Reduction of post-shift traffic injuries among gasoline station workers: Are they related to the reduction of occupational gasoline vapor exposure?
OBJECTIVE
Solvents exposure is known to impair psychomotor performances. With gasoline vapor recovery devices (GVRD) installed, this study should observe a decrease of traffic injuries after shift among gasoline workers.


METHODS
The occupational injury registry data of 1991-2000 in a petrochemical company containing 20,000 workers were analyzed. Cumulative injury rate (CIR) was calculated to estimate lifetime risk. The potential workday loss (PWDL) and the potential salary loss (PSL), which summed up the expected workdays and salary loss assuming a uniform retirement age of 65, were calculated for traffic injuries. Workers of gasoline sales were compared with those without gasoline exposure for commuting traffic injuries. The rate ratio (RR) was calculated based on a person-time data.


RESULTS
The CIR dropped 3.14 times during 1997-2000 for commuting accidents on the way back home compared with that during 1991-1992, and the PWDL and PSL dropped 25.2 and 21.5 times, respectively, which corresponded with the time of installments of GVRD. The RRs of commuting accidents on the way back home in the exposed group significantly decreased from 2.15 to 0.53.


CONCLUSIONS
The decrease of commuting injuries on journey back home for gasoline workers were probably related to the effective reduction of solvent exposure.
Chiang
Wen-Kai
WK
National Taiwan University, College of Public Health, Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chan
Chang-Chuan
CC
Tseng
Chi-Ting
CT
Wang
Jung-Der
JD
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D005260:Female; D015920:Gas Scavengers; D005742:Gasoline; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D005742:Gasoline