Based on a professionally administered medical questionnaire, 50% of 95, rock drillers using hand-held pneumatic drills from two large British Columbia underground mines reported symptoms of Vibration White Finger Disease (VWFD). Prevalence of this disease was 45% among a subgroup of 58 drillers without a medical or occupational history of possible predisposing factors other than drill vibration. Symptoms appeared to be dose-related with blanching attacks reported among 25% of subgroup drillers exposed for 1 −5 years, and in 80% of those exposed for 16 years or more. 9% of subgroup drillers had severe stage 3 symptoms (Taylor-Pelmear Classification). The median latent period for onset of blanching symptoms was 7.5 years. Prevalence of VWFD among 58 control miners from the two sites without a history of intense prolonged hand-arm vibration or other pre-disposing factors was 4%. There was objective evidence of vascular abnormality (based on delayed finger rewarming after combined digital cooling and ischemia) in 76% of subgroup drillers with blanching symptoms and in 18% of controls without symptoms. Comparison is made between the latent period for onset of blanching symptoms among drillers in this study and the predicted latent period based on suggested International Standards Organization guidelines for vibration exposure.
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