Some workers at a former IBM plant in Endicott, NY are at a higher risk of job-related cancers than the general population, according to a new study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
The study determined that deaths from several types of cancer were more common in workers at the now-closed plant. The study examined records for 34,494 workers employed at the plant from 1969 to 2001. The study found that “the total number of deaths from all causes and all cancers combined were lower among the IBM workers in the study that would be expected from the general population.” It also found that deaths from some types of cancer, including mesothelioma were more frequent in some groups of workers than the rest of the population. Several types of cancer were relatively more common in workers who had more exposure to specific chemicals or worked longer in certain buildings.
Due to study limitations such as job exposures at other worksites, smoking or family disease, it was not possible to determine that job exposures to chemicals at the plant put workers at higher risk of cancer. NIOSH is analyzing data to address whether or not children of the former workers have increases incidences of birth defects.
If you or a loved one were exposed to specific chemicals while on the job and have suffered from serious diseases such as mesothelioma as a result, contact us immediately for help.
