Finding Aids
Epidemiologic Studies
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Appendices
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APPENDIX B
INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
FOR EPIDEMIOLOGIC AND HEALTH STUDIES (REVISED)
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:
- DOE/Contractor Organizational Charts
- Contractor Organizational Histories/Plant Information Packets
- Mission Statements of the Site and Individual Functional Units
- Contractor Personnel Directories/Telephone Directories
- Position Descriptions and Associated Dates
- 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:
- Social Security Number
- Name
- Maiden Name
- Other Names
- Address/Phone Number
- Spouse Name
- Spouse Address
- 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:
- Birth Date
- Place of Birth
- Sex
- Race
- Education (highest degree)
- 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:
- Hire Date at Facility
- Termination Date at Facility
- Reason for Termination
- Type of Employee (hourly, salaried, etc.)
- Occupation or Job Title (all job titles held and associated dates)
- Previous Work History
- Work Location (building, area)
- Reassignments and Work Restrictions
- 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:
- Employee Physical Examinations
- Smoking History
- Alcohol/Beverage History
- Drug/Medication Use History
- Record of Injuries or Accidents Before or During Employment
- Record of Exposure to Toxic or Carcinogenic Substances
- Record of Sick and other Health-Related Leaves
- Return to Work Clearances
- Pathological Reports and Lab Results
- Diagnostic X-Rays (dental, chest, other)
- Family Disease and Mortality History
- Employee Disease History, Including Predisposing Conditions
- Record of use of Chelation Agents, including DTPA
- 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:
- Death Certificate
- Date of Death
- Cause of Death
- Place of Death
- Payment of a Death Benefit and Date
- 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 retained. Types of data items contained on
these records are:
- Estimated Whole Body Dose Due to X-Rays & Gamma Rays and Associated
Dates
- Estimated Whole Body Dose Due to Neutrons and Associated Dates
- Estimated Whole Body Dose Due to Tritium and Associated Dates
- Estimated Total Whole Body Dose and Associated Dates
- Individual Dosimeter Types
- 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:
- Bioassay Testing (including fecal and urine analysis) for nuclides
- Estimated internal doses, including nuclides, organ of deposition
- 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:
- Results of Bioassays (including blood and urine analysis) such as
exposure to chemicals, chemical names, results units, and associated dates
- 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:
- Inventories of Potentially Health Hazardous Physical Agents (noise,
laser beam, electromagnetic fields, etc.), including associated dates, building,
and locations
- 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:
Physical Plant and Operations Records
- Chemical or Other Processes, including building locations and associated
dates
- Hiring, Materials Handling & Other Practices
- Requirements for Employment in Specific Jobs
- Calibration Requirements
- Chemical Inventories
- Blueprints, Floor Plans, and Engineering Drawings of Building
- Inventory Records of Incoming and Outgoing Material
- Maintenance Records of Pollution Control Devices such as Dust
Collectors, Scrubbers, or Filters
Worker Radiation Monitoring/Protection Programs
- Monitoring Program Characteristics
- Requirements for Wearing Dosimeters
- Dosimeters Type
- Dosimeter Manufacture
- Dosimeter Processing Procedures
- Dosimeter Reading Procedures
- Frequency of Reading Dosimeters
- Requirements for Use of Protection Equipment
- Requirements for Wearing Protection Equipment
Environmental Monitoring
- Results of Environmental Monitoring, including radionuclide or chemical
information, units, and location
- Information on Product Particle Size and Chemical Form at Potential
Release Points
- Onsite Monitoring or Sampling Locations and Results
- Offsite Monitoring or Sampling Locations and Results
- Any Measurements of Effluents from Facility Relief Point, including
stack sampler results, water losses, and sump measurements
- Reports of Losses of Material from stack or filters
- Reports of Unplanned Releases, Incidents, Spills
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