NIOSH Program Update

Stuart Hinnefeld

Director 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support

December 2011

Tampa, FL
Program News

 DCAS staff assignments

 Budget 

 Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

 Day of Remembrance for all Nuclear Weapons 

Workers
Overall Initial Claim Information

(as of November 30, 2011)

 35,845 cases have been referred to NIOSH for 

dose reconstruction

 34,073 (95%) cases have been returned to DOL

• Cases submitted with a DR report 29,849 

• Cases currently pulled from DR by DOL 1,228 

• Cases currently pulled from DR for SEC 2,996 

 1,083 (3%) cases remained at NIOSH for dose 

reconstruction 

 689 (2%) cases were administratively closed
Current Case Status

(as of November 30, 2011)

Cases Completed 29,849 83.3%

Cases Pulled 1,228 3.4%

SEC Pulled Cases 2,996 8.4%

Cases Admin Closed 689 1.9%

Cases Active 960 2.7%

Cases Pending 123 0.3%

Total: 35,845 100.0%
Overview of Active Cases

(as of November 30, 2011)

 Of the 1,083 cases remaining at NIOSH for 

dose reconstruction:

• 203 cases in the dose reconstruction process

• 310 initial draft dose reconstruction reports in 

the hands of claimants, and NIOSH awaiting the 

return of the OCAS-1 form

• 570 cases in development to begin the dose 

reconstruction
Summary of PoCs for Completed 

Dose Reconstructions

(as of November 30, 2011)

 Of the 29,849 dose reconstructions sent back 

to DOL for final adjudication:

• 8,722 (29%) cases had a PoC ≥ 50% 

• 21,127 (71%) cases had a PoC < 50%
Distribution of PoC

for Cases Sent to DOL

(as of November 30, 2011)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

0-10% 11-20% 21-30% 31-40% 41-49% >= 50%

8317

3862

3225 3485

2238

8722

Probability of Causation

Number of Cases
Submittals vs. Production

(as of September 30, 2011)

0

400

800

1200

1600

2000

2400

Q1-2002Q1-2003Q1-2004Q1-2005Q1-2006Q1-2007Q1-2008Q1-2009Q1-2010Q1-2011

Cases Received from

DOL

Draft DR Reports to

Claimants

Final DR Reports to

DOL
Status of First 5,000 Claims

(as of November 30, 2011) 

 4,862 claims at DOL

• 286 pulled for DOL issues

• 369 pulled for SEC

• 4,207 submitted with DR

 119 claims at NIOSH

• 102 admin closed

• 9 DRs with claimants (DOL reworks/reinstated within past 

year)

• 7 DRs in process (DOL reworks/reinstated within past year)

• 1 gathering information

 19 claim numbers deleted
Status of First 10,000 Claims

(as of November 30, 2011) 

 9751 claims at DOL

• 464 pulled for DOL issues

• 984 pulled for SEC

• 8,303 submitted with DR

 219 claims at NIOSH

• 188 admin closed

• 15 DRs with claimants (2 initial; 13 DOL reworks within past 

year)

• 15 DRs in process (0 initial; 15 DOL reworks within past year)

• 1 gathering information

 30 claim numbers deleted
DOE Response to Requests 

for Exposure Records

(as of November 30, 2011) 

 Number of outstanding requests 281

 Outstanding requests > 60 days 40
Special Exposure Cohort 

(as of November 29, 2011)

 196 petitions have been received

6 undergoing qualification review

• 117 qualified for review

– 5 are currently being evaluated

– 2 evaluations completed to be presented to the Board

– 11 have been presented and are with the Board

– 1 petitions are with the Secretary awaiting final decision

– 0 petitions are awaiting final effect

– 89 petitions resulted in the addition of a class, representing 

82 SEC classes

– 12 classes have been denied

• 73 did not qualify for evaluation

• 5 received prior to the rule becoming final
Special Exposure Cohort—cont. 

(as of November 29, 2011)

 82 SEC classes have been added since May 2005

• 45 (55%) through the 83.13 process

• 37 (45%) through the 83.14 process

 Represents classes of workers from 59 sites

 Represents 3,979 potential claims