Table 1

Distribution of deaths and person-years at risk among UK industrial silica sand workers

Variable with levels	Lung cancers	Non-malignant respiratory disease	All causes	Person-years at risk
Cumulative exposure to respirable crystalline silica
<0.13	19	19	168	16975.6
0.13–<0.40	21	19	175	15907.1
0.40–<1.00	21	21	171	13909.6
⩾1.00	17	24	181	17114.6
Quarry
1	5	3	29	3376.6
2	5	3	29	2525.0
3	14	12	117	14704.4
4	7	29	227	18405.3
5	4	0	23	3003.0
6	8	11	90	13049.3
7	38	33	249	21098.1
Calendar period
1950–1979	20	18	187	29979.8
1980–1984	18	13	128	11287.9
1985–1989	15	13	115	11026.3
1990–2001	28	47	334	23867.7
Attained age
–49	2	3	72	10290.3
50–59	20	7	134	21868.6
60–69	39	27	212	19838.9
70–74	11	16	130	9308.4
75–79	8	9	99	7611.8
80+	1	29	117	7243.7
Period from first employment (years)
0–5	34	22	266	5564.0
5–9	25	29	219	25833.8
10–19	14	29	184	29037.6
> = 20	8	11	95	15726.3
Employment status
In post	6	2	25	9257.7
Left	75	89	739	66904.0
Year of commencing employment
–1949	14	26	199	9351.9
1950–1959	22	21	186	12642.3
1960–1969	24	32	225	26731.3
1970–1986	21	12	154	27436.2
Sex
Men	77	88	727	67124.2
Women	4	3	37	9037.5
Total
	81	91	764	76161.7