelson

Workplace Changes Associated with a Reduction in Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Office Workers

The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with reductions observed in musculoskeletal symptoms when office workers were moved to a new building. A questionnaire including items regarding symptoms and aspects of the work environment was administered to 577 office workers before and after they were moved from nine buildings to a single new facility in 1992. Employees working in two reference buildings, where they remained throughout the study period, were also surveyed. Two musculoskeletal outcomes, hand/arm and neck/shoulder/back, were selected for study. In matched multivariate analyses, the reduction in hand/arm symptoms from 1992 to 1993 was associated with improved satisfaction with the physical workstation (odds ratio [OR] = 2.0); the reduction in neck/shoulder/back symptoms was associated with improved chair comfort (OR = 1.8), fewer housekeeping responsibilities (OR = 3.6), female gender (OR = 1.8), and low pay range (OR = 1.7). Longitudinal results suggested that changes in workstations resulted in decreased symptoms. Results of this investigation might be used to develop workplace changes that result in reductions of musculoskeletal disorders

Solvent Nephrotoxicity in Humans and Experimental Animals

Evidence from human case reports, epidemiologic studies and animal experiments have suggested that exposure to organic solvents is associated with a wide spectrum of renal disorders, including tubular necrosis, interstitial disease, glomerulonephritis and neoplasia. This review summarizes what is known about solvent-induced renal damage in humans and experimental animals, with emphasis on hypothesized mechanisms by which this broad range of disorders may occur.

Historical Characterization of Exposure to Mixed Solvents for an Epidemiologic Study of Automotive Assembly Plant Workers

Abstract This article describes the approach used to estimate historical exposures to organic solvents and lead for a group of hourly employees who worked in several large automotive assembly plants and who were subjects in an epidemiologic case-control study. The 1243 participants worked at various times from the 1940s to late 1980s in eight facilities with diverse operations and complex exposures to mixed solvents. Individual cumulative solvent and lead exposures were estimated using a number of available resources: employment applications which showed jobs held prior to hire by the automotive company, complete job histories maintained by the personnel department, industrial hygiene air sampling data collected by the company over the past several decades, observation of current operations, and information obtained from interviewing knowledgeable plant personnel. The general approach may have wide application in this corporation and in others that maintain similar personnel and industrial hygiene records.

Employees Exposed to Lead in Washington State Nonconstruction Workplaces: A Starting Point for Hazard Surveillance

A survey of selected Washington state employers was carried out to (1) determine the number of employees working in lead-using businesses, (2) characterize processes and tasks where exposures occur, and (3) determine the number of employers familiar with the lead standard, lead health effects, and how exposures can be controlled. A total of 1822 nonconstruction employers likely to use lead were identified using Washington State Department of Labor and Industries files, telephone directories, Washington State Department of Ecology files, air sampling results from state workplace inspections, and the states Adult Blood Lead Registry. A total of 89.5% of employers returned the mail questionnaire. Of 789 employers responding that they engaged in lead-using tasks, 45% stated they were aware there was an Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard for lead, 21% had done air sampling for lead, 17% had done blood-lead screening, and 76% reported some type of industrial hygiene measures to control exposures. The most commonly reported lead-using activities included soldering; auto repair; scrap metal handling; sanding; cutting or welding surfaces coated with leaded materials; painting with leaded paints; and radiator repair. A total of 18,970 nonconstruction workers (and 9416 construction workers) were estimated to be lead-exposed in Washington in 1995. Identification of potentially exposed workers through hazard surveillance and characterization of workplace knowledge and practices (through survey and the registry) has allowed the Department of Labor and Industries to target resources toward industries most in need of exposure reduction efforts.

Effects of Ventilation Flushout on Indoor Air Quality in a Newly Constructed Office Building

Abstract Washington State building specifications require that all newly constructed public buildings be flushed out with fresh air at ambient temperature for 90 days prior to occupancy in an attempt to reduce air contaminants thought to be associated with construction materials and new furnishings. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of such a flushout in a new office building. Biweekly environmental measurements were taken to examine trends over the 90-day period. Air sampling stations were established at four locations in a new office building; each station was equipped to measure simultaneously selected aldehydes and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon dioxide, particulates, temperature, and humidity. Aldehydes and other VOCs measured were reduced midway through the flushout, but increased to the end of the flushout once furniture was installed. Based on the results of the study, it is concluded that this flushout procedure offers only minimal potential as a means to reduce a...

Use of company stock ownership records to locate subjects lost to follow-up.

When 10,766 members of a refinery retrospective cohort study were assessed for vital status using conventional company and Social Security Administration records, the status of 370 remained unknown. Computerized corporate files of shareholder information yielded current addresses for 243 of those lost to follow-up, and through Directory Assistance, telephone numbers were obtained for 152. Vital status was ascertained by telephone for 146 of the 370 members of the cohort whose status had been unknown.