Mesothelioma Risk among Construction Workers According to Job Title: Data from the Italian Mesothelioma Register

BACKGROUND: An increased risk of mesothelioma has been reported in various countries for construction workers. The Italian National Mesothelioma Registry, from 1993 to 2018, reported exposure exclusively in the construction sector in 2310 cases. We describe the characteristics of these cases according to the job title. METHODS: We converted into 18 groups the original jobs (N=338) as reported by ISTAT codes (‘ATECO 91’). The exposure level was attributed to certain, probable, and possible in accordance with the qualitative classification of exposure as reported in the Registry guidelines. Descriptive analysis by jobs highlights the total number of subjects for every single job and certain exposure, in descending order, insulator, plumbing, carpenter, mechanic, bricklayer, electrician, machine operator, plasterer, building contractor, painter, and laborer. RESULTS: The cases grow for plumbing in 1993-2018, while, as expected, it decreased for the insulator. Within each period considered, the most numerous cases are always among bricklayers and laborers; these data confirm the prevalence of non-specialized "interchangeable" jobs in the Italian construction sector in the past. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the 1992 ban, the construction sector still presents an occupational health prevention challenge, and circumstances of asbestos exposure may still occur due to incomplete compliance with prevention and protection measures.