SC&A’s Focused Evaluation of 

ORAUT-OTIB-0088, Revision 02, 

“External Dose Reconstruction”

Ron Buchanan, PhD, CHP

Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health, 

Subcommittee for Procedure Reviews

February 15, 2022
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ORAUT-OTIB-0088, “External Dose 

Reconstruction”

 Revision 00 issued in 2018

 Revision 01 issued in 2019

– The Subcommittee for Procedure Reviews (SCPR) tasked SC&A with 

review of revision 01 on March 15, 2021

– SC&A issued its review of revision 01 on September 3, 2021

 Revision 02 issued June 11, 2021

– The SCPR tasked SC&A with a focused review of revision 02 on 

November 3, 2021

– SC&A issued its focused review of revision 02 on January 7, 2022
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Purpose of OTIB-0088, revision 02

 To provide external dose reconstruction guidance using:

– OCAS-IG-001

– Approved technical information bulletins and site profiles

– ORAUT procedures

 For exposure to photons, neutrons, electrons, ambient dose, 

and x-rays
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Overview of OTIB-0088, revision 02

 General approach to:

– External dosimetry records

– Occupational medical x-ray 

dose

– Incident investigation reports

– Types of external radiation 

exposures

– Conversion of external dose to 

organ dose

– Uncertainty

 Attachments

– Attachment A: Assigning 

missed dose

– Attachment B: Onsite ambient 

dose

– Attachment C: U.S. Department 

of Energy (DOE) adoption of 

International Commission on 

Radiological Protection (ICRP) 

Publication 60 neutron 

weighting factors by site
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SC&A’s focused review of OTIB-0088, 

revision 02

 Focused review:

–To evaluate the changes in OTIB-0088 revision 02 compared 

to revision 01

–To determine if SC&A’s five previous observations had been 

addressed by the changes in revision 02 and/or the 

discussions during the November 3, 2021, SCPR meeting
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Changes in OTIB-0088, revision 02

 The notable changes in OTIB-0088 revision 02 compared to 

revision 01 consisted of:

– Text was added on page 16 about applying ICRP Publication 60 

(ICRP 60) neutron weighting factors to missed neutron dose after the 

dates listed in attachment C.

– Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (K-25) was added to the list of 

DOE sites in attachment C, page 29.

 SC&A concurs with these changes.
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Observation1: Path forward for PROC-0060 

data in OTIB-0088

 Discussed at the November 3, 2021, SCPR meeting. 

 NIOSH indicated that the specific external ambient dose 

information, including the site-specific information previously 

contained in ORAUT-PROC-0060, revision 01, will be included 

in revised site profiles. 

 The SCPR accepted this explanation and closed the 

observation.
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Observation 2: Clarification of covered x-ray 

examinations

 Discussed at the November 3, 2021, SCPR meeting.

 NIOSH indicated that dose reconstructors are aware that x-ray 

examinations performed for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons 

are excluded. 

 The SCPR accepted this explanation and closed the 

observation.
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Observation 3: Unmonitored worker potential 

exposure

 Discussed at the November 3, 2021, SCPR meeting. 

 NIOSH stated that the following passage would be removed in 

the next revision of OTIB-0088:

– “In general, it is expected that reconstructed dose to unmonitored 

workers will be less than dose to monitored workers.” 

 The SCPR accepted this explanation and closed the 

observation.
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Observation 4: Use of multiple badge records

 Discussed at the November 3, 2021, SCPR meeting. 

 NIOSH indicated that:

– NIOSH will review the statement, “for cases in which multiple badges 

were issued for a particular monitoring period, only one zero 

measurement should be assigned per monitoring period.“ 

– NIOSH will revise this statement in the next revision of OTIB-0088. 

 The SCPR accepted this explanation, and the observation 

remains open for review pending the next revision of 

OTIB-0088.
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Observation 5: Clarification of application of 

NCRP-to-ICRP correction factors

 SC&A recommends that the site profile should indicate that the 

National Council on Radiation Protection & Measurements 

(NCRP)-to-ICRP neutron weighting factor need not be applied 

after the implementation of the ICRP 60 neutron weighting 

factors in the 2009–2011 timeframe.

 Discussed at the November 3, 2021, SCPR meeting. 

 NIOSH indicated that this section was revised in revision 02 of 

OTIB-0088. 

 The SCPR tasked SC&A with a focused review of revision 02 

to determine if this observation was adequately addressed.
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SC&A’s review for observation 5

 SC&A reviewed revision 02 of OTIB-0088 and found:

– The text added (p.16) concerns the application of the ICRP 60 neutron 

weighting factors to missed neutron dose after ICRP neutron weighting 

factors were implemented at DOE sites.

– This addition did not address observation 5 on the issue of not applying 

the NCRP-to-ICRP neutron correction factors to measured neutron 

dose after the implementation of the ICRP 60 neutron weighting factors 

at DOE sites.

– SC&A recommends that observation 5 remain open.
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Summary

 Changes in revision 02, combined with the discussion during 

the November 3, 2021, SCPR meeting, adequately addressed 

observations 1, 2, and 3. 

 Observation 4, on the use of multiple badge records, remains 

open pending the next revision of OTIB-0088. 

 Observation 5, on the application of NCRP-to-ICRP neutron 

correction factors to measured dose after the implementation 

of the ICRP 60 neutron weighting factors at DOE sites, was not 

addressed. SC&A recommends that observation 5 remain 

open.
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Questions?