National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

SEC Outreach Meeting for Joslyn Manufacturing and Supply Co. 

Meeting Date: Wednesday, July 25, 2012, 9:45 a.m. 

Meeting with: Former Workers from Joslyn Manufacturing and Supply Co., Fort Wayne, 

Indiana 

NIOSH Team: 

Sam Glover, PhD, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Division of 

Compensation Analysis and Support (DCAS), Health Physicist 

Monica Harrison-Maples, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Team, Health Physicist 

Mark Lewis, Advanced Technologies and Laboratories International, Inc. (ATL), Senior 

Outreach Specialist 

Mary Elliott, ATL, Technical Writer/Editor 

Also Attending: 

Bob Barton, Sanford Cohen & Associates (SC&A), Health Physicist 

Formal Presentation: Joslyn Manufacturing & Supply Co. 

Proceedings: 

Mark Lewis greeted the attendees and thanked them for taking the time to meet with NIOSH. He 

described why it is important for NIOSH to hear from former workers about their experiences at 

Joslyn Manufacturing & Supply Company. 

Mary Elliott handed out sign-in sheets and explained that signing the sheet and providing contact 

information is a voluntary act. She indicated that the contact information will only be used with 

their consent if NIOSH needs additional information following the meeting. The sign-in sheet 

will not become a public record. 

Ms. Elliott stated that she would be recording the meeting and taking notes to prepare accurate 

minutes of the meeting. She explained that the final minutes that are posted to the NIOSH Web 

site will not contain information that will identify the former workers. The recording will not 

become a public record; it will be destroyed after the review process is complete. 

Sam Glover asked the attendees if they all agreed to have the meeting recorded and they granted 

their consent. 

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Mr. Lewis introduced himself and asked the former workers and members of the NIOSH team to 

introduce themselves. 

Worker 1 stated he worked at Joslyn Manufacturing for [redacted] years, beginning in 1949. 

Worker 2 stated that he also started working at the plant in 1949 within a few days of Worker 1. 

Worker 3 began working at Joslyn in 1948. 

[Redacted] introduced herself as [redacted]’s wife. 

Monica Harrison-Maples, Sam Glover, Mary Elliott, and Bob Barton introduced themselves. 

Dr. Glover explained NIOSH’s role under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness 

Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA), the Special Exposure Cohort process, and how this 

meeting fits into the process. 

A brief discussion ensued regarding whether to wait for additional former workers to join the 

meeting or to proceed without them. The attendees agreed unanimously to continue the meeting. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples referred to the handout prepared for the meeting. She reiterated the purpose 

of the meeting and explained why NIOSH wants to hear as much as possible from the workers 

about the uranium and thorium rolling operations at Joslyn. 

Dr. Glover stated that 18 cases from the Joslyn site had come to NIOSH for dose reconstruction. 

Fourteen of those have been compensated. 

Two attendees commented that they had recently filed claims with the Department of Labor 

(DOL) Resource Center in Paducah but had not heard if they were going to be compensated. Dr. 

Glover responded that DOL reviews the case and then sends it to NIOSH for dose reconstruction. 

He offered the attendees his contact information so he could let them know if NIOSH had 

received their cases. Ms. Harrison-Maples explained that it takes a while for DOL to review all 

of the case information before they send the case to NIOSH. She added that one of the handouts 

had toll-free phone numbers to call the DOL Resource Center or the Cleveland District Office 

for information about their cases. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples stated that NIOSH is interested in hearing about the worker protections and 

the workplace conditions between 1944 and 1952 so they can better understand the potential 

exposures. NIOSH has records documenting that Joslyn processed natural uranium as well as a 

small amount of thorium; but they are not certain if Joslyn workers may have handled enriched 

uranium. NIOSH also needs to determine if any other radioactive materials were handled or if 

there were any special runs where the workers had to take extra safety precautions or use 

different procedures. NIOSH also wants to know if there were any engineering controls. NIOSH 

is primarily interested in the radiological work that Joslyn performed under contract. 

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Worker 1 and Worker 2 recalled that the only protective equipment Joslyn gave them was a pair 

of cotton gloves to wear when they handled the uranium. 

Dr. Glover asked the former workers if there were any X-ray instruments or non-destructive 

testing facilities on site. He stated that NIOSH knows that Joslyn did uranium work from 1943 

through 1952. Dr. Glover asked if they remembered any other sources of radiation on site – for 

example, cobalt-60 sources for radiography. He added that it was possible that Joslyn did not 

have the facilities on site for that type of work. Worker 3 did not recall any such facilities. Ms. 

Harrison-Maples and Dr. Glover explained that some facilities had a department onsite where 

they took X-ray shots of the rods to see if there were any gaps in the material or to see if they 

were welded properly. 

Worker 3 stated that he had worked in the rolling mill. He explained that the rods were sent off 

to another department after they were milled. Ms. Harrison-Maples asked if the rods were sent to 

the other department to see if they needed to be straightened. Worker 3 responded, “Yes. They 

rolled them down to about an inch and a half in diameter. As they rolled the rods, they had to 

leave them set to cool off periodically because they built up heat.” Ms. Harrison-Maples stated 

that NIOSH understands that the rods oxidized as they heated up during the rolling process. She 

asked Worker 3 if that caused a lot of dust during the rolling process. Worker 3 answered that it 

created dust as well as scale and steam. Ms. Harrison-Maples responded that they would talk 

more about the dusty conditions shortly. 

Dr. Glover asked Worker 3 if he specifically recalled rolling uranium in the rolling mill. Worker 

3 recalled that he had rolled uranium. 

Worker 2 commented that the work at Joslyn was part of the Manhattan Project. Worker 3 

responded that the Joslyn worked under that project during World War II but he was not sure 

what the project was called when he started working just before the Korean War. Dr. Glover 

explained that the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) took over the special work of the 

Manhattan Project in 1948. Worker 3 recalled that he worked on the AEC contract in 1950 or 

1951. Dr. Glover explained that the uranium rods were taken to the Hanford facility where they 

were used to produce plutonium. 

Worker 2 stated that after the rods were rolled in the mill, they were sent to the straighteners, and 

then to the centerless grinders. He said that the process created a lot of dust that was inhaled by 

the workers. Worker 1 commented that he had ground a couple bars of uranium but he thought 

that they were used for aircraft. He recalled having to go to a grinder in the shipping area 

because they were short on an order. He was told, “Don’t ruin that. That’s worth $600.” Dr. 

Glover asked if he had used a centerless grinder. Worker 1 responded, “Yes.” Worker 2 

explained that the centerless grinder had coolant running over the uranium to keep it cool and 

that the machine had a tent over it. Worker 1 added, “I know that it shot a lot of fire. It wasn’t 

like stainless steel. There was a lot of fire flying from it. I could pick it up like this – the whole 

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bar.” Worker 2 added, “With cotton gloves!” Dr. Glover commented that workers in the very 

early years of the Manhattan Project were not even given cotton gloves. 

Worker 2 recalled that the company “gave us a meter in the beginning and, after it got full, we 

never saw another one after that.” Dr. Glover asked if he recalled what type of meter he was 

given. Worker 2 responded, “When we were working on the uranium, they gave us a meter. 

When it was filled up, we had to turn it in. After that, we never saw another one.” Ms. HarrisonMaples asked him to describe the meter. Worker 2 responded that he recalled pinning it on his 

clothing. Ms. Harrison-Maples asked if the meter was square and flat. Worker 2 answered, “Yes, 

and it changed colors. It didn’t take very long.” 

[Redacted] asked Worker 2 if he knew that he was making stuff for the atomic bomb. He 

commented that they had asked questions so they knew where it was going. Worker 1 stated that 

they were told not to ask questions. [Redacted] stated that Worker 1 did not know what he was 

working on at the time. 

Worker 2 recalled his experience in the Navy in Okinawa, when the first atomic bomb was 

dropped on Japan. “When I came back and started working at Joslyn, we got caught up in the 

Manhattan Project. They were still grinding the stuff because they didn’t know how many more 

they were going to drop. They wanted enough so that they could make the atomic bomb again if 

they wanted to drop it on something else.” 

Dr. Glover asked Worker 2 if he started working at Joslyn in 1948. Worker 2 responded that he 

started working in 1949. Dr. Glover commented that there was a big push for special materials 

after World War II because the government was very worried about needing more atomic 

weapons. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples asked Worker 2 if he recalled hearing what the film badge results were 

after he turned it in. Worker 2 responded that he had never heard the results. 

Dr. Glover asked if Joslyn Manufacturing supplied work clothing to their employees. The 

attendees responded that they wore their own clothing but the company supplied the cotton 

gloves that they were required to wear to work with the uranium. Dr. Glover told them that 

Simonds Saw and Steel supplied work clothing for its employees but it was only laundered 

weekly so the clothing became laden with uranium during the work week. He asked the former 

workers if the company laundered the clothing that they wore to work. [Redacted] responded that 

she had washed her husband’s work clothes. Worker 1 commented that his wife had lost her 

[redacted] to cancer. Dr. Glover explained that EEOICPA only covers illnesses from the 

workers’ exposures from working at a covered facility. 

Dr. Glover recapped the conversation: Workers at Joslyn wore their own clothing and it was 

probably washed routinely since it was their own. 

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Ms. Harrison-Maples asked if Joslyn had showers or changing facilities for the workers. Worker 

2 responded that there were showers available but he wore his work clothes home afterwards. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples asked the others if they showered at the plant after work. Worker 1 

responded that he did in the summer. Worker 3 stated that he normally did. Worker 1 recalled 

other workers who did, too. 

Dr. Glover asked the workers about eating practices and smoking in the workplace. He related 

that he had seen a labor-management document that said that they provided smoking things at 

every workbench. Dr. Glover asked if the workers routinely ate their lunches as they worked. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples asked if there was a lunchroom. Worker 3 commented that workers were 

permitted to smoke anywhere in the plant. Worker 1 recalled that some guys ate in the shower 

room or wherever they wanted to, or that they might go outside if it was warm. Worker 1 also 

remembered that very few workers ate in their work spaces, but the company allowed them to 

smoke while they worked. 

Dr. Glover asked if Joslyn had a cafeteria for employees. The workers explained that there was 

not a cafeteria but they were paid for their 20-minute lunch break as part of their 8-hour shift. 

Dr. Glover asked the workers if they routinely worked overtime. They responded that there was 

lots of overtime. They also recalled that a routine work week would have been about 48 hours. 

Dr. Glover asked if any of them knew if Joslyn employees worked even more than 48 hours per 

week during the World War II years – between 1943 and the time the attendees began working in 

1948 or 1949. Worker 3 responded that his father had worked seven days a week during the War 

and he sometimes worked eight hours on and eight hours off. Ms. Harrison-Maples asked if 

workers during the earlier years were also rolling steel for the war effort as well as the uranium 

during those years. Worker 3 recalled from his work period was that they rolled the uranium for 

a week and then they were done with it. He stated that during the War, they rolled it for longer 

periods. 

Dr. Glover stated that NIOSH has reviewed records that document that Joslyn rolled about 400 

tons of uranium at Joslyn during World War II. He was not certain how many tons of uranium 

were rolled there in other campaigns between 1948 and 1952. Ms. Harrison-Maples commented 

that she is still looking for information about how much uranium was rolled between 1948 and 

1952 for the Chalk River facility in Canada. She asked the attendees if they remembered hearing 

about uranium that was being sent to Canada during that time frame. There was no audible 

response. Dr. Glover commented that the workers probably would not have been told where the 

shipments were going. 

Dr. Glover asked where the material was kept at Joslyn after it was received. Ms. HarrisonMaples asked if there was a holding area for the material. Worker 3 recalled that the material 

went to the rolling mill after it was received. Dr. Glover clarified that he was asking if the 

uranium was held there until they were ready to work with it. Worker 3 confirmed that it was. 

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Ms. Harrison-Maples asked the attendees if they could show her where it was held on the site 

map. Dr. Glover commented that he wanted to understand where the uranium was stored and if 

there were access controls – in other words, could workers just go wherever they wanted in the 

plant? Worker 1 responded that he had walked into the area where the material was kept many 

times. Dr. Glover commented that it sounded like there were no controls if people could go 

wherever they wanted. 

[Redacted] related a story that she had heard: One worker had been found sleeping under the tarp 

that had covered the material. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples stated that NIOSH has information that the material was received and then 

stored in the billet yard. Worker 3 commented that was probably accurate. Ms. Maples asked the 

workers to show her where the billet yard would have been. 

At this point, the former workers and the NIOSH team carried on at least two concurrent 

discussions as they reviewed maps of the site. Those conversations are summarized by Dr. 

Glover and Ms. Harrison-Maples below. 

The former workers indicated that the material was stored in a stockade with a chain-link fence 

under armed guard that was closer to the railroad track than the area that the NIOSH team had 

thought was the storage area. The workers also indicated that what NIOSH had thought was the 

storage area was actually where the material was weighed. The material was held in the guarded 

storage area until it was transferred to the process area. Dr. Glover commented that access 

controls probably were not “extreme” if a man had been found sleeping under the tarp covering 

the material. 

Dr. Glover asked where the finished uranium rods were stored until they were shipped out. 

Worker 1 recalled that the rods were put into a closed railroad car with an armed guard. Dr. 

Glover commented that the guard had probably been a Pinkerton agent. He asked if any of the 

other workers knew. 

Worker 2 commented that [redacted] had worked on the straightener and had had a reputation for 

doing very high quality work. Dr. Glover asked if [redacted] would have straightened uranium 

rods. Worker 2 responded that he would have straightened anything that was brought to him. 

A brief discussion ensued among the workers regarding claims for former Joslyn workers and 

how many have been compensated. Dr. Glover stated that NIOSH had received18 cases for dose 

reconstruction, and that the DOL had come to Fort Wayne earlier to inform former workers 

about the EEOICPA program. 

Dr. Glover asked about worker movement in the plant: Did the same people always do the 

rolling or did they move around? Were the rolls used exclusively to roll the uranium or were they 

also used to roll steel? 

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Worker 3 responded that they used separate rolls that were only used when they rolled the 

uranium. Worker 1 responded that stainless steel could not be run when they worked with the 

uranium because the metals had to be worked differently. He recalled that there was a lot of fire 

when he ground the uranium rods. Dr. Glover told the attendees that he had ground uranium and 

it could be exciting because you can see the fire when you hit uranium. 

Worker 1 commented that he had not been told what he had been grinding. He was only told to 

be careful with the material. 

Dr. Glover explained that other facilities were cleaned up because there was a lot of metal work 

so the metal tended to mix in with all of the uranium contamination. If a steel facility had special 

facilities where they only worked on the AEC contracts, then they did not get the same “dilution” 

during the cleanup. He explained that it was important to understand the cleaning practices. 

Were the facilities used exclusively for the uranium work or were they used for other metals as 

well? Dr. Glover summarized his understanding that Joslyn had receiving and storage areas and 

also used rolling mills, straighteners, and centerless grinders to work the uranium. NIOSH also 

has records indicating that Joslyn Manufacturing used their straighteners and centerless grinders 

during the earlier years to work on uranium rods that were rolled at other facilities. 

Dr. Glover asked if the rods were ever sent to a cutter after they were straightened and ground. 

Worker 2 responded that the bars were chopped if they were too long. Worker 3 added that 

workers probably used a Cut-O-Matic if it was necessary to cut the rods. He commented that 

cutting the rods also created sparks. 

Dr. Glover asked if the workers used a Medart straightener to straighten the rods. Worker 1 

confirmed that they had. He remembered that [redacted] had done a lot of straightening. 

Dr. Glover summarized the process after the rods left the mills: The rods were straightened, 

ground on a centerless grinder, and then taken to the Cut-O-Matic if they needed to be trimmed. 

Worker 2 added that following all that, the rods were taken to an inspection shop that would have 

been in the building marked “8” (also the process area) on the site map. Worker 3 commented 

that the inspection shop was in “8” after they added on to the mill. 

Dr. Glover corrected his previous statement: The rods were straightened, ground on the 

centerless grinder, taken over to be inspected, and then cut to specifications. He stated that he 

was still uncertain if there was a designated area where the material was stored prior to shipment. 

Would it have gone directly to the railroad cars? Worker 1 responded that [redacted] had told 

him that the rods were taken to covered railcars that were guarded. Ms. Harrison-Maples 

commented that the rods were probably taken directly to the rail yard and shipped out as soon as 

the run was complete because the demand for them was pretty high. 

Dr. Glover stated that NIOSH has AEC reports that list the names and job titles of some of the 

early workers. Ms. Harrison-Maples asked if [redacted] is still living. Worker 1 replied that he 

was not. 

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Dr. Glover stated that they had covered the workers’ activities as well as the fact that there 

seemed to be very few access controls. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples asked Worker 1 to describe what he had meant earlier when he said that 

Joslyn was a dirty place. She asked him if it was a fine dust or if there were a lot of heavy, thick 

pieces. Worker 1 responded, “It was not like steel dust. There was smoke.” Worker 3 recalled 

that the dust was “fine.” The other attendees agreed. 

Dr. Glover asked Worker 3 if the uranium dust also contained a lot of fines (larger particles) 

when he worked with it. Worker 3 responded that he did not work where the rods were ground 

but there was a lot of scale and stuff that they had to sweep up in the rolling mill. Ms. HarrisonMaples asked Worker 3 to tell her about sweeping up the mill. Worker 3 explained that they 

swept the floor and put the dust and scale into five-gallon buckets. Ms. Harrison-Maples asked 

Worker 3 how often workers swept the mill. He recalled that they swept about every half-hour. 

Dr. Glover asked how the billets were heated prior to rolling. He stated that the Simonds Saw 

and Steel facility used a lead bath to get the material up to temperature. Salt baths have also been 

used for that purpose at some facilities. Other facilities heated the material in an oven. Worker 3 

recalled that the billets were heated in the same furnace that was used to heat stainless steel prior 

to rolling. Ms. Harrison-Maples said NIOSH has a memo stating that Joslyn was selected 

because the site had electric furnaces that other facilities did not have. Worker 3 responded that 

he believed that the batch furnaces were heated by gas. Dr. Glover commented that there would 

have been more oxides when the material was heated in a furnace prior to rolling. He explained 

that Simonds Saw and other facilities used lead or salt baths to coat the material, which reduced 

the oxides. Ms. Harrison-Maples added that the use of the baths to produce a coating on the rods 

was likely the result of the work done at Joslyn. 

Dr. Glover summarized the rolling process: Joslyn was a hand-operated mill where the billets 

were taken out of the furnace with tongs and put through a series of different-sized angles and 

other things to reduce the diameter of the rod, which would be cooled periodically as needed. He 

asked how long the process took. Worker 3 responded that it took quite a few passes. 

Dr. Glover asked if they worked on steel plates covering a dirt floor. He stated that Simonds Saw 

had that same type of floor. Worker 3 responded, “Yes.” Dr. Glover explained that uranium dust 

got underneath the steel plates at Simonds Saw and stayed there forever. Although the plant 

closed 20 years ago, when he visited the Lockport, New York facility, he found that the floor is 

still yellow from the uranium oxide that was never cleaned up. Dr. Glover stated that the workers 

at Simonds Saw had washed the floor regularly to keep the dust down. He asked the former 

Joslyn workers if they recalled washing the floor at their facility. Worker 3 did not remember 

ever washing the floor. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples asked if the waste material that they swept up and put into 5-gallon buckets 

was kept for reprocessing or if it was disposed of. Worker 3 responded that perhaps they kept the 

waste material, but he was not certain what they did with it. Ms. Harrison-Maples confirmed her 

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understanding that the workers were only instructed to sweep up the waste and put it into a 

bucket. 

Dr. Glover asked Worker 1 to repeat what he had said earlier about one of his colleagues burning 

the waste materials. Worker 1 stated that [redacted] would go out to burn the grindings once a 

day when the wind died down. 

Dr. Glover referred to a document that describes a burning incident with waste collected at the 

Fort Wayne Transfer (or Transport) Center: a uranium drum in the transfer center got wet and 

blew up. Dr. Glover stated that the document describes the process of placing uranium on a flat 

metal plate and burning it with a torch. 

Dr. Glover asked the attendees if they recalled the process for burning waste at Joslyn. Worker 1 

responded that he was not told how it was done. [Redacted] said that [redacted] had told her that 

the waste was put into cans, taken out back in a wheelbarrow, and burned at night. Worker 1 

added that his coworker would wait until the wind died down and that he would burn it every 

day; but he never said what they did with it. [Redacted] explained that [redacted] initially 

thought that it would burn itself out, and then he found out that someone was actually burning it. 

Worker 3 asked if the material being burned was grindings that they had created at the centerless 

grinder. Worker 1 confirmed this. 

Dr. Glover stated that the waste from the rolling mills tended to be oxides, but the waste from the 

centerless grinders were metal shavings that would catch on fire if it was stored. He agreed that it 

made sense that the waste would be burned every day. 

[Redacted] asked Worker 2 if he put the shavings in the buckets, too. Worker 2 stated that he 

took the buckets out of the mill in a wheelbarrow and threw the waste in a pile on the ground. It 

was always gone when he came in the next day. Dr. Glover asked Worker 2 to point out on the 

site drawing where he threw the shavings. Worker 2 identified an area between the building 

marked “9” and the railroad track. 

Dr. Glover said that he will provide the Army Corps of Engineers with information that may 

assist in the Joslyn clean-up efforts. 

Worker 2 stated that he and Worker 1 spent over 40 years breathing “that stuff.” Worker 3 

commented that they hadn’t even known that they were breathing it. 

Dr. Glover asked Ms. Harrison-Maples when the AEC Health and Safety Lab (HASL) in New 

York came to the rolling mill to take air samples. Ms. Harrison-Maples responded that it was in 

1948. Dr. Glover explained to the former workers that about the time that they started working at 

Joslyn, the group from the HASL came to the site to perform air sampling. He asked if anyone 

remembered white-coated scientists coming out and walking around. There was no audible 

response. 

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Dr. Glover stated that the average air concentration of uranium at the east side 9-inch rolling mill 

was 25,700 dpm/m3 and the limit was 50. He asked for someone to point out the east side of the 

rolling mill on the site drawing, and maybe explain why it was so bad. 

Dr. Glover pointed out the 9-inch rolling mill on the drawing labeled Joslyn Rolling Mill Layout 

that included air concentrations from the survey. He pointed out the drive source, the 9-inch 

rolling mill, and the feed-put on the 9-inch rolling mill where the air concentration was the 

highest (25,700 dpm/m3). Worker 3 stated that he only remembered working on the 18-inch 

rolling mill. 

Dr. Glover asked Ms. Harrison-Maples about the date of the site survey diagram. Ms. HarrisonMaples stated that there were surveys in 1948 and 1952, and another in the 1970s or 1980s. After 

some discussion, Dr. Glover, Ms. Harrison-Maples, and Mr. Barton determined that the map is 

from the 1952 survey. Dr. Glover explained to the workers that the Safety Lab actually came to 

the mill and took breathing zone samples. Worker 2 commented that 1952 would have been at 

the end of the uranium work. Dr. Glover asked if the workers would have been feeding the mill 

from the east side and if that would have exposed them to extra fumes. Worker 3 stated that the 

lower pass was made on the east side so the worker would have been bent over. Worker 2 added 

that there would be someone on each side of the roll. 

Dr. Glover asked if the same people always did that job. Ms. Harrison-Maples asked if they 

“spelled” each other. Worker 3 confirmed that the workers on the mill were “spelled” every 45 

minutes. Worker 3 stated that he had not worked on the 9-inch mill because he didn’t have the 

seniority. He did not recall that uranium was ever rolled on the 9-inch mill. Dr. Glover stated that 

uranium definitely had been rolled on the 9-inch mill. 

There was some discussion between the former workers about the diameter of the bars and the 

proper treatment of the bars to avoid fire. Worker 1 pointed out that stainless steel was not as 

sensitive. Dr. Glover asked if they recalled having spontaneous fires or if the residue or coolant 

ever caught fire. Worker 2 stated that the coolant was running over the material at the centerless 

grinder at all times. He added that the fines and coolant would collect into a big pan under the 

grinder. When the pan was full, they would shut down the machine, pull the catch pan out, put it 

in a wheelbarrow, and take it out. Ms. Harrison-Maples asked how often the coolant was taken 

out. Worker 1 stated that it was taken out when it was full, maybe every two or three days. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples asked if they remembered any big fires. Worker 2 indicated that [redacted] 

would have more information because he was there before 1949. He reiterated that he only took 

the waste out in the wheelbarrow and it was gone the next day. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples asked the attendees to confirm that the workers did not remember any fires 

other than the waste burning. She asked if there were any other incidents they wanted to discuss. 

There was no audible response. 

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At this point, the meeting recessed for approximately ten minutes. 

Dr. Glover reconvened the meeting. He asked if the workers if they recalled pickling the steel at 

Joslyn. Worker 3 responded that there was a pickling yard on site. Dr. Glover asked if they 

recalled pickling the uranium as well. After some discussion, the workers agreed that they did 

not recall if the uranium was pickled. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples revisited the topic of engineering controls. She asked about the tents over 

the mills, the gratings over the floors to keep the dust down, and ventilation. Worker 2 responded 

that they had vents in processing. Worker 3 stated that there was a tent that came down over the 

mill. Worker 1 and Worker 2 added that there were steel grates over the floors at the centerless 

grinders. Worker 3 added that the floor around the rolling mills was covered with stainless steel 

plates. 

Dr. Glover asked if there was a hood that came down over the rolling mill. Worker 3 responded 

that it was more like a canvas tent that came down to about the height of the rolling mill with 

fans pulling the air out. Dr. Glover asked if the tent had always been there when they rolled steel. 

Worker 3 stated that the tent was put up especially for the uranium work. 

Worker 2 stated that they also put a tent over the centerless grinders. He added that when it was 

cold, other workers would also get in the tent to get warm. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples asked which area had the grated floors. Worker 1 stated that there were 

steel grates around the grinders but not around the rolling mills. Worker 3 reiterated that there 

were steel plates around the rolling mills. Worker 1 stated that the workers occasionally lifted up 

the grates so they could sweep the floor. 

Dr. Glover asked how they collected the grinding chips that were taken out back. Worker 2 

stated that the chips would not have been underneath the grates. The chips fell into a collection 

bin directly underneath the grinder. When the bin was full, he would remove it from the 

machine, take them outside, and leave them on the ground. The chips were gone the next day. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples asked the former workers if they recalled any special medical testing such 

as annual chest x-rays or urinalysis. Worker 1 did not remember any special testing. Worker 3 

stated that everyone had a physical before they started working at the plant. Worker 3 recalled 

that people who worked with uranium were required to have physicals every year at a doctor’s 

office. Worker 2 remembered that an X-ray machine was brought on site for chest x-rays, but 

only for a short time. Dr. Glover commented that the X-ray unit may have been a 

photofluorographic machine considering the time period for the contract. 

Dr. Glover explained that NIOSH’s lawyers have ruled that all elements of the worker’s 

radiation dose must be confined within the physical boundaries of the site to be used in the dose 

reconstruction. NIOSH can include medical X-rays in the worker’s dose only if they were done 

at the facility. If NIOSH has clear documentation that the X-rays were done offsite, then they 

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cannot be included in the worker’s radiation dose. If it is unclear if the X-rays were done onsite, 

NIOSH assumes that they were. NIOSH will only add dose from medical X-rays when 

calculating Joslyn workers’ radiation doses if the X-rays were done on site at Joslyn. 

Worker 3 recalled that a portable X-ray truck had been brought onsite to screen workers for 

tuberculosis; but the screenings were probably discontinued in the late 1950s. Ms. HarrisonMaples thanked them for their input. 

Dr. Glover asked for confirmation that there were no physical means to keep workers from going 

into other parts of the plant. There was no audible response. Dr. Glover asked if they were 

required to wear respirators. There was no audible response. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples asked the attendees if they had any questions about the SEC. When asked, 

she explained that “SEC” stands for Special Exposure Cohort. She explained how the SEC 

petition is used when there is not enough information to reconstruct the radiation dose. She stated 

that a petition has been filed to add Joslyn to the SEC. If it is found that there is not enough 

information to reconstruct radiation doses for the entire petition class, then that class will be 

added to the SEC and it will be assumed that the workers’ workplace radiation exposures 

contributed to their cancer if they have one of the 22 specified cancers. Dr. Glover explained that 

it essentially speeds the process up because the dose reconstructions are not done for those 

workers who meet the definition by law and they are automatically compensated by DOL. He 

added that if a worker does not have one of the 22 cancers, NIOSH will do the best they can to 

reconstruct the person’s radiation dose. 

[Redacted] asked about the 22 cancers. Dr. Glover responded that there is a list but it does not 

include prostate and skin cancers. Ms. Elliott offered to print the list of 22 cancers for 

distribution after the meeting and provided contact information for Josh Kinman, the NIOSH 

Special Exposure Cohort Petition Counselor. She explained that Mr. Kinman can answer general 

questions about the petition, about the SEC process, and about the dose reconstruction process. 

Worker 3 asked if there is a length of time you are required to have worked at the site to be 

eligible. Dr. Glover explained that for dose reconstruction, there is not; but for the SEC, it is 

typically one year or 250 work days. Ms. Harrison-Maples added that if somebody worked at the 

site for 6 months and worked at another SEC site for 6 months, he would also qualify. Dr. Glover 

stated that some facilities that worked overtime were able to include that in their calculation, 

shortening the required number of work days. 

Ms. Harrison-Maples assured the attendees that the SEC process is set up to try to include people 

rather than exclude them. She explained that when she asked them if they wore respirators, it was 

only to determine their exposures because NIOSH does not take into consideration whether 

workers wore respirators when calculating their radiation doses. Dr. Glover gave another 

example: some workers wore respirators at Simonds Saw and Steel and others did not, so the 

urinalysis program may not have been given them “the real answer.” 

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An unidentified attendee asked if a worker whose claim had been denied can apply again if he 

gets another cancer. Ms. Harrison-Maples responded that a worker can apply again. Dr. Glover 

explained that the medical benefits go back to the date that the claim is filed. He stressed that 

people should list every cancer they have had. For instance, if a worker has had 25 skin cancers, 

they need to include every one because a dose reconstruction is done for every cancer. 

Another attendee commented that she had read that a worker can be compensated under Part E if 

they had lost use of part of the body – for example, if part of the colon was removed. Dr. Glover 

explained that NIOSH deals only with Part B while DOL administers Part E for workers at DOE 

facilities. Dr. Glover further explained that the Atomic Weapons Employers (AWEs) such as 

Joslyn are not government-owned facilities, so the law treats them differently. AWE workers 

cannot file Part E claims. Dr. Glover added that Part E looks at chemicals as well as radiation, 

while NIOSH looks only at radiation. Mr. Lewis noted that colon cancer is one of the 22 covered 

cancers. 

Mr. Lewis asked the attendees to contact him if they knew of other workers from the SEC time 

period who might have something important to tell NIOSH about their work at Joslyn. 

Dr. Glover explained that workers from Joslyn manufacturing after 1952 are also covered under 

EEOICPA because there is a residual contamination period. Ms. Harrison-Maples stated the 

residual contamination period extends past the end of the uranium operations contract period in 

1952 through 2006; NIOSH still does a modified dose reconstruction for those workers. 

Dr. Glover asked the attendees if Joslyn Manufacturing continued to use the uranium processing 

facilities for rolling stainless steel after the uranium contract, or were those facilities roped off 

and no longer used. Worker 3 referred to a newspaper article that said that the new owner wanted 

to build on the property and that some areas had been roped off because they were still 

contaminated with radiation. Worker 2 added that none of the areas that the article said are 

contaminated now were roped off when he worked at Joslyn. [Redacted] stated that there is 

information on the Internet that states that no schools, playgrounds, or houses will ever be built 

there because the government now owns the property and it will never be used again. Dr. Glover 

confirmed that there is still radioactive contamination at the Joslyn property. The Army Corps of 

Engineers is still working on the cleanup plan. They have taken measurements and roped off 

contaminated areas. Dr. Glover added that he was planning to tour the facility. Worker 1 

commented that he had toured the site for [redacted] years. 

Dr. Glover expressed his appreciation to the attendees for taking the time to meet with NIOSH 

and asked Mr. Barton if he had any questions. 

Mr. Barton asked Worker 2, “You mentioned that you wore a meter and said that you handed it 

in after it “filled up” and changed colors. Would you say that happened just once while you were 

there?” Worker 2 responded, “Just once and that was it.” Ms. Harrison-Maples asked if 

everybody got one when they started working. Worker 2 responded that he did not remember. 

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Dr. Glover thanked the workers for giving their input about their work experiences at Joslyn 

Manufacturing. He adjourned the meeting at 11:30 a.m. 

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