CEDR Bibliographic Database

Silver, S.R., Robinson, C.F., Kinnes, Greg, Taulbee, T, Ahrenholz, S. (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Safety, Health-related Energy Research Branch)

Main Report Entry:

Report Title: Evaluation of data for DOE site remediation workers
Report Date: December, 2000
Report Institution: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Report Number: none
CEDR Archive copy: Evaluation of data for DOE site remediation workers

Report Abstract:

This report summarizes the findings of two NIOSH projects which assessed whether records currently collected by DOE sites allow accurate identification of remediation workers and their exposure, work history, and medical information. This information is needed in order to evaluate any relationships between occupational exposures and health effects workers may experience.

Some remediation workers who have worked at DOE sites cannot be identified. Complete rosters of current and former remediation workers do not exist. Reconstruction of rosters from multiple data sources at the sites is labor intensive and may exclude some groups of workers.

Accurate and complete exposure, work history, and medical records data are not available for this population. Although radiation exposure records appear to be complete, decentralized responsibility for chemical exposure assessment and other records has led to gaps in exposure, work history, and medical data.

Individual workers cannot consistently be linked to their exposure and medical data. The storage of data and records in hard copy format, on incompatible software platforms, and on media produced by now obsolete hardware has diminished the ability to identify workers and link them with their work history, exposure, and medical data. The failure to standardize data collection and archiving both within and among DOE sites will hinder linkage of individuals to their data.

At the present time the necessary information to conduct epidemiologic, exposure assessment, or hazard surveillance studies of remediation workers is not available. The absence of worker rosters, the difficulty of creating such rosters with currently available data, gaps in work history, exposure, and medical data, and data linkage problems limit the ability to conduct accurate and comprehensive studies of remediation workers.

Significance: This study addresses exposures to current workers, assesses feasibility of tracking workforce for future studies, evaluates mixed exposures, and supports surveillance activities.

Date Added: 10/31/2005