Digital Equipment Corp has confirmed the results of an independent study that found that female production employees at a company semiconductor plant had a statistically higher ratio of miscarriages than non-production workers, according to a report in the Boston Globe. The study, which was conducted by the School of Public Health at the University of Massachusetts, also found that line workers at the plant suffered more from headaches, nausea, and rashes than other employees. DEC spokesman Jeffrey Gibson said that the company has taken the precaution of offering pregnant women positions off the production line if they want them; he also said that the company has always encouraged pregnant women to take other jobs within the company. The authors of the study reported that their study found no indications of other health risks related to semiconductor research and that the results did not show a causal relationship between chemical exposure and health, but only a statistical one.
