Mortality and Industrial Employment

Goldsmith, J. R., and M. Thresh (California State Dept. of Health, Berkeley, CA 94704). Mortality and industrial employment. III. Industries with high standard mortality ratios for persons with social security coverage in 1960 and 1965. Am J Epidemiol 106:109–124, 1977. Data are available on a 1% sample of social security covered employees by industry, age, sex and race for years 1960 and 1965 and their mortality through 1972. Previous papers have reported on overall rates by age, sex and race and on industries in which mortality appears to be increased among younger workers. In this paper mortality ratios, compared to the expected overall race-sex-age specific rates for this population, are shown for the Standard industrial Classification two-digit-industry classes for the 1960 and the 1965 cohorts. Among women employed in four industries involving chemical exposures, an abrupt increase in mortality occurred around 1965. Possible reasons for this are discussed. The epidemiologic usefulness of social security mortality data for occupational and preventive purposes and for surveillance is emphasized.