Summary of Five 

Approved Document 

Reviews by the 

Subcommittee for

Procedure Reviews

Kathleen Behling

Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker

Health, Subcommittee for Procedure Reviews

December 8, 2021
SCPR-approved documents

◆ ORAUT-PROC-0022, rev. 00, “Supplemental Requests for DOE 

Information”

◆ DCAS-PER-081, rev. 0, “Hooker Electrochemical”

◆ ORAUT-OTIB-0025, rev. 00, “Estimation of Radium-226 Activity in the 

Body from Breath Radon-222 Measurements”

◆ ORAUT-OTIB-0032, rev. 00 PC-1, “External Coworker Dosimetry 

Data for the Savannah River Site”

◆ ORAUT-OTIB-0033, rev. 00, “Application of Internal Doses Based on 

Claimant-Favorable Assumptions for Processing as Best Estimates”

2
ORAUT-PROC-0022, rev. 00

◆ Title: “Supplemental Requests for DOE 

Information”

◆ Procedure outlines method for requesting 

supplemental information about an energy 

employee from U.S. Department of Energy 

(DOE) sites

◆ Revision 00 issued March 15, 2005

◆ Revision 01 issued August 24, 2017

3
Issue resolution for PROC-0022, 

rev. 00, finding 1

Finding 

date

Finding 

description

NIOSH response Finding 

resolution

6/8/2006 Title and PROC 

number for 

Privacy Act 

procedure needs 

to be correct and 

consistent.

8/24/2007. Procedure 

being revised. In the 

revision, the Privacy Act 

reference (ORAUTPROC-0079, “Protecting 

Personally Identifying 

Information (PII)”) will be 

fixed so that it is correct 

and consistent throughout 

the document.

10/31/2017. NIOSH 

published rev. 01 on 

8/24/2017. References 

were corrected 

throughout the procedure.

11/20/2017. 

SCPR agreed to 

close finding.

4
Issue resolution for PROC-0022, 

rev. 00, finding 2

Finding 

date

Finding 

description

NIOSH response Finding 

resolution

6/8/2006 Procedure states 

that information 

should be 

requested from 

task 2, task 4, 

and task 5 and 

assumes that the 

reader is familiar 

with each task 

without providing 

the task function 

or description.

8/24/2007. Procedure is 

being revised. In the 

revision, references to 

various ORAUT tasks will 

be removed.

10/31/2017. NIOSH 

published rev. 01 on 

8/24/2017. All references 

to specific ORAUT tasks 

were removed, as NIOSH 

and ORAUT can identify 

claims that need 

additional information and 

ask for supplemental 

request letters.

11/20/2017.

SCPR agreed to 

close finding.

5
DCAS-PER-081, rev. 0

◆ Title: “Hooker Electrochemical”

◆ Determines effect of rev. 03 to DCAS-TKBS-0009, the Hooker 

Electrochemical technical basis document (TBD)

– Updated uranium production rate increased external dose during 

operational years

– Updated production rate increased modeled residual 

contamination levels, resulting in increased internal and external 

during residual period

◆ Hooker Electrochemical TBD, rev. 03, reviewed separately

◆ This review performed under SC&A’s subtask 4 protocols 

(case reviews)

6
Issue resolution for PER-081, rev. 0, 

subtask 4 observation 1

Observation 

date

Observation 

description

NIOSH response Observation 

resolution

10/9/2018 In the original 

and reworked 

DR, NIOSH 

used the 

exposure skin 

dose 

conversion 

factors (DCFs) 

from OCASIG-001, rev. 3, 

instead of the 

ORAUT-OTIB0017 skin 

DCF of 1.000.

2/13/2019. During SCPR 

meeting, NIOSH 

explained that as Hooker 

external doses are based 

on MNCP modeled 

calculations, IG-001 

DCFs are used. If doses 

were based on film badge 

data, it is unclear whether 

the dose is from beta or 

some low-energy photon. 

Therefore, the favorable 

approach is to apply 

OTIB-0017 DCFs.

02/13/2019.

NIOSH’s 

explanation 

clarified 

SC&A’s 

concern, and 

the SCPR 

closed the 

observation.

7
Issue resolution for PER-081, rev. 0, 

subtask 4 observation 2

Observation 

date

Observation 

description

NIOSH response Observation 

resolution

10/9/2018 Reworked 

internal dose 

assignment 

increased for 

the lymphatic 

tissue (as 

expected) but 

decreased 

slightly for the 

skin cancer 

sites.

2/13/2019. During SCPR 

meeting, NIOSH 

explained that the original 

DR was performed using 

overestimating 

assumptions and 

assessed lymphatic 

internal dose from type S 

solubility and skin dose 

using type M. The rework 

used best estimate 

protocols and used type S 

for all cancers.

2/13/2019.

SC&A agreed 

with NIOSH’s 

explanation, 

and the SCPR 

closed the 

observation.

8
ORAUT-OTIB-0025, rev. 00

◆ Title: “Estimation of Radium-226 Activity in the Body 

from Breath Radon Measurements”

◆ Provides technical basis for converting radon breath 

analysis results to radium whole body activity

◆ Ra-226 body content estimated using following 

relationship:

– Breathing rate of subject multiplied by concentration of 

radon in breath sample

– Divided by release fraction for radon multiplied by decay 

constant for radon

9
Issue resolution for OTIB-0025, 

rev. 00, finding 1

Finding 

date

Finding 

description

NIOSH response Finding 

resolution

6/8/2006 The higher the 

breathing rate, 

the lower the 

radon 

concentration in 

exhaled air. If 

breathing rate is 

unknown, it is 

favorable to 

assume a lower 

breathing rate, 

which will result 

in higher Ra-226 

body burden.

The default ICRP 66 

breathing rate of 

20 liters/min is used for 

all intake assessments. 

NIOSH explained that this 

represents a resting 

breathing rate, which is 

appropriate for measuring 

workers in a laboratory 

setting. This rate is also 

considered claimant 

favorable (pp. 109–121 of 

12/11/2007 meeting 

transcript).

12/11/2007.

Finding was 

closed by SCPR 

unless SC&A 

provided 

additional 

comments by 

next SCPR 

meeting. At the 

1/7/2008 SCPR, 

SC&A stated 

they had no 

additional 

comments.

10
ORAUT-OTIB-0032, rev. 00 PC-1

◆ Title: “External Coworker Dosimetry Data for the 

Savannah River Site”

◆ Provides guidance for assigning doses to SRS 

workers who have no or limited monitored data.

◆ Assigned doses are based on co-exposure data.

11
Issue resolution for OTIB-0032, 

rev. 00, finding 1

Finding 

date

Finding 

description

NIOSH response Finding resolution

10/29/2007 Document lacks 

clarity and often 

refers to methods 

described in other 

documents (e.g., 

OTIB-0020; OTIB0052). Also, 

NIOSH does not 

address how they 

meet SC&A’s 

procedure review 

objective 1.3 in 

Table 3.11-1.

1/20/2009. OTIB was 

written to complement 

other documents. 

OTIB-0020 and many 

other OTIBs are 

referenced because 

they describe various 

aspects of the DR 

process. DR staff is 

trained to make use 

of this hierarchy of 

documents to 

complete DR claims.

6/9/2009. SCPR 

meeting discussed 

these issues at 

length (pp. 126–

163 of transcript). 

SCPR closed 

finding on the 

condition that 

SC&A would review 

their procedure 

review protocol and 

change review 

objective 1.3.

12
Issue resolution for OTIB-0032, 

rev. 00, finding 2

Finding 

date

Finding description NIOSH response Finding 

resolution

10/29/2007 Document does not 

give specific guidance 

on how to use 

coworker external 

dosimetry data, so 

unclear if document is 

favorable or 

unfavorable to 

claimant. NIOSH also 

does not address how 

they meet SC&A’s 

procedure review 

objective 1.5 in 

Table 3.11-1.

Response to OTIB0032 finding 1 

would also apply 

here. OTIB-0020 

would be a prime 

reference when 

considering the 

proper application 

of coworker dose. 

In addition, OCASIG-001 and PROC0006 give direction 

on this topic.

6/9/2009.

Discussed at 

6/9/2009 SCPR 

meeting 

(pp. 164–196 of 

transcript). 

Finding status 

“In Progress” 

until SC&A 

reviews their 

procedure 

review protocol.

13
Issue resolution for OTIB-0032, 

rev. 00, findings 1 & 2 followup

◆ 5/16/2016. At this meeting, SC&A indicated:

– Protocols initially given in SC&A’s procedures review 

guidance document are outdated. SC&A no longer 

performs reviews based on review objectives. 

– SC&A now evaluates all elements of NIOSH’s 

guidance documents. 

◆ SCPR closed finding 2 based on explanation. 

Finding 1 had been closed during the 6/9/2009 

SCPR meeting.

14
ORAUT-OTIB-0033, rev. 00

◆ Title: “Application of Internal Doses Based on ClaimantFavorable Assumptions for Processing as Best 

Estimates”

◆ Purpose: “to provide instructions on the application of 

overestimated internal doses for processing as best 

estimates” (2005)

◆ OTIB is coupled with ORAUT-OTIB-0018, “Internal Dose 

Overestimates for Facilities with Air Sampling Programs”

◆ NIOSH is using OTIB-0033, but not for best estimate DRs

15
Issue resolution for OTIB-0033, 

rev. 00, finding 1

Finding 

date

Finding 

description

NIOSH response Finding resolution

6/8/2006 Considerable 

judgement is 

required to 

(1) assign workers 

to a given 

exposure category 

and (2) determine 

how best to go 

about using 

coworker data and 

performing missed 

dose calculations.

This is correct. The 

OTIB was 

developed to give 

some guidance in 

this judgement; the 

DRs must 

document their 

rationale for the 

selection of 

categories based 

on information in 

the worker’s file.

10/31/2018. After 

lengthy discussions 

(pp. 40–50 of 

transcript), SCPR 

closed finding. 

Closed because 

OTIB-0033 is no 

longer used for 

compensating, and 

the OTIB is not 

extensively used. 

OTIB title should be 

changed in future 

revision.

16
References

Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health. (2007). Working 

Group Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health Procedures 

Review [Transcript of meeting December 11, 2007]. 

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas/pdfs/abrwh/wgtr121107.pdf

Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health. (2009). 

Subcommittee on Procedures Review Tuesday, June 9, 2009

[Transcript]. 

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas/pdfs/abrwh/2009/sctr060909.pdf

Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health. (2018). 

Subcommittee for Procedure Review Wednesday, October 31, 2018 

[Transcript of teleconference meeting]. 

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas/pdfs/abrwh/2018/tr103118-508.pdf

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Questions?

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