Absence and labour turnover in a foundry attributable to respiratory disease

A survey of foundry workers was undertaken to assess the effect of respiratory disease on both absence in the year prior to the survey and labour turnover since a cross-sectional study of respiratory morbidity five years previously. The presence of a wheeze, but not an objective disturbance of airway function, was predictive of absence. Those with respiratory illness, detected in the survey five years previously, were no more likely to have left the foundry than those without such illness. Limited job opportunities may discourage moulders with respiratory disease from leaving the foundry. Absence was not related to cigarette smoking, the presence of bronchial hyperreactivity, or a positive skin test to common allergens. In view of the small number of subjects in this study, studies of larger work populations should be undertaken to further assess the effect of subjective and objective indices of respiratory morbidity on absence and labour turnover.