Excess deaths due to occupation

Harris et al1 provide useful new data for evaluating which occupational hazards are most deadly, and how this has changed over time. They have estimated excess deaths for different occupational groups, presumably exposed to specific hazards, via calculation of polymyalgia rheumaticas (PMRs) (observed vs expected deaths) from death certificates, for causes of death strongly associated with occupations. Excess deaths (observed minus expected) over three study periods (1979–1990, 1991–2000 and 2001–2010) are presented (excess/observed deaths is the attributable fraction (AF) among the exposed). For some causes resulting solely from occupational exposures, there are no expected deaths without exposure, so all observed deaths across all occupations are considered excessive (eg, asbestosis, coal miner's pneumoconiosis). Among the more striking findings were the drop in excess deaths in exposed occupations from chronic bronchitis/emphysema, and in deaths from injury and poisoning.

There are a number of limitations to the method, most of which are...

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