ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify work-related asthma (WRA) workers' compensation claims associated with methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) exposure in the spray-on truck bed lining industry and estimate the asthma incidence rate in this industry. METHODS: The authors conducted a descriptive study of workers' compensation claims meeting an established surveillance case definition for WRA. RESULTS: Eight WRA workers' compensation claims were identified in the truck bed lining industry in Washington State for a claims incidence rate of 200 per 10,000 full-time equivalent. The medical evaluation of the cases was inadequate because none of the truck bed lining cases had medical testing to objectively link their asthma to the workplace. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of work-related asthma in the truck bed lining industry is excessive and suggests a need for significant intervention, including improvements in the clinical assessment provided to MDI-exposed workers.
