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Once a claim is filed under The Act, the Department of Labor (DOL) determines if the employee worked at a covered facility during a covered time period and has a qualifying health condition. If the health condition in the claim is cancer, the case is then sent to NIOSH for dose reconstruction. Dose reconstruction is the scientific process of estimating a worker's past exposure to radiation. It uses exposure monitoring and other information to determine what levels of radiation the workers were exposed to while they worked at a facility.
Once the dose reconstruction is completed by NIOSH, the case is returned to DOL. The information from the dose reconstruction is used by DOL to determine the probability that a worker's cancer was "at least as likely as not" due to the employee's occupational exposure to radiation during employment at a covered facility.
To answer questions about the dose reconstruction, NIOSH developed a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below. Links to other program FAQs are located on the "Find It!" navigation box under "On this page . . . "
Select the question you are interested in below by clicking its link. You will be taken to the answer located on this page. Links throughout the FAQs will guide you to further information.
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Dose Reconstruction
- What is dose reconstruction?
Dose reconstruction is the scientific process of estimating
a worker's past exposure to radiation. It uses exposure
monitoring and other information to determine what levels
of radiation the workers were exposed to while they
worked at a facility.
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- What is the purpose
of dose reconstruction?
Dose reconstructions are used to estimate the radiation
doses to which an individual worker or group of workers
have been exposed. The information from the dose reconstruction
is used by DOL to determine the probability that a worker's
cancer was "at least as likely as not" due
to the employee's occupational exposure to radiation
during employment at a covered facility.
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- What is a DCAS Program Specialist (formerly known as a Public Health Advisor-PHA)?
Under the NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Program, Program Specialists oversee the processing of cancer cases filed under Subtitle B of The Act that are forwarded to NIOSH for dose reconstruction by the Department of Labor. Program Specialists assure consistent and quality processing of cases and act as a point of contact for case status information for claimants and their authorized representatives while their case is with NIOSH.
Program Specialists are responsible for developing and managing cases as they go through the NIOSH dose reconstruction process. They develop and manage these cases by:
- Communicating with the claimant and claimant authorized representatives, government agencies, and contract staff to:
- collect data needed to conduct the dose reconstruction
- identify and resolve discrepancies in the case file
- address questions that may arise about the case and/or the NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Program
- Performing a final review of the case file once the dose reconstruction is finalized to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the case file documentation
- Submitting the case file to DOL for a final decision on the claim
Note: DCAS Program Specialists were formerly called Public Health Advisors (PHAs). Their titles have changed, but their duties remain the same.
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- What is a Health Physicist and what are their responsibilities under the NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Program?
A Health Physicist (HP) is an individual with knowledge of the physical, biological, and chemical properties of radiation, radiation producing equipment, and radioactive materials. As such, they work to protect individuals, the population, and the environment from the potentially harmful health effects of radiation exposure. Health Physicists have technical skills encompassing many disciplines such as: biochemistry, biology, chemistry, ecology, industrial hygiene, mathematics, physics, and toxicology.
Under the NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Program, HPs are primarily responsible for estimating occupational radiation exposure (dose reconstruction) for nuclear weapons workers covered under Subtitle B of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000. In doing so, HPs:
- Conduct extensive data searches at various Department of Energy sites and federal and private records storage locations throughout the United States to obtain required information
- Review and analyze work site and employee data
- Examples of work site data: health physics practices and policies, monitoring practices, operations, production processes, safety procedures, radiological survey data, types and quality of radioactive materials used, incident reports
- Examples of employee data: internal and external exposure records such as film badge readings, x-rays, urinalysis results
- Develop and implement dose reconstruction policies, procedures, and guidelines
- Develop and implement Special Exposure Cohort Evaluation Reports
- Review and respond to issues identified by the Advisory Board and their contractor
- Attend/conduct worker outreach meetings (meetings where energy employees can obtain program information and also provide information for consideration and possible use in dose reconstruction)
- Ensure that Quality Control/Assurance measures are included in the entire dose reconstruction process
- Interact with the Department of Energy and Department of Labor regarding programmatic and case-specific issues
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- What is a Dose Reconstructionist?
Under the NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Program, a Dose Reconstructionist is responsible for conducting dose reconstructions for
the Program which include, but are not limited to, analyzing monitoring methods, performing uncertainty analyses, estimating
organ or effective dose from available monitoring data, and incorporating any comments from Dose Reconstruction Report Reviewers.
A Dose Reconstructionist is responsible for any and all revisions to a Dose
Reconstruction Report.
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- What is a Dose Reconstruction Report Peer Reviewer?
Under the NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Program, a Dose Reconstruction Report Peer Reviewer is responsible for conducting a review
of the Dose
Reconstruction Report to ensure that all appropriate sources of information for possible doses are included and that all
calculations are accurate.
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- What is a Scientific/Technical Peer Reviewer?
Under the NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Program, a Scientific/Technical Peer Reviewer is responsible for conducting a scientific
and technical review of the key Program documents (e.g., Dose
Reconstruction Report, Site
Profile Document, SEC
Petition Evaluation Report, Site-Specific or Multiple-Site TIB), and any other Program document
created for use by the Program.
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- What is a Site Expert?
Under the NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Program, a Site Expert is responsible for advising on site-specific issues and incidents
as necessary to ensure the completeness and accuracy of Site Profile Documents and Special
Exposure Cohort Petition Evaluation Reports. Site experts are those individuals who, because
of current or prior work experience (including consulting) at or for the site, possess or are aware of information that is relevant
for reconstructing radiation doses experienced by claimants who worked at the site.
Because of their work experience at or for sites under Program review and the need to prevent a conflict or bias (COB),
Site Experts shall play only a very limited role in accomplishing key Program functions. They may be used by a document owner
in crafting a key Program document, to provide both data and opinions on data to that document owner. In all cases where such
information or prior studies or writings are included or relied upon by a key Program document owner, those materials shall be both fully
attributed to the Site Expert and reprinted, if at all, only in an Appendix of the key Program document.
Site experts are not permitted to serve as document owners or authors, or to make formal public presentations on a key Program
document. However, at a formal public presentation, a Site Expert may be called upon to answer questions and serve as a source
of information to the presenter in response to questions that arise during a presentation.
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- What is a Subject Expert?
Under the NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Program, a Subject Expert is responsible for advising on scientific and technical issues
and incidents as necessary to ensure the completeness and accuracy of Site Profile Documents and SEC
Petition Evaluation Reports. In contrast with Site Experts, Subject Experts are
those individuals who have expertise in the subject matter of the activities performed at the site, but do not have any current
or prior work experience at or for the subject site itself.
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- Does NIOSH conduct dose
reconstructions for workers who have been diagnosed
with illnesses other than cancer?
No. Under Subtitle B of The Act, NIOSH only conducts
dose reconstructions on workers who have been diagnosed
with cancer.
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- How can a worker or
survivor request an individual dose reconstruction?
Anyone wishing to file a claim will need to complete
DOL claims forms. These forms can be found under the
Claims Forms section of the DOL
EEOICP Web site.
External Link: http://www.dol.gov/owcp/energy/index.htm
DOL will collect medical, employment, and other information
from the worker or survivor and make a decision about
whether or not he or she qualifies for compensation
and benefits.
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- What is NIOSH doing to help claimants understand the dose reconstruction process?
EEOICPA is a complex program that is based on very complex science, and we recognize that this makes it difficult for claimants
to understand the dose reconstruction process. NIOSH provides many sources of information to help claimants understand this
process:
- Claimant Correspondence on the Dose Reconstruction Process
While a case is at NIOSH for dose reconstruction, claimants and their authorized representatives receive various pieces of correspondence. This correspondence may provide case status, explanations of steps in the dose reconstruction process, dose reconstruction findings, and other helpful program information.
Additional information on these documents can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Claimant Correspondence page of our Web site.
- Voluntary Telephone Interview
Each claimant has the opportunity to be interviewed prior to the dose reconstruction process and again when a draft dose reconstruction is prepared. These interviews are an opportunity for claimants to provide information and to ask questions about the process.
Additional information on the telephone interviews can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Telephone Interviews and Phone Interview Information pages of our Web site.
- Supplemental Information
NIOSH provides supplemental information in a variety of forms that explain the technical aspects of the program in language and format suitable for a general audience:
- Easy-to-read fact sheets and brochures
- Short educational video designed to provide a basic understanding of the program to those who have a claim undergoing dose reconstruction
- Glossary of terms commonly used in reference to NIOSH dose reconstructions and EEOICPA
- NIOSH Web site which provides comprehensive information about NIOSH's dose reconstructions and other activities in support of the compensation program
The documents mentioned above can be found on the DCAS Print Materials page of our Web site.
- Additional Support
Claimants can also contact NIOSH directly at 513-533-6800 (toll-free at 1-877-222-7570) or by e-mail at dcas@cdc.gov or ocas@cdc.gov for questions about the dose reconstruction process.
NIOSH is always open to specific suggestions that would help us improve the clarity of our documents and our communication. We continue to strive to assist our claimants, claimant advocates, the public, and media and feedback is greatly appreciated.
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- What information is
needed to conduct a dose reconstruction?
We try to use personal exposure information whenever
possible. This would include film badge readings, x-rays,
urinalysis results, incident reports, etc. If there
is little or no personal exposure information, we use
information from technical documents
(e.g., technical basis documents, site profile documents,
technical information bulletins), and coworker data
to provide reasonable estimates of dose where the personal
exposure information is lacking.
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- Is there anything I
need to send to NIOSH to help with the dose reconstruction?
At the appropriate time, we will contact you to set
up a convenient date and time for a voluntary telephone
interview. That's a time we have put in our process
to ask you for information we might need. Prior to the
phone interview, if we need any additional information
from you, we will contact you. At any point in the process,
you are more than welcome to provide any information
which you may feel help your claim.
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- How will NIOSH complete
a dose reconstruction for a case when there is little
or no exposure monitoring information available?
If there is little or no personal exposure information,
we use information from technical
documents (e.g., technical basis documents, site
profile documents, technical information bulletins),
and data from other workers at the site to fill in the
areas where the personal exposure information is lacking.
The assumptions used in conducting dose reconstructions
are designed to give the claimant the benefit of the
doubt whenever estimated radiation dose levels are used.
Dose reconstruction could require extensive data gathering
and analysis. This may include:
- Determining specific characteristics
of the monitoring procedures
- Identifying events that
were unmonitored
- Identifying the types and
quantities of radioactive materials involved
- Evaluating production processes
and safety procedures
- Identifying the locations
and activities of exposed persons
- Identifying comparable exposure
circumstances for which data is available to make
assumptions
- Conducting a variety of
complex analyses to understand the data compiled
or estimated
- Utilizing cancer risk models*
*A cancer risk model is a mathematical
model based on the dose-response relationship determined
for a given cancer type and is used to estimate the
probability of causation (PC)
using information on radiation dose and personal data.
Cancer risk models and the amount of radiation dose
an energy employee was exposed to are the main determinants
of probability of causation. The cancer risk models
are based on the best science available and the radiation
dose levels are based mostly on very generous dose reconstruction
methods.
NIOSH may also use the following sources of information:
- Department of Energy (DOE)
and its contractors, including Atomic Weapons Employers
(AWEs) and the Former Worker Screening Program
- NIOSH and other records
from health research on DOE worker populations
- Interviews and records provided
by the claimant
- Co-workers of covered employees,
or other witnesses with information relevant to
the covered employee's exposure identified during
an interview with NIOSH
- Labor union records from
unions representing employees at covered facilities
of DOE or AWEs
- Other relevant information
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- Why are technical documents sometimes used in completing dose reconstructions?
NIOSH uses technical documents called Site Profiles, Technical Basis Documents, and Technical Information Bulletins as guides and summaries of sites to assist our Health Physicists with conducting dose reconstructions. These documents supplement or fill-in the gaps of information where an energy employee's personal monitoring information is lacking or incomplete. Technical documents provide a way of compiling the large quantity of site data and of providing instructions for preparing dose reconstructions consistently.
Additional information on technical documents used in dose reconstruction can be found on the Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs) Technical Documents page.
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- What happens if additional site information becomes available after a technical document has been completed?
Our technical documents are considered "living" documents. This means that they are subject to change if relevant information becomes available to warrant that we make a change to a technical document.
If the information has the potential to effect the outcome of previously completed dose reconstructions, a Program Evaluation
Report (PER) is used to evaluate the information and determine whether or not dose reconstructions need to be reworked, additional reviews need to be conducted, corrective actions need to be taken, etc.
A PER may be necessary when relevant new information becomes available, when there is a policy change, or when other programmatic changes have the potential to effect previously completed dose reconstructions. As required by our dose reconstruction regulation, any substantial change in our program requires review and re-examination of completed cases to determine if the changes would alter the compensability of the case.
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- How will a dose reconstruction
be done for my case?
NIOSH starts by collecting an initial set of records
from DOE and other sources that provide us with information
on your radiation exposures. These records may, or may
not, include personal monitoring of your radiation doses.
In addition, the records might also include area monitoring
of radiation levels and process descriptions that help
characterize the possible levels of radiation exposures,
the use of radiation protection measures, and the occurrence
of incidents involving unexpected radiation exposures.
The next step is to schedule a voluntary telephone
interview with you to try to identify information
that may not be found in the records we have collected.
After we have collected the information needed, we will
perform analysis that allows us to estimate the range
of radiation dose you may have been exposed to in your
workplace. This range will include the least radiation
you might have received and the most -- the "worst
case." We will report the estimates of your dose
with ranges that include the worst case to DOL.
Before we report these estimates, however, we will send
a copy of the dose
reconstruction draft report to you. We will review
the report with you, explaining in detail what records,
information, and criteria were used to produce the estimates
found in your dose reconstruction. This review will
enable you to help us ensure that we have taken into
account all you and others know about your exposures.
In addition, the review will also inform you of exactly
how we have done our work, so you can consider whether
we have fully addressed any concerns you might have.
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- How will I know when
my case is ready for dose reconstruction?
When your case is ready for dose reconstruction, we
will send a letter to you that provides information
about NIOSH's policy of selecting a Health Physicist
(s) to work on a dose reconstruction for a case. (See
Conflict of Interest Letter)
Please note that dose reconstructions cannot be started
until sufficient exposure information is collected.
Once our contractor has received enough information
to conduct the dose reconstruction for your case, your
case will be assigned to a Health Physicist.
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- How long does it take
to complete a dose reconstruction?
There are many steps necessary to complete each dose
reconstruction, and each step varies for each claim.
For example, obtaining the information to complete the
dose reconstruction estimate may take a significant
amount of time depending on the complexity and availability
of the data. Therefore, there is no way to predict how
long each claim may take to complete the dose reconstruction
process.
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- How many completed dose
reconstructions have been sent back to DOL?
For current numbers on cases returned to DOL for a decision,
please refer to the NIOSH Web site's Claim
Information page.
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- What if I remember additional
information that may be important to my dose reconstruction
after DOL has made a decision?
If you have additional information about your case after
DOL has made a decision, you can contact DOL and provide
them with the information. DOL will then decide whether
or not your case should be reopened.
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- What if I disagree with
the findings of the dose reconstruction?
We have worked hard to address the concerns of claimants
that might lead to disagreement. NIOSH fully involves
the claimant in the dose reconstruction process, makes
use of relevant information the claimant and others
bring to bear, and directly addresses the concerns we
know claimants have.
Claimants have the opportunity to participate in a closing
interview with NIOSH to review the dose reconstruction
results and the basis on which the results were calculated.
During the interview,
claimants can voice their disagreement with the findings
and provide any additional relevant information that
may affect the dose reconstruction or indicate that
they are in the process of obtaining such information.
In addition, the Advisory Board
on Radiation and Worker Health, an independent federal
advisory committee representing scientific, medical,
and worker perspectives, reviews samples of NIOSH dose
reconstructions to help ensure the quality of the program.
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- Why is the Advisory
Board on Radiation and Worker Health reviewing dose
reconstructions?
As The Act requires, the Advisory Board, an independent
federal advisory committee representing scientific,
medical, and worker perspectives, reviews NIOSH dose
reconstructions for scientific validity and accuracy.
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- How does the Advisory
Board on Radiation and Worker Health select dose reconstructions
to review?
The Advisory Board has established a system to assist
them in randomly selecting dose reconstructions for
review. The system they are using helps the Advisory
Board make sure that the random sample of cases selected
for review represents a variety of places of employment
and probability of causation values.
Please note: The Advisory Board does
not review cases which do not have a final decision
from DOL, and they do not handle cases based on appeals
of decisions.
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- How confident are you
and can the public be in the fairness of your methods
of dose reconstruction and for identifying cancers that
were caused by radiation?
The Act recognizes that we will be dealing with uncertainties
and limited data. We have used the best that science
has to offer to develop the methods and guidelines for
dose reconstruction and probability of causation. We
are confident these methods and guidelines are very
fair to workers.
To the extent that the science and data involve uncertainties,
these uncertainties are handled to the advantage rather
than to the disadvantage of the claims. To help ensure
that the methods and guidelines are as sound as possible,
we will also provide opportunity for full review and
comment on our work from the public and from the independent
Advisory Board on Radiation and
Worker Health.
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- What is the Methods
for Radiation Dose Reconstruction rule?
This rule describes the methods that the Department
for Health and Human Services/NIOSH will use to conduct
a dose reconstruction for your case. The purpose of
dose reconstruction is to characterize the occupational
radiation environment to which you were exposed.
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- Where can I find a copy
of the Methods for Radiation Dose Reconstruction rule?
You can find a copy of the Final Rule: Methods for Radiation
Dose Reconstruction under The Act - 42 CFR 82 on the
Dose Reconstruction page
of this Web site.
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- NIOSH completed my dose reconstruction and DOL calculated the probability
of causation for my claim to be less than 50%. As a result, DOL's recommended decision was to deny compensation
for my claim. Since that time, I have had two additional cancers. I reported the two additional cancers to DOL and
my case was returned to NIOSH for a new dose reconstruction. NIOSH completed the new dose reconstruction using
my two additional cancers and when DOL determined my probability of causation, it was again less than 50%. In
fact, once the two new cancers were added to my dose reconstruction, the probability of causation percentage
calculated by DOL was lower than the value of my first dose reconstruction. How is this possible? Shouldn't the
addition of two more cancers increase the probability of causation value?
NIOSH understands this concern. It may seem obvious that when additional cancers are added to a dose reconstruction
it would increase the probability that radiation caused the multiple cancers. However, in some cases, the NIOSH
dose reconstruction will result in a lower probability of causation when additional cancers are added. An
explanation for how and why this can happen is as follows:
Accurately estimating the exposure a worker received while working at a covered facility is a time consuming process.
In order to complete dose reconstructions in as timely and efficient a manner as possible, NIOSH may make
assumptions on dose estimates that are favorable to the claimant in order to simplify the dose reconstruction
process.
For instance, instead of completing a dose reconstruction which precisely estimates the worker's exposure for
cases that would most likely result in a probability of causation well below the 50% necessary for the claim to
be compensable by DOL, NIOSH will significantly over-estimate the exposure based on the highest levels of exposure
observed or possible for the facility. If the claim will not be compensable even when using these significantly
over-estimated exposure estimates, then no further refinement to the dose reconstruction is required.
This manner of dose reconstruction is called an "efficiency measure." It allows NIOSH to issue a
timely dose reconstruction where attempts to refine the exposure estimate would not result in a compensable claim
(i.e., a full dose reconstruction would in all likelihood produce a much lower probability of causation than the
over-estimated exposure values used).
Anytime a new cancer(s) is reported to NIOSH by DOL, NIOSH is required to rework the dose reconstruction to include
the new cancer(s). If the new cancer(s) creates a potentially compensable case, NIOSH must refine the dose
reconstruction using more probable and precise exposure estimates and not the significant over-estimates as mentioned
above. These new, more accurate exposure estimates will be lower than the original estimate because we no longer
use the assumptions which overestimated the radiation dose for the cancer found in the initial dose reconstruction.
The revised radiation dose estimate may result in a probability of causation for the new cancer(s) that is lower than
the non-compensable estimate that was obtained for the first cancer using the over-estimated radiation exposure. That
is why the addition of a new cancer(s) may result in a probability of causation that is lower than the probability
found for the single original cancer. However, this does not always occur when a new cancer(s) is added to a claim and
NIOSH has to rework the dose reconstruction. It is possible for additional cancer(s) to produce a full dose reconstruction
that will be determined to be compensable by DOL.
The use of "efficiency measures" and procedures for dose reconstructions that NIOSH follows under The Act
are described in detail in Final Rule: Methods for Radiation Dose Reconstruction
under EEOICPA--42 CFR 82 [ PDF 129 KB (23 pages)].
- I've listened to some
of the discussions by NIOSH staff at public meetings
and heard them mention best estimates, overestimates,
underestimates and partial when talking about dose reconstructions.
Dose reconstruction is confusing enough but what do
all of these things mean? Are there different types
of dose reconstructions? If so, why and how do they
differ?
During many of our public meetings, we have had discussions
on the different methods we use to complete dose reconstructions
under EEOICPA. During these discussions, you may have
heard the terms best estimate, overestimate, underestimate,
and at times, even partial dose reconstruction. All
refer to the method that was used for completing the
dose reconstruction.
As an accepted scientific method, dose reconstruction
provides an estimate of an employee's past work-related
exposure to radiation, particularly when radiation monitoring
data are unavailable, incomplete, or of poor quality.
If we lived in a perfect world, dose reconstruction
would not exist because we would have a complete record
of each employee's radiation exposure for every minute
of their employment history. Therefore, there would
be no need to estimate radiation exposures because the
exact radiation exposure would be present in the records.
Unfortunately this does not exist and we use dose reconstruction
methods to estimate exposure to radiation. Because these
dose reconstructions are being completed as part of
a compensation program, NIOSH uses efficiency methods
and measures to complete dose reconstruction in as timely
a manner as possible.
The efficiency process employed by NIOSH is designed
to allow for an accurate compensation decision by the
Department of Labor, while minimizing the amount of
time spent reconstructing a dose. Before starting the
dose reconstruction, NIOSH conducts a preliminary review
and makes a professional judgment of an energy employee's
potential radiation exposure based on the findings of
similar dose reconstructions to determine the proper
dose reconstruction method to use. The different methods
used to complete dose reconstructions are underestimate,
overestimate, best estimate, and a partial (but complete)
dose reconstruction.
Underestimate -- The claim was processed
using a conservatively low estimate of the worker's
dose and was found to result in a probability of causation
value that was equal to or exceeded 50%. This method
does not necessarily include all of the workers' radiation
dose data and is most appropriate for workers with high
exposures or a cancer likely to be caused by radiation
exposure (e.g., leukemia). NIOSH tests the assumption
that probability of causation value is >50%
by giving the energy employee the lowest likely dose.
If the probability of causation value is still >50%,
no further evaluation is required. If this method results
in a probability of causation value <50%, NIOSH
will refine the calculation (e.g., include more dose)
toward a best estimate. If the probability of causation
value remains <50%, another efficiency method
must be used.
Overestimate -- The claim was processed
using plausible, worst-case assumptions for the worker's
dose (i.e., the maximum plausible dose) and was found
to result in a probability of causation value that was
less than 50%. The dose estimate is much higher
than what the energy employee received. An overestimate
efficiency method may be used for an energy employee
that had a very short duration of employment at a covered
facility or was diagnosed with a cancer that is not
a cancer likely to be caused by radiation exposure (e.g.,
prostate cancer). NIOSH tests this assumption by giving
the energy employee the maximum plausible dose. If the
probability of causation value is still <50%,
no further evaluation is required. However, if this
method results in a probability of causation value >50%,
another dose reconstruction method must be used.
Best Estimate -- A dose reconstruction
performed using the complete set of data and information
available to NIOSH and using reasonable claimant favorable
assumptions.
Partial Dose Reconstruction -- NIOSH
conducts partial dose reconstructions for cases where
an SEC class of employees has been designated, but the
case does not meet criteria for compensation under the
SEC. The energy employee may not have one of the qualifying
cancers listed for the SEC and/or does not meet the
employment criteria of the SEC class and therefore,
a dose reconstruction must be completed for the claim.
For cases in this situation, the addition of the SEC
class was determined because some data was unusable
in dose reconstruction and therefore, NIOSH can only
reconstruct a portion of the dose. This type of dose
reconstruction is complete and serves as a best estimate
given that all reliable data available was used.
- How does DCAS ensure the quality of their dose reconstructions?
DCAS' Quality Assurance (QA) program involves all of the planned and systematic activities incorporated within the DCAS organizational
structure, procedures, processes, and resources needed to implement EEOICPA (The Act). DCAS has integrated Quality Control
into all aspects of the NIOSH dose reconstruction program. Quality Control involves operational activities aimed at systems
and processes developed to ensure the quality of our dose reconstructions.
The QA/QC process begins as soon as DCAS receives a cancer claim from the Department of Labor (DOL) for dose reconstruction and
continues until a claim is returned to DOL for a compensation decision.
Additional information can be found on the Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Activities page of our Web site.
- Where can I find NIOSH dose reconstruction statistics?
NIOSH dose reconstruction statistics are located on the Claim Information page of our Web site.
- Who do I contact if I have additional questions about NIOSH dose reconstructions?
If you have additional questions about NIOSH dose reconstructions, please contact DCAS by email at dcas@cdc.gov or ocas@cdc.gov or 513-533-6800 (toll-free at 1-877-222-7570).
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