Epidemiologic studies of Scottish oil shale workers: III. Causes of death.

In a mortality study of a population of 6,359 male Scottish oil shale workers, the vital status of 6,145 (96.6%) was determined. Sufficient data on occupational histories for analyses of mortality in relation to jobs held were available for 6,064 (95.4%) of the workers. No significant excess of mortality from any disease was found in relation to any jobs in the industry. Comparison of the mortality experience of those 3,161 men who joined the population prior to 1953 with that of the whole Scottish population showed an excess of deaths from skin cancer but no significant excess that was due to other disease. Comparisons with the population of the counties in which the industry was situated showed no significant excess of deaths from any cause examined. A case-control study of lung cancer in the shale area showed no excess risk of this disease in association with work in the industry.