VANCOUVER -- When it comes to lung health, smoking is the number one risk factor, but occupational exposure comes second. In fact, workplace exposure is the single-most preventable cause of asthma in adults. As Occupational Safety and Health Week kicked off, we learned just what's going on in this field of research.
The father of the Great One, Walter Gretzky, knows all about the importance of work safety. Back in 1961, while he was working as an installer and telephone repairman, a manhole cover blew up in his face, splitting his safety helmut in two.
Gretzky remembers, "it hit me right in the head, fructured my right skull. I'm totally deaf in my right ear."
Workplace safety has come a long way since the 1960's. Now, there's greater awareness and research on occupational hazards and how to better protect workers.
In the trades, workers are exposed to all kinds of harsh chemicals. To study the effect of these on lung health, UBC researchers tested BCIT apprentices back in 1988 and again two years later. One of those interviewees was Kevin Smith, a machinist who's now moved on to operational management.
Kevin Smith, former machinist, says, "for myself, there wasn't much change, but for some machinists there was a drop in lunch function."
In fact, researchers found one-third of the machinists, electricians, insulators and painters they tested had a decline in lung function over two years. But the machinists had more hypersensitivity.
Dr. Susan Kennedy, Professor at the School of Occupational, Health and Hygiene and the Director at the Centre of Health and Environment Research at UBC says, "the part that was most with machinists was increased sensitivity of lung. We measured sensitivity and overall performance. One is more related to asthma and the other perhaps more related to perhaps the development of chronic lung disease."
Now 18 years later, researchers are again testing workers like Kevin to see if early changes in lung function can predict disease later in life. Though he's no longer machining, Kevin is much more aware of occupational safety.
Kevin says, "ventilation is number one, so not breathing in vapours as your machining, so knowledge is really important..."
As you can imagine, tracking a group of 365 trades people for this length of time is difficult. That's why researchers are asking BCIT alumni who took part in the initial study in 1988 and 1990 to contact them via the website: www.cher.ubc.ca/lunghealth.
Tuesday May 2, 2006
