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    Migration and work in postwar Australia: mortality profile comparisons between Australian and Italian workers exposed to blue asbestos at Wittenoom

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Authors
    Reid, Alison
    Merler, E.
    Peters, S.
    Jayasinghe, N.
    Bressan, V.
    Franklin, P.
    Brims, Fraser
    de Klerk, N.
    Musk, A.
    Date
    2018
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
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    Citation
    Reid, A. and Merler, E. and Peters, S. and Jayasinghe, N. and Bressan, V. and Franklin, P. and Brims, F. et al. 2018. Migration and work in postwar Australia: mortality profile comparisons between Australian and Italian workers exposed to blue asbestos at Wittenoom. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 75 (1): pp. 29-36.
    Source Title
    Occupational and Environmental Medicine
    DOI
    10.1136/oemed-2017-104322
    ISSN
    1470-7926
    School
    Curtin Medical School
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/55346
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    OBJECTIVES: Three hundred and thirty thousand Italians arrived in Australia between 1945 and 1966, many on assisted passage schemes where the worker agreed to a 2-year unskilled employment contract. Italians were the largest of 52 migrant groups employed at the Wittenoom blue asbestos mining and milling operation. We compare mortality from asbestos-related diseases among Italian and Australian workers employed at Wittenoom. METHODS: A cohort of 6500 male workers was established from employment records and followed up at state and national mortality and cancer registries. SMRs were calculated to compare mortality with the Western Australian male population. Time-varying Cox proportional hazards models compared the risk of mesothelioma between Australian and Italian workers. RESULTS: 1031 Italians and 3465 Australians worked at Wittenoom between 1943 and 1966. Duration of employment was longer for the Italian workers, although the concentration of exposure was similar. The mesothelioma mortality rate per 100 000 was higher in Italians (184, 95% CI 148 to 229) than Australians (128, 95% CI 111 to 149). The risk of mesothelioma was greater than twofold (HR 2.27, 95% CI 1.43 to 3.60) in Italians at the lowest asbestos exposure category (<10 fibre years/per mL). CONCLUSIONS: A hierarchy in migration, isolation and a shortage of workers led to Italians at Wittenoom incurring higher cumulative exposure to blue asbestos and subsequently a greater rate of malignant mesothelioma than Australian workers. IMPACT: Poor working conditions and disparities between native and foreign-born workers has had a detrimental and differential impact on the long-term health of the workforce.

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    • The mortality of women exposed environmentally and domestically to blue asbestos at Wittenoom, Western Australia
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    • Gynecologic and breast cancers in women after exposure to blue Asbestos at Wittenoom
      Reid, Alison; Segal, A.; Heyworth, J.; De Klerk, N.; Musk, A. (2009)
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    • Mortality of former crocidolite (blue asbestos) miners and millers at Wittenoom
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      Background: Blue asbestos was mined and milled at Wittenoom in Western Australia between 1943 and 1966. Methods: Nearly 7000 male workers who worked at the Wittenoom mine and mill have been followed up using death and ...
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