Attachment C - Telephone Interviews with Claimants/Coworkers and Introductory Letters
Dose
Reconstruction Project for NIOSH Dose
Reconstruction Project for NIOSH
ORAU Team
ORAU Team
NIOSH Tracking Number:
Date:
Name
Address
City, ST Zip
Dear Name:
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) requests your help in reconstructing the radiation dose for your claim. ORAU, the contractor assisting the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) with the dose reconstruction process, will be conducting a telephone interview with you shortly to gather information concerning radiation exposure information for your claim. The interview takes about an hour on average to complete. We rarely need to consult other individuals for information on your claim, but this interview gives you the opportunity to identify supervisors, co-workers, or others who might know relevant information so we can contact them if needed.
Your participation in this interview is voluntary. If you choose to be interviewed, the information you provide will be treated in a confidential manner unless otherwise compelled by law. The information you provide to ORAU will be shared with staff working for NIOSH and the Department of Labor (DOL), both of whom have roles in administering this program. Please note that if you have any special needs for the interview (for example, hearing impairments, Spanish-speaking interview, etc.) ORAU will make arrangements to meet those special needs. After the telephone interview has been completed, a summary report will be prepared and sent to you for your review. Once the report is complete and you have had time to review and comment on it, we will proceed with the dose reconstruction process.
To help you prepare for the interview, we have enclosed a list of the questions that will be covered. Please DO NOT send this questionnaire back to us; we will take this information by telephone. Also, do not expend effort researching answers. We are only interested in information you can remember or find easily. When you have reviewed the enclosed questions and feel that you are ready to schedule your telephone interview, please call ORAU toll-free at 1-800-790-6728 (1-800-790-ORAU) and ask to speak to the telephone interview scheduler. Keep in mind that this initial call is simply to SCHEDULE your interview, not to actually perform the interview. Our hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, but we have found that calls placed between 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. may experience a shorter wait time for you in scheduling the interview.
Feel free to call our toll-free number if you have any questions about the interview process. You may also get more information on ORAU at www.oraucoc.org.
Sincerely,
Claimant Communications
ORAU Team
Dose Reconstruction Project for NIOSH
Enclosure
Form Approved: OMB No. 0920-0530 Exp. Date 3/31/2012
EEOICPA Dose Reconstruction Telephone Interview
Claimant is Covered Employee
As you may know, NIOSH is responsible for estimating the occupational radiation doses received by persons with cancer applying for compensation under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program. Our contractor, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), will be conducting the interviews.
This interview provides you with the opportunity to inform NIOSH of any additional information regarding your work history that might not be contained in the exposure monitoring information we receive from the Department of Energy (DOE) or Atomic Weapons Employer (AWE). While we encourage all claimants to participate in the interview process, participation is voluntary. Even though some claimants may not be able to answer all of the questions during the interview or have limited answers to the questions, any information provided during the interview may be useful in the dose reconstruction process.
Interviews with survivors will seek more general information while the interviews with energy employees will contain more detailed questions. This interview should take no more than an hour, although we may have to call you back for additional information. If we need to divide this interview into a couple of shorter calls, we can do that as well. While we believe that most dose reconstructions can be completed without discussing classified information, we will arrange for a secure interview for those claimants who believe such an arrangement is necessary to complete the interview.
Public Burden Statement
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 60 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, gathering the information needed, and completing the interview. If you have any comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, send them to CDC Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D-74, Atlanta, GA 30333; ATTN:PRA 0920-0530. Do not send the completed interview form to this address. Please do not complete and return this form; you will be contacted by telephone to collect this information. Persons are not required to respond to the interview questions unless a currently valid OMB number is displayed. |
Privacy Act Advisement
In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. § 552a), you are hereby notified of the following:
The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 7384-7385) (EEOICPA) requires the promulgation of methods, in the form of regulations, for estimating the dose levels of ionizing radiation incurred by workers in the performance of duty for nuclear weapons production programs for the Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies. These methods are applied by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), an Institute of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for producing radiation dose estimates that the U.S. Department of Labor uses in adjudicating certain claims under EEOICPA.
Records containing identifiable information become part of an existing NIOSH system of records under the Privacy Act, 09-20-147 “Occupational Health Epidemiological Studies and EEOICPA Program Records. HHS/CDC/NIOSH.” These records are treated in a confidential manner, unless otherwise compelled by law. Disclosures that NIOSH may need to make to complete a radiation dose reconstruction for your claim are listed below.
NIOSH may need to disclose personal identifying information to: (a) the Department of Energy, other federal agencies, other government or private entities and to private sector employers to permit these entities to retrieve records required by NIOSH; (b) identified witnesses as designated by NIOSH so that these individuals can provide information relevant to completing a radiation dose reconstruction for your claim; (c) contractors assisting NIOSH; (d) collaborating researchers, under certain limited circumstances to conduct further investigations; (e) Federal, state and local agencies for law enforcement purposes; and (f) a Member of Congress or a Congressional staff member in response to a verified inquiry.
This notice applies to all interviews and forms that you may receive from NIOSH in connection with completing a radiation dose reconstruction for your claim.
Your participation in this interview is voluntary. |
Employment History
1. From what you remember or information readily available to you, what jobs have you held working for DOE, DOE contractors, or AWEs?
Facility |
Supervisor’s Name |
Job Title |
Start Date (mm/yyyy) |
End Date (mm/yyyy) |
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Start with the most recent job and ask the following questions in sections. Repeat these for each DOE/AWE job included in the employment history.
Detailed Work History:
2. How many hours per week did you work on this job? ______hrs/week
3 Did you work any overtime hours?
_____Yes
_____No
4. If yes, how many hours of overtime, on average, did you work per week?
_____hours per week
5. Did you work any shift work?
_____Yes
_____No
6. How many hours per week did your job involve potential exposure to radiation and/or radioactive materials? _____hrs/week
7. Which buildings or locations did you work in, for each of your routine duties, and during what time periods did you work in each of the buildings or locations?
Building/Location |
Time Period Worked |
Duties |
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8. Describe what you did on the job, as routine duties.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Obtain additional details on duties, as necessary:
8.1 What types of radioactive materials were present or processed, and in what form(s) (solid, liquid, or gas)? Review the list below individually, as necessary.
Radionuclide Response Isotope(s) if known Form
Tritium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Cobalt __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Strontium/Yttrium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Technetium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Iodine __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Cesium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Thallium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Lead __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Polonium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Radon (progeny) __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Radium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Actinium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Europium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Thorium (natural) __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Protactinium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Uranium (natural) __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Uranium(enriched) __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Neptunium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Plutonium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Americium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Curium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Californium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Others
___(1) _____ __S __L __G
___(2) _____ __S __L __G
___(3) _____ __S __L __G
8.2 What quantities of radioactive materials were present or processed (ounces, pounds, kilograms, drums) over what time periods? _______________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8.3 What types of production processes involving radioactive materials occurred in areas where you worked?_____________________________________________
8.4 What types of radiation-generating equipment were present or used (e.g., neutron devices, radiography equipment/sources, portable x ray units, electron beam welders)?_____________________________________________________
8.5 What specific tasks did you perform, using what types of radioactive materials (in what quantities), and/or radiation generating equipment?____________________
8.6 What exposure/contamination control measures did you use to protect you?
Measure Frequency of use
___Fume hoods __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___Glove boxes __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___Shielding __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___Other enclosures (explain) __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___Local ventilation __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___Anti-contamination clothing __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___ Respirators __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___Other personal protective __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
equipment (specify)
___Showers __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
8.7 Did you conduct your work under a Special Work Permit or a Radiological Work Permit or other work control document that specified safety and health requirements?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know”, go to Question 9, if “Yes”:
8.8 During what time period(s)?___________________________________________
Radiation Monitoring
9. Did you or your co-workers (working in the same area as you) routinely wear radiation dosimetry badges?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know”, go to Question 10, if “Yes”:
9.1 For which duties or in which buildings or locations, and during what time periods (e.g., which years) did you or your co-workers (working in the same areas as you) routinely wear radiation dosimetry badges?
Building/ Location |
Time Period |
Duties |
Wore badge (check = yes) |
Only co-worker wore badge |
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If the claimant did not wear a badge, go to Question 10, if claimant wore a badge:
9.2 For the time periods identified above, under what situations did you wear your badge?
Time Period Situations (e.g. always, upon entry to certain areas, when provided by Health and Safety, supervisor, etc.)
__________ _________
__________ _________
__________ _________
__________ _________
9.3 How often was your badge exchanged?
Time Period Frequency (e.g. weekly, monthly, annually, don’t know)
__________ _________
__________ _________
__________ _________
__________ _________
9.4 Where on your body was your badge worn?
Time Period Body Location
__________ ____________
__________ ____________
__________ ____________
10. Did you participate in a biological radiation monitoring program (urine, fecal, breath, or in-vivo/whole body count)?
___Yes, urine Frequency_____________
___Yes, fecal Frequency_____________
___Yes, breath Frequency_____________
___Yes, in-vivo/whole body count Frequency_____________
___No
___Don’t know
11. Do you have copies of your dosimeter badge or biological monitoring records, or annual reports of your monitoring results?
___Yes, badge ___Yes, biological
___Yes, annual report(s)
___No
If “No” go to Question 12, if “yes”:
11.1 Would you be willing to provide copies to us, if we need those records?
____Yes
____No
12. Were you routinely surveyed (frisked) for external contamination?
If “No” go to Question 13, if “Yes”:
12.1 Were you surveyed before or after showering?
___ Before
___After
13. Was air monitoring for radiation performed in the work environment?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know” go to Question 14, if “Yes”:
13.1 When (over what time periods) did this occur?_________________________________
13.2 What type of air monitoring was performed?
___Job-specific
___Lapel (employee breathing zone)
___General area
___Environmental
___Other (Describe)___________________________________________________
14. Were there any radiation surveys taken to characterize potential for external exposure?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know” go to Question 15, if “Yes”:
14.1 When did these occur?_________________________________
15. Was there monitoring in any of the buildings or areas you worked for exposure to radon?
____Yes
____No
____Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know” go to Question 16, if “Yes”:
15.1 Which buildings or areas? ____________________________________________
16. Were you ever restricted from the workplace or certain job duties because you had reached a radiation dose limit?
___Yes
___No
If “No” go to Question 17, if “Yes”:
Please explain._______________________________________________________
17. Did you ever not turn in your dosimeter badge because you were approaching a radiation dose limit?
___Yes
___No
If “No” go to Question 18, if “Yes”:
How many times did this occur and during what periods?__________________
Required medical screening x rays
18. Were you ever required to have medical x rays for this job, as a condition of employment (upon hire, as part of an annual physical, etc.)?
___Yes
___No
If “No” go to Question 19, if “Yes” :
18.1 How often were you x-rayed, and over what time period(s)?
Time Period |
Frequency of x rays |
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18.2 Do you have records of these x rays?
___Yes, for all x rays
___Yes, for some x rays
___No
If “No” go to Question 19, if “Yes”:
18.3 Would you be willing to provide copies to us, if we need these records?
___Yes
___No
Radiation Incidents
19. Were you ever involved in any incidents involving radiation exposure or contamination?
___Yes
___No
If “No” go to Question 20, if “Yes” ask the following questions for each incident identified:
19.1 What happened and when?___________________________________________
19.2 Which radioactive materials were involved, and in what form and quantity?___________________________________________________
19.3 Was radiation-generating equipment involved? If yes, what type?________________
19.4 Where did it take place? _______________________________________
19.5 Who was involved? ___________________________________________
19.6 What actions were taken to remedy the exposure or contamination?_______________________________________________
19.7 What were your location and activities during the incident?____________________________________________________
19.8 What precautions were taken to protect you?_______________________________________________________
19.9 What types of personal protective equipment, if any, did you use?_______________________________________________________
19.10 How long were you exposed during the incident?____________________________________________________
19.11 Did you receive chelation therapy or other medical treatment as a result of radiation exposure from this incident?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t Know
If “No” or “Don’t know” go to Question 19.13, if “Yes”:
19.12 Please describe the medical treatment you received:
_____ Chelation Therapy
_____Other Medical Treatment____________________________________________
19.13 Did you receive biological monitoring after the incident?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know”go to Question 20, if “Yes”:
19.14 What type of biological monitoring?
___in-vivo/whole body measurement
___urine
___fecal
___breath
___nasal swab
19.15 Do you have records of this monitoring?
___Yes
___No
If “No” go to Question 20, if “Yes”:
19.16 Are you willing to provide copies of these records to NIOSH?
___Yes
___No
Other relevant information
20. Have we missed asking you about any conditions, situations, or practices that occurred during this job which you think may be useful to us in estimating your radiation doses?
___Yes
___No
If “No”, go to Question 21, if “Yes”:
20.1 Describe this with as much detail as possible, in terms of what occurred, where, when, for how long, and who was involved:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
21. Are you aware of any records related to the information you have provided that may help us estimate your doses?
___Yes: Source/Type
___Personal Physician
___Site Medical Records
___Incident Reports
___Safety Meeting Notes
___Log Books
______________________Other (describe)
___No
22. NIOSH is confident it will obtain enough information to complete your dose reconstruction without receiving information from other individuals. However, in the event NIOSH does wish to speak to others who might provide information about your work conditions or exposures, can you readily provide names and contact information for co-workers, supervisors, industrial hygienists, radiation safety specialists, or anyone else who might be able to provide such information?
___Yes
___No
If “Yes”, obtain up to five names and any contact information available:
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
4.____________________________
5.____________________________
Form Approved: OMB No. 0920-0530 Exp. Date 3/31/2012
EEOICPA Dose Reconstruction Telephone Interview
Claimant is a Family Member
As you may know, NIOSH is responsible for estimating the occupational radiation doses received by persons with cancer applying for compensation under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program. Our contractor, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), will be conducting the interviews.
This interview provides claimants with the opportunity to inform NIOSH of any additional information regarding the work history of the energy employee that might not be contained in the exposure monitoring information we receive from the Department of Energy (DOE) or Atomic Weapons Employer (AWE). While we encourage all claimants to participate in the interview process, participation is voluntary. Even though some claimants may not be able to answer all of the questions during the interview or have limited answers to the questions, any information provided during the interview may be useful in the dose reconstruction process.
Interviews with survivors will seek more general information while the interviews with energy employees will contain more detailed questions. This interview should take no more than an hour, although we may have to call you back for additional information. If we need to divide this interview into a couple of shorter calls, we can do that as well. While we believe that most dose reconstructions can be completed without discussing classified information, we will arrange for a secure interview for those claimants who believe such an arrangement is necessary to complete the interview.
Public Burden Statement
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 60 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, gathering the information needed, and completing the interview. If you have any comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, send them to CDC Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D-74, Atlanta, GA 30333; ATTN:PRA 0920-0530. Do not send the completed interview form to this address. Please do not complete and return this form; you will be contacted by telephone to collect this information. Persons are not required to respond to the interview questions unless a currently valid OMB number is displayed. |
Privacy Act Advisement
In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. § 552a), you are hereby notified of the following:
The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 7384-7385) (EEOICPA) requires the promulgation of methods, in the form of regulations, for estimating the dose levels of ionizing radiation incurred by workers in the performance of duty for nuclear weapons production programs for the Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies. These methods are applied by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), an Institute of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for producing radiation dose estimates that the U.S. Department of Labor uses in adjudicating certain claims under EEOICPA.
Records containing identifiable information become part of an existing NIOSH system of records under the Privacy Act, 09-20-147 “Occupational Health Epidemiological Studies and EEOICPA Program Records. HHS/CDC/NIOSH.” These records are treated in a confidential manner, unless otherwise compelled by law. Disclosures that NIOSH may need to make to complete a radiation dose reconstruction for your claim are listed below.
NIOSH may need to disclose personal identifying information to: (a) the Department of Energy, other federal agencies, other government or private entities and to private sector employers to permit these entities to retrieve records required by NIOSH; (b) identified witnesses as designated by NIOSH so that these individuals can provide information relevant to completing a radiation dose reconstruction for your claim; (c) contractors assisting NIOSH; (d) collaborating researchers, under certain limited circumstances to conduct further investigations; (e) Federal, state and local agencies for law enforcement purposes; and (f) a Member of Congress or a Congressional staff member in response to a verified inquiry.
This notice applies to all interviews and forms that you may receive from NIOSH in connection with completing a radiation dose reconstruction for your claim.
Your participation in this interview is voluntary. |
Employment History
1. From what you remember or information readily available to you, what jobs did ___{Covered Employee}___ hold, working for DOE, DOE contractors, or AWEs?
Facility |
Supervisor’s Name |
Job Title |
Start Date (mm/yyyy) |
End Date (mm/yyyy) |
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For each job listed in question 1, answer the following questions. Repeat these questions for each DOE/AWE job included in the employment history.
Detailed Work History:
2. How many hours per week did___{Covered Employee}___ work on this job?
______hrs/week
3 Did___{Covered Employee}___ work any overtime hours?
_____Yes
_____No
4. If yes, how many hours of overtime, on average, did___{Covered Employee}___work per week?
_____hours per week
5. Did___{Covered Employee}___ work any shift work?
_____Yes
_____No
6. Do you know which buildings or locations (s)he worked in, routinely?
Building/Location |
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7. Describe whatever you know about ___{Covered Employee’s}___ duties.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Radiation Monitoring
8. Did ___{Covered Employee}___ routinely wear radiation dosimetry badges?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
9. Did___{Covered Employee}___ participate in a biological radiation monitoring program (urine, fecal, breath, or in-vivo/whole body count)?
___Yes, urine Frequency__________
___Yes, fecal Frequency__________
___Yes, breath Frequency__________
___Yes, in-vivo/whole body count Frequency__________
___No
___Don’t know
10. Do you have copies of ___{Covered Employee’s}___ dosimeter badge or biological monitoring records or annual reports?
___Yes, badge ___Yes, biological
___Yes, annual report
___No
If “No” go to Question 11, if “yes”:
10.1 Would you provide copies to us?
____Yes
____No
11. Was ___{Covered Employee}___ ever restricted from the workplace or certain job duties because (s)he had reached a radiation dose limit?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
Required medical screening x rays
12. Was ___{Covered Employee}___ ever required to have medical x rays for this job, as a condition of employment (upon hire, as part of an annual physical, etc.)?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” go to Question 13, if “Yes” :
12.1 Do you know how often (s)he was x-rayed, and over what time period(s)?
Time Period |
Frequency of x rays |
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12.2 Do you have records of these x rays?
___Yes, for all x rays
___Yes, for some x rays
___No
If “No” go to Question 13, if “Yes”:
12.3 Would you provide us with copies to us, if we need these records?
___Yes
___No
Radiation Incidents
13. Was ___{Covered Employee}___ ever involved in an incident involving radiation exposure or contamination?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know” go to Question 14, if “Yes” ask the following questions for each incident identified:
13.1 What happened, where and when?______________________________________
13.2 Did ___{Covered Employee}___ receive chelation therapy or other medical treatment as a result of radiation exposure from this incident?
___Yes, chelation therapy
___Yes, other medical treatment
___No
___Don’t know
14. Did ___{Covered Employee}___ receive biological monitoring after the incident?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or ‘Don’t know” go to Question 15, if “Yes”:
What type of biological monitoring?
___in-vivo/whole body measurement
___urine
___fecal
___breath
___nasal swab
14.2 Do you have records of this monitoring?
___Yes
___No
If “No” go to Question 15, if “Yes”:
14.3 Would you be willing to provide copies to us if we need these records?
___Yes
___No
Other relevant information
15. Have we missed asking you about any conditions, situations, or practices that occurred during this job which you think may be useful to us in estimating ___{Covered Employee’s}___ radiation doses?
___Yes
___No
If “No” go to Question 16, if “Yes”:
15.1 Describe this with as much detail as possible, in terms of what occurred, where, when, for how long, and who was involved:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
16. Are you aware of any records related to the information you have provided that may help us estimate your doses?
___Yes: Source/Type
___Personal Physician
___Site Medical Records
___Incident Reports
___Safety Meeting Notes
___Log Books
______________________Other (describe)
___No
17. NIOSH is confident it will obtain enough information to complete your dose reconstruction without receiving information from other individuals. However, in the event NIOSH does wish to speak to others who might provide information about your work conditions or exposures, can you readily provide names and contact information for co-workers, supervisors, industrial hygienists, radiation safety specialists, or anyone else who might be able to provide such information?
___Yes
___No
If “Yes” Obtain up to five names and any contact information available:
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
4.____________________________
5.____________________________
Dose
Reconstruction Project for NIOSH Dose
Reconstruction Project for NIOSH
ORAU Team
ORAU Team
NIOSH Tracking Number:
Date:
Name
Address
City, ST Zip
Dear Name:
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) requests your help in reconstructing the radiation dose for [name of covered employee] on behalf of [survivor claimant’s name, if appropriate]. ORAU, the contractor assisting the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) with the dose reconstruction process, will be conducting a telephone interview with you shortly to gather information concerning radiation exposure information for [covered employee’s or survivor claimant’s name, as appropriate] claim. The interview takes about an hour on average to complete.
Your participation in this interview is voluntary. If you choose to be interviewed, the information you provide will be treated in a confidential manner unless otherwise compelled by law. The information you provide to ORAU will be shared with staff working for NIOSH and the Department of Labor (DOL), both of whom have roles in administering this program. Please note that if you have any special needs for the interview (for example, hearing impairments, Spanish-speaking interview, etc.) ORAU will make arrangements to meet those special needs. After the telephone interview has been completed, a summary report will be prepared and sent to you for your review. Once the report is complete and you have had time to review and comment on it, we will proceed with the dose reconstruction process.
To help you prepare for the interview, we have enclosed a list of the questions that will be covered. Please DO NOT send this questionnaire back to us; we will take this information by telephone. Also, do not expend effort researching answers. We are only interested in information you can remember or find easily. When you have reviewed the enclosed questions and feel that you are ready to schedule your telephone interview, please call ORAU toll-free at 1-800-790-6728 (1-800-790-ORAU) and ask to speak to the telephone interview scheduler. Keep in mind that this initial call is simply to SCHEDULE your interview, not to actually perform the interview. Our hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, but we have found that calls placed between 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. may experience a shorter wait time for you in scheduling the interview.
Feel free to call our toll-free number if you have any questions about the interview process. You may also get more information on ORAU at www.oraucoc.org.
Sincerely,
Claimant Communications
ORAU Team
Dose Reconstruction Project for NIOSH
Enclosure
Form Approved: OMB No. 0920-0530
Exp. Date 3/31/2012
EEOICPA Dose Reconstruction Telephone Interview
Co-Worker or Supervisor
As you may know, NIOSH is responsible for estimating the occupational radiation doses received by persons with cancer applying for compensation under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program. For this purpose, you have a very important role. Our contractor, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) will be interviewing you and others to help ensure that the information NIOSH uses to estimate ___{Covered Employee’s}___ radiation doses is as complete and precise as possible. This interview should take no more than an hour, although we may have to call you back for additional information. If we need to divide this interview into a couple of shorter calls, we can do that as well.
First we will review with you the information we already have from the Department of Labor and Department of Energy. Then we will ask a variety of questions to identify any information that may be missing from records.
Public Burden Statement
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 60 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, gathering the information needed, and completing the interview. If you have any comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, send them to CDC Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D-74, Atlanta, GA 30333; ATTN:PRA 0920-0530. Do not send the completed interview form to this address. Please do not complete and return this form; you will be contacted by telephone to collect this information. Persons are not required to respond to the interview questions unless a currently valid OMB number is displayed. |
Privacy Act Advisement
In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. § 552a), you are hereby notified of the following:
The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 7384-7385) (EEOICPA) requires the promulgation of methods, in the form of regulations, for estimating the dose levels of ionizing radiation incurred by workers in the performance of duty for nuclear weapons production programs for the Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies. These methods are applied by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), an Institute of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for producing radiation dose estimates that the U.S. Department of Labor uses in adjudicating certain claims under EEOICPA.
Records containing identifiable information become part of an existing NIOSH system of records under the Privacy Act, 09-20-147 “Occupational Health Epidemiological Studies and EEOICPA Program Records. HHS/CDC/NIOSH.” These records are treated in a confidential manner, unless otherwise compelled by law. Disclosures that NIOSH may need to make to complete a radiation dose reconstruction for your claim are listed below.
NIOSH may need to disclose personal identifying information to: (a) the Department of Energy, other federal agencies, other government or private entities and to private sector employers to permit these entities to retrieve records required by NIOSH; (b) identified witnesses as designated by NIOSH so that these individuals can provide information relevant to completing a radiation dose reconstruction for your claim; (c) contractors assisting NIOSH; (d) collaborating researchers, under certain limited circumstances to conduct further investigations; (e) Federal, state and local agencies for law enforcement purposes; and (f) a Member of Congress or a Congressional staff member in response to a verified inquiry.
This notice applies to all interviews and forms that you may receive from NIOSH in connection with completing a radiation dose reconstruction for your claim.
Your participation in this interview is voluntary. |
Employment History
1. From what you remember or information readily available to you, when and where did you and ___{Covered Employee}___ work together, what was your job title, and who was his/her supervisor at the time?
Facility |
Supervisor’s Name |
Interviewee Job Title |
Start Date (mm/yyyy) |
End Date (mm/yyyy) |
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Start with the most recent job and ask the following questions in sections. Repeat these for each DOE/AWE job included in the employment history.
Detailed Work History:
2. How many hours per week did (s)he work on this job?
______hrs/week
___Don’t know
3 Did (s)he work any overtime hours?
_____Yes
_____No
_____Don’t know
4. If yes, how many hours of overtime, on average, did (s)he work per week?
_____hours per week
5. Did (s)he work any shift work?
_____Yes
_____No
_____Don’t know
6. How many hours per week did his/her job involve potential exposure to radiation and/or radioactive materials?
_____hrs/week
___Don’t know
7. Which buildings or locations did (s)he work in, what were his/her routine duties, and during what time periods did (s)he work in each of the buildings or locations?
Building/Location |
Time Period Worked |
Duties |
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8. Describe his/her duties.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Obtain additional details on duties, as necessary:
8.1 What types of radioactive materials were present or processed, and in what form(s) (solid, liquid, or gas)? Review the list below individually, if necessary and appropriate.
Radionuclide Response Isotope(s) if known Form
Tritium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Cobalt __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Strontium/Yttrium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Technetium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Iodine __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Cesium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Thallium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Lead __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Polonium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Radon (progeny) __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Radium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Actinium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Europium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Thorium (natural) __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Protactinium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Uranium (natural) __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Uranium(enriched) __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Neptunium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Plutonium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Americium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Curium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Californium __Y __N __DK _____ __S __L __G
Others
___(1) _____ __S __L __G
___(2) _____ __S __L __G
___(3) _____ __S __L __G
8.2 What quantities of radioactive materials were present or processed (ounces, pounds, kilograms, drums) over what time periods? ________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8.3 What types of production processes involving radioactive materials occurred in areas where (s)he worked?____________________________________________
8.4 What types of radiation-generating equipment were present or used (e.g., neutron devices, radiography equipment/sources, portable x ray units, electron beam welders)?__________________________________________________________
8.5 What specific tasks did (s)he perform, using what types of radioactive materials (in what quantities), and/or radiation generating equipment?__________________
8.6 What exposure/contamination control measures were used to protect him/her?
Measure Frequency of use
___Fume hoods __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___Glove boxes __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___Shielding __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___Other enclosures (explain) __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___Local ventilation __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___Anti-contamination clothing __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___ Respirators __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
___Other personal protective __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
equipment (specify)
___Showers __Always __ Sometimes __ Never
8.7 Did (s)he work under a Special Work Permit or a Radiological Work Permit or other work control document that specified safety and health requirements?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know”, go to Question 9, if “Yes”:
8.8 During what time period(s)?___________________________________________
Radiation Monitoring
9. Did ___{Covered Employee}___routinely wear radiation dosimetry badges?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know”, go to Question 10, if “Yes”:
9.1 For which duties or in which buildings or locations, and during what time periods (e.g., which years) did ___{Covered Employee}___routinely wear radiation dosimetry badges?
Building/ Location |
Time Period |
Duties |
Wore badge (check = yes) |
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10. Did ___{Covered Employee}___participate in a biological radiation monitoring program (urine, fecal, breath, or in-vivo/whole body count)?
___Yes, urine Frequency_____________
___Yes, fecal Frequency_____________
___Yes, breath Frequency_____________
___Yes, in-vivo/whole body count Frequency_____________
___No
___Don’t know
If the interviewee is a co-worker who may have had comparable exposures ask the following; if not, go to Question 16 :
I’ll ask you several questions about badge practices. I realize that badge practices changed over time, so please recall to the best of your ability any changes and the time period that they cover:
11. How often did you wear your badge?
Time Period Frequency
__________ _________
__________ _________
__________ _________
__________ _________
12. How often was your badge exchanged?
Time Period Frequency
__________ _________
__________ _________
__________ _________
__________ _________
13. Where on your body was your badge worn?
Time Period Body Location
__________ ____________
__________ ____________
__________ ____________
__________ ____________
14. Did you also participate in a biological radiation monitoring program (urine/fecal/breath)?
___Yes, urine
___Yes, fecal
___Yes, breath
___No
___Don’t know
15. Do you have copies of your dosimeter badge or biological monitoring records, or annual reports of your monitoring results?
___Yes, badge ___Yes, biological
___Yes, annual report(s)
___No
If “No” go to Question 16, if “yes”:
15.1 Would you be willing to provide copies to us, if we need those records?
____Yes
____No
16. Was___{Covered Employee}___routinely surveyed (frisked) for external contamination?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know” go to Question 17, if “Yes”:
16.1 Was___{Covered Employee}___surveyed before or after showering?
___ Before
___After
17. Was air monitoring for radiation performed in the work environment?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know” go to Question 18, if “Yes”:
17.1 When (over what time periods) did this occur?____________________________
17.2 What type of air monitoring was performed?
___Job-specific
___Lapel (employee breathing zone)
___General area
___Environmental
___Other (Describe)_________________________________________________
18. Were there any radiation surveys taken to characterize potential for external exposure?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know” go to Question 19, if “Yes”:
18.1 When (over what time periods) did these occur?___________________________
19. Was there monitoring in any of the buildings or areas where___{Covered Employee}___ worked for exposure to radon?
____Yes
____No
____Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know” go to Question 20, if “Yes”:
19.1 Which buildings or areas? ____________________________________________
20. Was___{Covered Employee}___ever restricted from the workplace or certain job duties because (s)he had reached a radiation dose limit?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know” go to Question 21, if “Yes”:
Please explain.______________________________________________________
21. Did___{Covered Employee}___ ever not turn in his/her dosimeter badge because (s)he was approaching a radiation dose limit?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know” go to Question 22, if “Yes”:
21.1 How many times did this occur and during what periods?__________________
Required medical screening x rays
Some workers were required to periodically have medical x rays as a condition of employment:
22. Was___{Covered Employee}___ ever required to have medical x rays for this job, as a condition of employment (upon hire, as part of an annual physical, etc.)?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know” go to Question 23, if “Yes” :
22.1 Do you know how often (s)he was x-rayed, and over what time period(s)?
Time Period |
Frequency of x rays |
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Radiation Incidents
I need to ask you about any radiation exposure or contamination incidents that may have occurred while___{Covered Employee}___was in this job. For each incident you may recall, please answer the following questions:
23. Was___{Covered Employee}___ever involved in any incidents involving radiation exposure or contamination?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know” go to Question 24, if “Yes” ask the following questions for each incident identified:
23.1 What happened and when?___________________________________________
23.2 Which radioactive materials were involved, and in what form and quantity? _________________________________________________________________
23.3 Was radiation-generating equipment involved? If yes, what type?_____________
23.4 Where did it take place? _____________________________________________
23.5 Who was involved? _________________________________________________
23.6 What actions were taken to remedy the exposure or contamination?____________
__________________________________________________________________
23.7 What were___{Covered Employee’s}___location and activities during the incident?__________________________________________________________
23.8 What precautions were taken to protect him/her?___________________________
23.9 What types of personal protective equipment, if any, did (s)he use? __________________________________________________________________
23.10 How long was (s)he exposed during the incident?__________________________
23.11 Did___{Covered Employee}___receive biological monitoring after the incident?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t Know
Were you similarly involved and exposed in the incident?
___Yes
___No
If “No” go to Question 24, if “Yes”:
23.13 Did you receive biological monitoring after the incident?
___Yes
___No
___Don’t know
If “No” or “Don’t know”go to Question 24, if “Yes”:
23.14 What type of biological monitoring?
___in-vivo/whole body measurement
___urine
___fecal
___breath
___nasal swab
23.15 Do you have records of this monitoring?
___Yes
___No
If “No” go to Question 24, if “Yes”:
23.16 Would you be willing to provide copies to us, if we need those records?
___Yes
___No
Other relevant information
This is an opportunity for you to identify other relevant information that might help us complete the dose reconstruction:
24. Have we missed asking you about any conditions, situations, or practices that occurred during this job which you think may be useful to us in estimating___{Covered Employee’s}___radiation doses?
___Yes
___No
If “No” and this is the last job to review, go to Question 25, if “Yes”:
24.1 Describe this with as much detail as possible, in terms of what occurred, where, when, for how long, and who was involved:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Note: Complete Questions 2 through 24 for each job listed in Question 1.
25. NIOSH is confident it will obtain enough information to complete___{Covered Employee’s}___dose reconstruction without receiving information from other individuals. However, in the event NIOSH does wish to speak to others who might provide information about his/her work conditions or exposures, can you readily provide names and contact information for co-workers, supervisors, industrial hygienists, radiation safety specialists, or anyone else who might be able to provide such information?
___Yes
___No
If “Yes”, obtain up to five names and any contact information available:
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
4.____________________________
5.____________________________
File Type | application/msword |
File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT |
Author | Mary Griffin |
Last Modified By | shari steinberg |
File Modified | 2009-12-28 |
File Created | 2009-12-28 |