Absenteeism and beryllium sensitization among US department of energy workers

Background: Beryllium is a soft, white metal that has been used by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in many nuclear operations and processes. These operations included melting, grinding, and machine tooling of beryllium parts. Inhalation of beryllium dust or particles can cause chronic beryllium disease (CBD) or beryllium sensitization (BeS). CBD is a chronic, often debilitating and sometimes fatal lung condition. BeS is a condition in which a person's immune system becomes highly responsive (allergic) to the presence of beryllium in the body. Objectives: Because CBD damages the respiratory system, individuals identified as having CBD or BeS might be more likely to be absent from work due to respiratory illnesses than workers without these conditions. The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine whether absences, particularly from respiratory diseases, were associated with beryllium status. Methods: All cause and respiratory absences that occurred between 2002 and 2011 among 19,305 DOE beryllium workers were examined. Survival analyses compared time to first absence for person-years stratified by beryllium status. Based on absenteeism before and after sensitization, multivariate logistic regression provided odds ratios to compare the two strata. Secondary analyses examined beryllium status by occupational group. Results: Beryllium sensitized workers have excess absences compared to coworkers with normal beryllium status. In addition, the time to first absence was shorter among those with BeS/CBD. Line operators/crafts workers were more likely to become beryllium sensitized than workers performing other job tasks.