Occupational Surveillance in Canada: Cause Specific
Mortality Among Workers 1965-1991 Guide

What is it?

The Occupational Surveillance in Canada CD- ROM is designed to show potential associations detected between possible workplace exposures and specific causes of death. It presents information and results of a follow -up study of approximently 100,000 workers employed between 1965 and 1971. It includes a brief review of the methodology, highlights of selected comparisons between occupations, and mortality risks.

Accessing the Product

1. Insert the CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive. Then double click the 'mortality' icon.

2. Choose the desired language.

3. Scroll down through the license agreement and indicate your acceptance of it in order to

activate the main screen. Otherwise you will exit the product.

Main Screen

The main screen opens into three application boxes; Publication, Data, and Acrobat Help. Activate a box by clicking on it with the left mouse button.

Publication

This box introduces you to the CD-ROM. It provides all details of the study conducted, including who the sample participants were, the methods used, and the results of the study. It also contains an appendix section at the end that further explains information applying to the study.

*The arrows at the top of the screen can help you maneuver throughout the product. These are explained in the Acrobat Help box.

Conducting a Search in Publication

The 'Find' button (binocular shape) can help you conduct a search if you are not sure where the information you want is located. You can do this by following the steps as follows:

1. Click the 'Find' button that is located in the top menu bar.

2. Type in the word(s) that you wish to find in the 'Find What' box, ex. Death.

3. Press 'Find'.

4. The word, if found, will appear on screen highlighted for you to see. If you wish to continue the search, go to the 'Find' button again and select 'Find Again'. This can be continued until the whole document is searched.

5. To begin a new search delete the existing word and type a new one, then continue from step one.

Another way to quickly find information is by browsing the table of contents screen. There are two methods of doing this:

1. You can scroll down through the contents until you find the information you are looking for. Note the section it appears under and click that section in the left column. You can then do a search using the 'Find' button.

For Example, if I am looking for ethical issues involved in this study I would

notice that section 3, subsection 3.4, deals with this topic. I then click section

3: The Files and Methods in the left column. Once here I do a 'Find' search

using 'ethical issues' as my search query and I am taken directly tot he correct location.

2. You can also use the 'Find' button on the table of contents page as well. Instead of scrolling through the page the 'find' search will take you directly there. Once a topic is located you can follow the same procedures as above, in number 1.

Data

This section contains the tables of the results. These tables are based on 70 causes of death, and 670 occupational codes. You can exit a table by selecting 'File', then 'Exit'.

Tables concerning 'Causes of Death'

To view tables concerning 'cause of death', choose either FULL TABLES: All results by cause of death, or SELECTED TABLES: Selected results by cause of death.

1. When selecting 'FULL TABLES' it first brings you to a divided screen. On the left side you can choose the type of occupation you are interested in. If you do this you will automatically be taken to the options you have on the right side of the screen. The associated table titles will be highlighted in blue, choose the one you want by clicking it, the occupation subdivisions will be listed below the general title.

The resulting table will have the causes of death listed on the left of the table and other data to the right of it. You can switch subdivisions by choosing different tab buttons that are located in the bottom menu bar.

If you do not wish to choose an occupation you can click on the highlighted 'cause of death' title on the right column. This will open a very large table encompassing all occupation codes. You can change cause of death from 'all causes' to a specific cause by changing the tab button in the bottom menu bar.

2. When selecting 'SELECTED TABLES' follow the same procedures as you would for 'FULL TABLES'. These tables are more refined to specific causes of death rather than all causes.

Tables concerning 'Occupation'

To view tables concerning 'Occupation' go to FULL TABLE: All Results by Occupation or to SELECTED TABLES: Selected Results by Occupation.

1. When you select 'FULL TABLES' the result is a screen divided into two columns. The left side lists all possible occupations, ensure the 'Results by Occupation (full)' is selected in the top left column. The right column list all possible occupations and their sub-divisions. To select a particular occupation select it from the left side and the results will be displayed on the right. Click on the table you wish to view by clicking on the highlighted title.

A table will then be displayed and all causes of death will be shown on the left of the table. You can go from sub-division to sub-division by selecting different tab buttons from the bottom menu bar.

2. When you select 'SELECTED TABLES', the result the same as it is for FULL TABLES, again ensure that the 'Results by Occupation (selected)' is highlighted in the left column. Choose an occupation from the left, and then a title from the right. The resulting table will be very refined into specific causes of death. You can change sub-divisions by selecting tab buttons in the bottom menu bar.

Acrobat Help

Provides information on how to use the software on which the information is displayed.

Sample Search

This is a search that you can follow to familiarize yourself with the CD-ROM.

1. First we will go to the 'Publication' box. Once here select 'Table of Contents' from the left column.

2. Here we will do a search to find relevant information regarding our search query. For this search our search query will be 'Pilots'. Use the 'Find' button to search for our query. As you can see, instead of taking us to a section in the table of contents it takes us to the information available, which is a table. It tells us that pilots have a 10.9% chance of dying from a motor vehicle accident.

3. To find more information go to the 'Find' search and select 'Find Again'. It appears several other times during the search until the whole document is searched.

4. Now that we have searched 'Publication', lets move on to 'Data'. First exit the Publication box by selecting 'File' and then 'Exit'. Then click on the 'Data' box.

5. Select 'SELECTED TABLES: Selected Results by Occupation' for this search. Ensure that 'Results by Occupation (selected)' is highlighted in the left column.

6. Look for 'Pilot' in either the right or left column, or if not the exact word, something related to it. Select 'Transport and Communication Occupations' from the left column. Relevant information is displayed on the right. Choose the one you wish to view, for this search, choose 'Operators, Aircraft'.

7. The resulting table gives us specific information regarding 'causes of death' for a pilot, if you look carefully you will see the similarity between these results and the ones gotten earlier.

8. You can go back and look for other tables that are relevant or you can begin a new search all together. To exit this table, go to 'File' and the 'Exit'.

Further Assistance

Help files are available in the CD. And staff members will be available for extra assistance.

March 24, 2010
Gillian Byrne