NIOSH Program Update

Stuart Hinnefeld

Director

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support

March 2013

Augusta, GA
Program News

 DCAS updates

• Personnel

• Budget 
Overall Initial Claim Information

(as of February 28, 2013)

 38,946 cases have been referred to NIOSH for dose 

reconstruction (DR)

 36,859 (95%) cases have been returned to DOL

• Cases submitted with a DR report 32,335

• Cases currently pulled from DR by DOL 1,272

• Cases currently pulled from DR for SEC 3,252 

 1,445 (3%) cases remain at NIOSH for dose 

reconstruction 

 642 (2%) cases were administratively closed
Overview of Active Cases

(as of February 28, 2013)

 Of the 1,445 cases remaining at NIOSH for dose 

reconstruction:

• 322 cases in the dose reconstruction process

• 211 initial draft dose reconstruction reports in the hands 

of claimants, and NIOSH awaiting the return of the OCAS1 form

• 912 cases in development to begin the dose 

reconstruction
Summary of PoCs for Completed 

Dose Reconstructions

(as of February 28, 2013)

 Of the 32,335 dose reconstructions sent back to 

DOL for final adjudication:

• 9,274 cases had a PoC (probability of causation) ≥ 50%

• 23,061 cases had a PoC < 50%
Submittals vs. Production

(as of December 31, 2012)

0

400

800

1200

1600

2000

2400

Q1-2002Q1-2003Q1-2004

Q1-2005Q1-2006

Q1-2007Q1-2008

Q1-2009Q1-2010

Q1-2011

Q1-2012Q1-2013

Cases Received from

DOL

Draft DR Reports to

Claimants

Final DR Reports to

DOL
 4,863 claims at DOL

• 267 pulled for DOL issues

• 390 pulled for SEC

• 4,206 submitted with DR

 118 claims at NIOSH

• 81 administratively closed

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

year)

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

• 15 gathering information

 19 claim numbers deleted

Status of First 5,000 Claims

(as of February 28, 2013) 
 9,768 claims at DOL

• 444 pulled for DOL issues

• 1,017 pulled for SEC

• 8,307 submitted with DR

 202 claims at NIOSH

• 149 administratively closed

• 11 DRs with claimants (1 initial; 10 DOL reworks within past 

year)

• 26 DRs in process (3 initial; 23 DOL reworks within past year)

• 16 gathering information

 30 claim numbers deleted

Status of First 10,000 Claims

(as of February 28, 2013) 
DOE Response to Requests 

for Exposure Records

(as of February 28, 2013) 

 Number of outstanding requests 298

 Outstanding requests > 60 days 56
Special Exposure Cohort Summary

(as of March 2013)

 Petitions received 209

 Petitions in qualification process 0 

 Petitions qualified for evaluation 128

• NIOSH evaluation in progress 0

• NIOSH evaluation completed 128

– SEC Evaluation Reports 

 with the Advisory Board 

 for recommendation 2 

 Petitions not qualifying for evaluation 81*

 * Petitions not qualifying include 5 petitions received prior to the rule becoming 

 final and Petition 34 where the site was de-listed. 
 99 SEC classes have been added since May 2005

• 56 (55%) through the 83.13 process

• 43 (45%) through the 83.14 process

 18 SEC classes have been denied since May 2005

 The added classes represent classes of workers from 

70 sites

Special Exposure Cohort Summary—cont. 

(as of March 2013)