Epidemiological surveillance at Electricité de France-Gaz de France: health assessment of nuclear power plant employees between 1993 and 1998

Abstract

Because the 17,500 employees working in nuclear power plants at Electricité de France, the national power company, may be exposed to a wide variety of industrial hazards, the health insurance department of the company has set up an epidemiological surveillance programme for them. This report describes its first stage, an analysis of their health problems. This descriptive, cross-sectional and exhaustive study examined sick-leave, mortality and cancer incidence to assess the health of the employees working from 1993 through 1998. The analysis compared the employees in nuclear power plants, considered 'exposed', with the rest of the personnel of Electricité de France-Gaz de France, the 'non-exposed' (125,000 persons). Relative risks for these variables were estimated, after stratification for age, sex and work grade. Globally, the employees in the nuclear sector appeared to have fewer health problems than the other company employees. This was true regardless of age and especially for men, operating employees and supervisory employees. Nonetheless, three points must be noted: non-work accidents generated a non-significant excess of absenteeism and mortality among these employees, especially among management and supervisory personnel; suicides affected supervisors in particular; and an excess of primary malignant brain tumours affected both mortality [relative risk (RR) = 1.96, n.s.] and incidence, especially among operating employees (RR = 2.87, 95% confidence interval = 1.00-8.43). No excess of malignant blood disease was observed. This study, performed for surveillance purposes, points to brain tumours as a problem that raises important aetiological questions. Research is now necessary to provide answers. Surveillance of nuclear plant employees at Electricité de France should be continued and expanded to include the study of specific occupational exposures.