“Health Watch“: the Australian petroleum industry health study surveillance programme

A surveillance system, capable of linking experience in specific jobs with certain health outcomes, has been established within the Australian petroleum industry. A defined population of 11 596 employees has been assembled, after personal interviews. Events recorded are death and its cause, and diagnosis of cancer. Members of the study population are followed up after leaving the industry. By the end of 1983, 33 deaths had occurred, fewer than would be expected from the prevailing rates in the general Australian population. With progressive accumulation of follow-up data, questions of greater complexity will be addressed.