The health of retired fibrous glass workers

A total of 416 men, retiring during the period 1945 to 1972 from six plants engaged mainly in the manufacture of fibrous glass insulation, were studied to see how their mortality experience compared with that of white men in the entire United States living in comparable age and time intervals. The mean follow-up period from first exposure was about 30 years. Overall mortality was low and there was no evidence of an excess in respiratory cancer mortality. No mesotheliomas were noted. For 115 men retiring from the same six plants during the period 1945 to 1972 due to a disability the distribution of disabilities by cause was compared with an expected distribution based on the experience of the Social Security Administration. This comparison showed no evidence of any unusual health hazards among fibrous glass workers, except a possible excess in chronic bronchitis.