NIOSH Program Update

Stuart Hinnefeld

Director

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support

October 2013

Westminster, CO
Program News

 Impacts from budget and funding situation 

 Personnel actions

 Outreach activities

 Change to Pacific Northwest National 

Laboratory (PNNL) facility description
PNNL Facility Description Change

 Original covered period was 1965 to present

 Research showed from 1965-2004 PNNL activities 

conducted at Hanford and not at a separate facility

 In May 2013, DOL and DOE revised site descriptions for 

Hanford and PNNL

 Dose reconstruction (DR) guidance and DOL’s 

administration of Hanford Special Exposure Cohort both 

consistent with new site definitions
Overall Initial Claim Information

(as of September 30, 2013)

 40,365 cases have been referred to NIOSH for DR

 38,201 (95%) cases have been returned to DOL

• Cases submitted with a DR report 33,604

• Cases currently pulled from DR by DOL 1,319

• Cases currently pulled from DR for SEC 3,278

 1,490 (4%) cases remained at NIOSH for dose 

reconstruction 

 674 (1%) cases were administratively closed
Overview of Active Cases

(as of September 30, 2013)

 Of the 1,490 cases remaining at NIOSH for DR:

• 303 cases in the dose reconstruction process

• 242 initial draft dose reconstruction reports in the hands 

of claimants, and NIOSH is awaiting the return of the 

OCAS-1 form

• 945 cases in development for dose reconstruction
Probability of Causation (PoC)

Summary for Completed DRs

(as of September 30, 2012)

 Of the 33,604 DRs sent back to DOL for final 

adjudication:

• 9,592 cases had a PoC ≥ 50%

• 24,012 cases had a PoC < 50%
Submittals vs. Production

(as of September 30, 2013)

0

400

800

1200

1600

2000

2400

Q1-2002Q1-2003Q1-2004Q1-2005Q1-2006Q1-2007Q1-2008Q1-2009Q1-2010Q1-2011Q1-2012Q1-2013

Cases Received from

DOL

Draft DR Reports to

Claimants

Final DR Reports to

DOL
Status of First 5,000 Claims

(as of September 30, 2013) 

 4,884 claims at DOL

• 263 pulled for DOL issues

• 390 pulled for SEC

• 4,231 submitted with DR

 97 claims at NIOSH

• 82 administratively closed

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

year)

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

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

(as of September 30, 2013) 

 9,785 claims at DOL

• 442 pulled for DOL issues

• 1,017 pulled for SEC

• 8,326 submitted with DR

 185 claims at NIOSH

• 151 administratively closed

• 6 DRs with claimants (2 initial; 4 DOL reworks within past year)

• 28 DRs in process (6 initial; 22 DOL reworks within past year)

 30 claim numbers deleted
DOE Response to Requests 

for Exposure Records

(as of October 9, 2013) 

 Number of outstanding requests 221

 Outstanding requests > 60 days 43
SEC Summary Table

(October 9, 2013)

 Petitions received 215

 Petitions in qualification process 1 

 Petitions qualified for evaluation 131

• NIOSH evaluation in progress 1

• NIOSH evaluation completed 130

– SEC Evaluation Reports 

 with the Advisory Board 

 for recommendation 8 

 Petitions not qualifying for evaluation 83

Note: Petitions not qualifying include five petitions received prior to the rule 

becoming final and Petition 34 where the site was de-listed. 
Special Exposure Cohort Summary

(October 9, 2013)

 102 SEC classes have been added since May 2005

• 58 (57%) through the 83.13 process

• 44 (43%) through the 83.14 process

 21 SEC classes have been denied since May 2005

 3 SEC classes are under HHS administrative review

 Represents classes of workers from 73 sites

 Represents 4,251 potential claims (returned to DOL 

on final effect date)

• 3,278 claims at DOL after being pulled for SEC