Table 1

Descriptive characteristics of 166 current employees potentially exposed to sprayed or heated polyurethane (PUR) glue

Workers1-150Clerks
n
nGlue exposure
SprayedHeated
All152 14
 Glue 81 0
  Heat 77
   Gun 49
    Glue spraying 26YesYes
    Preapplied glue 23NoYes
  Other heat1-151  28
   Glue spraying 19YesYes
   Melting glue1-152   9NoYes
  No heat1-153
  Glue spraying1-154   4YesNo
 No glue 71NoNo 14
Women/men121/31  9/5
Age (y; median, range) 42 (20–64) 48 (33–62)
 Women 44 (23–64)
 Men 34 (20–61)
Employment time (months; median, range) 94 (4–529)184 (38–440)
Smokers/ex-smokers/non-smokers 51/25/76  1/6/7
Atopy
 History (positive/uncertain/negative) 22/20/110  6/2/6
 Phadiatop® test (positive) 351-160   4
 Serum IgE (>100 kU/l) 191-160   2

  • ↵1-150 Not included in table: three present workers who declined to participate.

  • ↵1-151 One worker changed job tasks from gun to other heat during the preceding 3 months.

  • ↵1-152 All workers applying melting glue used MDI based glues, some also used colophony based glues.

  • ↵1-153 Four workers changed job tasks from heat to no heat during the preceding 3 months.

  • ↵1-154 The gluers in this group both sprayed glue and served a glueing machine; two workers were transferred from heat 1 month ago; a third worker helped at heating jobs during afternoon shifts.

  • ↵1-160 Three values missing.