Epidemiologic Studies

Hanford Site

DATA PERTAINING TO CONTRACTOR ORGANIZATIONS

Any type of materials that will help understand the functional organization of the contractor, or to identify individuals who may have had responsibility for operations within a facility. These types of materials are useful when studying a facility because they enable the researcher to identify key personnel who were involved with certain projects and to contact these persons, when necessary, to help understand the nature of the plant operations and potential exposures that occurred in specific areas of the plant. Examples of records that may meet these needs are:

1. DOE/Contractor Organizational Charts
2. Contractor Organizational Histories/Plant Information Packets
3. Mission Statements of the Site and Individual Functional Units
4. Contractor Personnel Directories/Telephone Directories
5. Position Descriptions and Associated Dates
6. Correspondence Files of Directors and Managers

DATA PERTAINING TO INDIVIDUALS

Identification of Individual

Epidemiologic studies of workers require the creation of lists of individuals at each facility who will be included in the study. Therefore, all records containing identifying information for employees at a specific facility are of great value. These records will typically be from personnel or payroll departments and may include the following data:

7. Social Security Number
8. Name (last, first, middle)
9. Maiden Name
10. Other Names
11. Address/Phone Number
12. Spouse Name (last, first, middle)
13. Spouse Address
14. Employer Identification Numbers (payroll, annuity, badge, etc.)

Demographic Information

In order to compare the characteristics of the worker population with other groups, it is desirable to know the following information:

15. Birth Date
16. Place of Birth
17. City of Birth
18. Sex
19. Race
20. Education (highest degree)
21. Marital Status

Work History

Work records indicating the type of jobs performed over specific periods of time are extremely useful. Specific data items are as follows:

22. Hire Date at Facility
23. Termination Date at Facility
24. Reason for Termination
25. Type of Employee (hourly, salaried, etc.)
26. Occupation or Job Title (all jobs titles held and associated duties)
27. Previous Work History (list of all previous employers and job titles/duties)
28. Work Location (facility-specific)
29. Reassignments and Work Restrictions
30. Job or Task Descriptions and Performance Appraisals

Medical Data

Medical records, records of treatment, incident or accident report, and company health insurance records may be useful for epidemiologic studies. Examples of the information that may be used from these records include:

31. Employee Physical Examinations
32. Smoking History
33. Alcohol/Beverage History
34. Drug/Medication Use History
35. Record of Injuries or Accidents Before or During Employment
36. Record of Exposure to Toxic or Carcinogenic Substances
37. Record of Sick and other Health-Related Leaves
38. Return to Work Clearances
39. Pathological Reports and Laboratory Results
40. Diagnostic X-rays (dental, chest, other)
41. Family Disease and Mortality History
42. Employee Disease History, Including Predisposing Conditions
43. Record of use of Chelation Agents, including DTPA
44. Workers' Compensation Claims

Mortality Data (any type of information concerning death)

Many studies compare death rates in worker populations with rates in other populations. The following data items are useful:

45. Death Certificate
46. Date of Death
47. Cause of Death
48. Place of Death (city, state)
49. Payment of a Death Benefit and Date
50. Vital Status at Last Known Date

DATA PERTAINING TO INDIVIDUAL EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT

External Radiation

External radiation exposure records that pertain to individual workers or to individual areas in a plant must be retained. Types of data items contained on these records are:

51. Estimated Whole Body Dose Due to X and Gamma Rays
52. Estimated Whole Body Dose Due to Neutrons and Associated Dates
53. Estimated Whole Body Dose Due to Tritium and Associated Dates
54. Estimated Total Whole Body Dose and Associated Dates
55. Individual Dosimeter Types
56. Partial Body or Skin Doses and Associated Dates

Internal Radiation

Internal radiation exposure records for workers must be retained. Types of data items contained on these records are:

57. Bioassay Testing (including fecal and urine analysis) for nuclides
58. Estimated Internal Doses, including nuclides and the organ of deposition
59. Whole Body Counts, including nuclides, type of instrument, results, units, and associated dates

Industrial Hygiene

Chemical Exposures

Data generated to evaluate occupational exposure levels and to demonstrate compliance with exposure limits should be systematically retained. The types of records of data that should be retained may include:

60. Results of Bioassays (including blood and urine analysis) such as exposure to chemicals, chemical names, results units, associated dates
61. Monitoring Data Relating to Specific Work Locations or Assignments, including monitoring instruments, control data, results, units, and associated dates

Physical Agents

Data generated to evaluate occupational exposure levels and to demonstrate compliance with exposure limits should be systematically retained. Such data should include:

62. Hazard Inventories of Potentially Health Hazardous Physical Agents (noise, laser light, electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, etc.)
63. Survey of Work Areas, including associated dates, kind of monitoring equipment, results, and units

DATA PERTAINING TO FACILITIES

Area/Site Monitoring Information (by job category, year, building, etc.)

Other records that relate to the calibration, sensitivity, type, location of the equipment used for personnel monitoring, surveying, air sampling, etc., are quite useful, especially if they can be linked to specific processes, areas, buildings, and personnel. Information describing the general requirements followed by the facility for the provision of various personnel monitoring equipment, examinations, or testing is also desirable. Examples of these types of records include the following:

64. Chemical or Other Processes, including building locations and associated dates
65. Hiring, Materials Handling, and Other Practices
66. Requirements for Employment in Specific Jobs
67. Calibration Requirements
68. Chemical Inventories
69. Blueprints, Floor Plans, and Engineering Drawings of Building
70. Inventory Records of Incoming and Outgoing Material
71. Maintenance Records of Pollution Control Devices such as Dust Collectors, Scrubbers, or Filters

Worker Radiation Monitoring/Protection Programs

72. Monitoring Program Characteristics
73. Requirements for Wearing Dosimeters
74. Dosimeters Type
75. Dosimeter Manufacture
76. Dosimeter Processing Procedures
77. Dosimeter Reading Procedures
78. Frequency of Reading Dosimeters
79. Requirements for Use of Protection Equipment
80. Requirements for Wearing Protection Equipment

Environmental Monitoring

81. Results of Environmental Monitoring, including radionuclide or chemical information, units, and location
82. Information on Product Particle Size and Chemical Form at Potential Release Points
83. On-Site Monitoring or Sampling Locations and Results
84. Off-Site Monitoring or Sampling Locations and Results
85. Any Measurements of Effluents from Facility Relief Point, including stack sampler results, water losses, and sump measurements
86. Reports of Losses of Material from stack or filters
87. Reports of Unplanned Releases, Incidents, and Spills