Epidemiologic Studies

Rocky Flats Fire 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. Contractor Organizational Charts
2. Contractor Organizational Histories/Plant Information Packets
3. Mission Statements for Functional Units
4. Contractor Personnel Directories/Telephone Directories
5. Copy of all Position Descriptions and Effective Dates
6. Diaries, Subject Files, and Correspondence of the Facility Director

DATA PERTAINING TO INDIVIDUALS

Identification

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 (city, state, zip)
12. Spouse Name (last, first, middle)
13. Spouse Address (street, city, state)
16. 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:

17. Birth Date
18. Place of Birth
20. Sex
21. Race
22. Education (highest degree)
23. 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:

24. Hire Date at Facility
25. Termination Date at Facility
26. Reason for Termination
27. Type of Employee (hourly, salaried, etc.)
28. Occupation or Job Title (all jobs titles held and associated duties)
30. Previous Work History
31. Work Location (building, area)
33. Reassignments and Work Restrictions
34. 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:

35. Employee Physical Examinations
36. Smoking History
37. Alcohol/Beverage History
44. Drug/Medication Use History
38. Record of Injuries or Accidents Before or During Employment
39. Record of Exposure to Toxic or Carcinogenic Substances
40. Record of Sick and other Health-Related Leaves
41. Return to Work Clearances
42. Pathological Reports and Lab Results
45. Diagnostic X-rays (dental, chest, other)
43. Familial Illness and Mortality History
47. Employee Disease History, Including Predisposing Conditions
48. Record of use of Chelation Agents, including DTPA
51. 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:

53. Death Certificate
54. Date of Death
55. Cause of Death
56. Place of Death
57. Payment of a Death Benefit and Date
58. 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:

59. Estimated Whole Body Dose Due to X and Gamma Rays and Associated Dates
60. Estimated Whole Body Dose Due to Neutrons and Associated Dates
61. Estimated Whole Body Dose Due to Tritium and Associated Dates
62. Estimated Total Whole Body Dose and Associated Dates
63. Individual Dosimeter Types
65. Partial Body or Skin Doses

Internal Radiation

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

68. Bioassay Testing, including fecal and urine analysis, for nuclides
69. Estimated Internal Doses, including nuclides, organ of deposition
71. 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:

75. Results of Bioassays, including blood and urine analysis for exposure to chemicals, chemical names, results units, and associated dates
77. 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:

83. Inventories of Potentially Health Hazardous Physical Agents (i.e., noise, laser beam, electromagnetic fields, etc.), including associated dates, building, and locations
85. Survey of Work Areas, including associated dates, types 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

88. Chemical or Other Processes, including building locations and associated dates
89. Hiring, Materials Handling & Other Practices
90. Requirements for Employment in Specific Jobs
114. Calibration Requirements
115. Chemical Inventories
117. Blueprints, Floor Plans, and Engineering Drawings of Building
120. Inventory Records of Incoming and Outgoing Material
123. Maintenance Records of Pollution Control Devices such as Dust Collectors, Scrubbers, or Filters

Worker Radiation Monitoring/Protection Programs

81. Monitoring Program Characteristics
91. Requirements for Wearing Dosimeters
93. Dosimeters Type
94. Dosimeter Manufacture
96. Dosimeter Processing Procedures
97. Dosimeter Reading Procedures
98. Frequency of Reading Dosimeters
102. Requirements for Use of Protection Equipment
107. Requirements for Wearing Protection Equipment

Environmental Monitoring

103. Results of Environmental Monitoring, including radionuclide or chemical information, units, and location
116. Information on Product Particle Size and Chemical Form at Potential Release Points
124. Onsite Monitoring or Sampling Locations and Results
118. Offsite Monitoring or Sampling Locations and Results
119. Measurements of Effluents from Facility Relief Points, including stack sampler results, water losses, and sump measurements
121. Reports of Losses of Material from Stacks or Filters
122. Reports of Unplanned Releases, Incidents, Spills