Mortality Experience of 1,918 Employees

of the Electric Boat Company,

Groton, Connecticut
January 1, 1967 -.June 3D, 1978
January 27, 1984
William J. Nicholson, Ph.D.
Irving. J. Se1ikoff, M.D.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES LABORATORY
During 1975 and 1976 clinical examinations were conducted of 2,000
employees of the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut. The
results of the eza.in.tioD showed that about SOl of tOe workers in
the ?ard had X-ra? abnormalities characteristic of asbestos
exposure. The abnormalities were found not only
used asbestos, but in all. production trades.
in insulators who
Albeltos was a
. .
ubiquitous contaminant in the yard with .. ny workmen exposed.
In order to .ore fully understand the extent of the effects of
a.bestos exposure, a .ortality study was undertaken of the
production workforce of the ElectriC Boat Shipyard. The atudy group
consisted of 1,918 males who were employed on January I, 1967 and
who were first employed hefore January 11, 1957. Employment was
ascertained using seniority lists available in various unions of the
Metal Trades COWlcil. In addition to the 1,918 .ell, 42 wo.en, 39 of
whom were office employees with 10 years of seniority, also were
listed. Because of the small number and few deaths (4) no analysis
was undertaken of this group and the remainder of the report will be
concerned with the male employees. Tables 1 and 2 list the
distributions of the entire cohort by age and time lince onset of
employment and years of employment. As
group was employed for less than 20 years.
Electric Boat yard longer than 20 years.
caD be leen, .ost of the
Barely 20l had worked in the
ThUS, in terms of time
from onset of exposure and duration of exposure, the exposures have
been recent and of limited duration. The full of the
effects of .hipyard employment would Ilot yet be expected be
present in this aroup. However, analysis of its mortality experience
can serve as an early indicator of potential .hipyard related
disease that would becDllle more fully experienced with the passage of
time. Table 3 aives the distribution of the study group by union and by
as of June 30, 1978. As can be seen the majority of the
production trades in shipbuilding operations were represented.
Table 4 lists the overall mortality experience of all groups by
cause and by years from onset of employment at Elect.ric Boat.
Overall. 315.9 deaths were 356 occurred. The thirteen percent
2
excess is statistically significant at the level. Cancer of all sites
was also increased by (79.5 deaths expected, 90 observed).
The .. jor lites of cancer increase were of the lung and .a.tro-
intestinal tract, lites that in other Itudies have been attri-
butable to a.bestos exposure. l'he' .trend in the rltio of oblServed to
expected deaths, by year from onlet of exp05ure, ahows an increasing
relationship until 25. years from onset, after which dab little
different from those expected in the general population are leen.
The increasing risk with years from onlet of exposure Cand abo with
increasing years of exposure) is characteristic of other asbestos
groups, such as insulation workers. The lower values at longer
times from onset of exposure may be the result of statistical
uncertainties associated with few death$. Only leven cancer deaths
were seen in relatively few individuals who achieved 25 from
onset of exposure (373 of the 1,918). However. they might also be
due to the unusual pattern of asbestos usage at Electric Boat.
Prior to 1950, the predominant vessds constructed at Electric Boat
were diesel-electric submarines. These ships required little
asbestos because of the absence of high temperature steam lines.
After 1950, when the yard became a predominantly nuclear lubmarine
facility, asbestos use was
after that date would have
extensive. Thus, individuals employed
been hiJhly exposed to the fiber during
production work. However, many of the older individuals employed
during the 1940' I and earlier could have achieved supervisory
positions by 1950 and thus could have had lesser exposure than those
indiViduals employed subsequently.
In addition to the elevated risk of cancer, increases in deaths over
expected were aeen for respiratory disease, particularly of
non-infectious causes, and of cardiovascular diseese. While
increase in respiratory dbeue does not achieve a level of
statistical significance. the
elevation cousonant with the
effects expected from asbestos exposure, as is the increase in the
ratio of observed to expected at longer times from onset of employment.
The increase of cardiovascular diseaae is significant, but the reason for
the excess is not understood at this time.
3
Table 5 shows the .ort.ality data for all causes, all cancer, lung
canClI!r,
disease
work) .
increased
whereas
cardiovascular disease and non-infect.ious respiratory
according t.o work activity aupport.. or office
As can be aeen, both production and aupport workers have
.orulity over that aspected for all of these causes,
the .orulity of office employees is in accord
with general population atatistics. Becaule of the relatively Imall
numbers of deaths in each union group, it is not possible to .ake a
definitive aUtement about riaks allociated with particular trades.
It would appear, however, that the rilb of employment in the
Electric Boat Shipyard are spread equally across all craft unions.
Table 6 shows the dist.ribution of deaths for all causes, sll
cancers,
respirat.ory
defiCit of
lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and non-infectious
disease according to calendar period of observation. A
deat.hs of all causes in t.he early Years of followup is
generally the case in ot.her groups of employed workers ("healthy
worker effect") This occurs because the health statuB of employed
workers is better than that of individuals in the general population
and this selection for health leads to deficits of .ort.ality in
early years of follow-up. For cancer, however, where such the
"healthy worker" effect is of less importance, ODe aees elevated
risks iu all period. of
In summary, a cohort of 1,918 Electric Boat production workers,
having at least 10 years leniority, who were followed for 11.5 years,
demonstrate . excess of .ortality of all causes, cardiovascular
disease, respiratory dilease and cancer, part.icularly cancer of the
lung and aastrointestinal tract. One cannot identify unequivocally
the causal factor in these increased risks of disease. However, the
excesses of cancer are of lites that are known to be related to
asbestos exposure, a .. terial commonly used in the Elect.ric Boat
Shipyard, particularly lince 1950. The finding of luch excesses in
a group that. had relathe1y short employment (most less than 20
years) and followed for a relatively short period of time was unexpected.
It suggests the possibility of significant risks associat.ed with asbestos
4
,exposure in shipyard employees. This possibility should be further studied,
particularly since a very large number of workers were employed in this
shipyard over the years; if these early experiences will continue (and, in-
deed, become worse) it will be important to institute appropriate medical
surveillance IDea Bures for the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
This report provides a brief summary of the results of the investigation of
the mortality experience of Groton shipyard workers employed at the ElectriC
Boat Company January I, 1967 - June 30, 1978. A much fuller and more de-
tailed analysis is being prepared and will be published. The present re-
view is being made available nevertheless, lince the prinCipal findings
may provide guidance for public health measures necessary to meet an anti-
Cipated serious increase in cancer ineidenee, as well as of chronic non-
malignant pulmonary disease (asbestosis).
1. The significant increase in cancer deaths that was found Was some-
what unexpected. We did not antiCipate that this would be seen
.s early as it has been (four-fifths of the men were less than 20
years from onset of their shipyard work in 1967, When the study
began; the major burden of asbestos-anociated cancer tends to
occur 30 or more years after onset). To see cancer excess as
early as this leads to augmented concern for the next two or
three decades.
Therefore, medical surveillance for early diagnosis and treatment
of cancer may well be considered. Too, appropriate measures may
be aought to notify previously and eurrently employed workers
about asbestos exposure they m.y have had, their need for medical
care and surveillance, and, in particular, the desirability of
avoidanee of cigarette smolting (in view of the e:ltraordinary
augmentation of lung cancer risk resulting from the combination
of asbestos and cigarettes).'
2. Medical surveillance can also serve to lessen the risk of death
aDd disability from asbestosis.
Table 1
Distribution of 1.918 Electric Boat employees
as of January 1. 1967 .by age ant!. yUTS since
onset of yard employment
Years since onset of Electric Boat em210vment
Age 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30+ Totals % of Total
25-29
15 1 16 0.8
30-34
110 9 119 6.2
35-39 165 51 7 1 224 11. 7
40-44
139 95 34 18 286 14.9
45-49 151 89 20 45 2 307 16.0
50-54
173 82 49 62 16 382 19.9
55-59 122 91 43 35 18 309 16.1
60-64 76 64 38 28 20 226 11.8
65-69 14 11 6 9 9 49 2.6
-----------------------
-------
Total 965 493 197 198 65 1918 100.0
% of 50.3 25.7 10.3 10.3 3.4 100.0
Total
Table 2
Distribution of 1,918 Electric Boat employees
as of January 1, 1967 by age and years of
yard employment
Years of Zleetrie Boat employment
Aile
(10 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30+ Total % of Total
25-29 1 14 1 16 0.8
30-34 3 109 7 119
6.2
35-39 1 167 48 7 1 224
11. 7
40-44 1 148 107 22 8 1 286 14.9
45-49 3 155 101 34 13 10 307 16.0
50-54 2
177 103 56 34 15 382
19.9
55-59 1 122 101 45 25 18 309
16.1
60-64
78 67 38 25 9 226
11.8
65-69
14 14 5 7 49 2.6
------------- -----------------
Total 12 984 549 207 113 53 1918
% of 0.6
51.3 28.6 10.8 5.9 2.8 100.0
Total
Tabl. :t
StiltU," of 1,918 Electric Boat emp10yeea
as of January I, 1967 and June 30, 1978
Status 6-30-78
Status 1-1-67 Working at Working DlIIabled
Union affiliation Electric Boat Elsewhere Retired Deceased Or III Total
Production Unions 705 139 495 )11 19 1669
Pipefitters 53 14 44 22 2 135
Boilermakers 279 57 117 116 9 638
Painters 47 1 36 23 3 116
Carpentera 71 14 56 34 1 176
Electricians 76 19 50 23 2 170
Machinist!! 156 26 111 70 2 365
I.aborera 13 1 14 17 0 45
Fo,,';dry workers 10 1 7 6 0 24.
Support Unions 32 6 28 19 0 85
Teamsters 15 4 11 8 0 38
Guards 12 2 16 10 0 40
Pattern .... k.ers 5 0 1 1 0 7
Office Workers 71 17 50 4 0
164
Cause of death
All causes
All cancer
Lung
~ Colon-rectum
Stomach
Buccal, pharynx,
Inrynx, esophagua
Other cancer
Cardtovascu1ar
Heart
Cerebral and other
"trcuilltory
Respiratory
Pneumonia, influenza
Non-infectf.oua
Other causes
---------------------
Tllt-J. _
OhSt-lrvt'd nnd PXllccted .Jp;,tl.8 t by couse. (rom 1-1-1;7
to 6-JO-197f! " m o , , ~ 1.?18 "]ectrtc Ront employees
Years from onset of employment
Total ]0 - 14 15 - 19 20 - 24
Obs. Exp.
a
Obs. Exp. Obs. Exp. Oba. Exp.
]56 315.9 19 19.1 93 74.4 120 94.6
90 79.5 6 4.]
23 17.7 29 24.4
35 25.9 4 1.3 9 5.7 15 8.1
13 10.5 0 .5 2 2.] 4 ].]
6 4.2 1 .]
2 1.0 2 1.]
6 7.] 0 .5 4 1.7 1 2.2
30 31.6 1 1.8 6 7.0 7 9.7
200 164.9 9 9.7 54 ]8.4
70 49.1
166 136.0 8 8.1 45 ]1.9 60 40.7
]4 28.9 1 1.6 <) 7.5 10 8.5
22 17.7 2 1.0 2 ].9 7 5.2
5 6.5 1 0.4
1 1.6 1 1.8
17 11.]
1 0.5
1 1.3 6 3.4
44
5].8 2 4.2
14 14.5 14 15.9
a
Expected deaths are based on yearly white mn]es rates for Connecticut.
25 - 29 30+
Oba. Exp. Obs. Exp.
61 56.0
57 71.1
19 14.4 13 18.7
]
4.7 4 5.1
2 1.9 5 2.6
1 0.8 0 1.0
1 '1.3 0 1.6
12 5.7 4 8.4
36 29.4 ]1 38.2'
29 24.2 24 31.0
7 5.2 7 7.1
4 3.2 7 4.5
0 1.1 2 1.5
4 2.1
5 3;0
8 9.0 6 10.]
Unlon Hembership
AU unions
Production unions
Support unions
Office union
Table 5
The observed and expected deaths for selected causee
from 1-1-1967 to 6-30-78 among 1,918 Electric Boat
employees by union memberahip
C a u s'e o f d eat h
Cardio-
vascular
All cauaea All cancer Lung cancer diaease
Obs. Exp. Obs. Exp. Obs. Exp. Obs. Exp;
356 315.9 90 79.5 35 28.9 200 164.9
311 272.1 76 68.6 28 22.4 117 142.2
19 15.4 2 3.9 5 1.3 8 8.1
26 27.8 1 7.0 2 2.3 15 14.6
Non-
infectious
respiratory
disease
Dba. Exp.
,-
17 11.3
16 9.1
1 0.6
0'
1.0
Calendar pedod
1967-68
1969-13
1974-78
All years
Table 6
The observed and expected deatha for selected c_usea
among 1,918 Electric Doat employees in different
calendar periods of time
C a u a e o f d eat h
All causes All cancer Lung diaeasa
Obs. Exp. Oba. Exp. Obs. Exp. .Obs. Exp.
39 44.1 13 9.9 7 3.0 22 23.0

132.3 32 31.6 11 10.3 74 69.7
186 139.5 45 37.9 17 12.6 104 72.2
356 315.9 90 79.5 35 25.9 200 164.9
No_
infectious
respiratory
diaeaae
.
abs . Exp.
0 1.4
6 4.3
11 5.6
17 11.3