Glossary of 

Terms 

This booklet contains terms commonly used 

in the Energy Employees Occupational 

Illness Compensation Program. 

Department of Health and Human Services 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
For more information about the Energy Employees 

Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act, or the 

NIOSH dose reconstruction program, please contact NIOSH. 

Web Site: www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas 

Toll-Free: 1-800-356-4674 

Direct: 513-533-6800 

Email: ocas@cdc.gov 

Developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

Office of Compensation Analysis and Support (OCAS) 

December 2006 

Photos featured on the front cover of this booklet are 

courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy 

- 2 - 
Compensation Program, you will likely hear the terms listed in this booklet. 

Commonly used words, phrases, or acronyms are in bold and a brief 

explanation follows. The terms are listed in alphabetical order. 

Act— The law that established a compensation program for energy workers who became ill 

from exposure to radiation, beryllium, silica, or other toxic substances while working for the 

Department of Energy or some of its contractors and subcontractors. The official name of the 

law is the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000. It 

was passed in December of 2000. 

Activity Report— A report sent to claimants undergoing dose reconstruction with NIOSH. 

The report includes claim status information and is mailed in January and July. 

Administratively Closed— The closure of a claim by the National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health (NIOSH) or the Department of Labor (DOL) before a compensation 

decision is made by DOL. For example, a claim could be administratively closed if the 

claimant does not sign and return the OCAS-1 Form to NIOSH within 60 days of receiving it. 

In this example, the claim can be reopened once the form is signed and returned. 

Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (the Board)— A Federal advisory 

committee established under the Act. The Board was appointed by the President of the 

United States to advise the Department of Health and Human Services and NIOSH on their 

activities conducted under the Act. The Board advises NIOSH on dose reconstructions and 

Special Exposure Cohort petitions. 

“At least as likely as not”— The legal phrase used under the Act to indicate whether a 

claimant will receive compensation. It is used to state whether an energy worker’s cancer 

was likely caused by his/her workplace exposure to radiation. Example: “An energy worker’s 

cancer is ‘at least as likely as not’ caused by his/her workplace radiation exposure.” This 

means that there is at least a 50% possibility that the worker’s cancer was caused by 

radiation exposure while working at a covered nuclear facility. 

- 3 - 
than the United States government, that: (1) processed or produced material that released 

radiation and was used in the production of an atomic weapon for the United States, 

excluding uranium mining and milling; and (2) is designated by the Secretary of Energy as an 

atomic weapons employer for purposes of the Act. 

CATI— Computer Assisted Telephone Interview. A voluntary telephone interview conducted 

before the dose reconstruction begins. The interview provides the claimant with an 

opportunity to share any information he/she thinks might be relevant to the dose 

reconstruction (i.e., experiences that may have resulted in radiation exposure). Prior to the 

interview, the claimant receives a packet of information from Oak Ridge Associated 

Universities (ORAU). This packet includes a list of interview questions to help the claimant 

prepare. 

Claimant— An individual who filed a claim and is seeking compensation under the Act; either 

an energy worker or a survivor of an energy worker. 

Claimant Favorable Assumptions— Refers to the dose reconstruction procedures used by 

NIOSH in cases where scientific information is lacking or unavailable and a decision is 

needed on how to handle this missing information. Claimant favorable assumptions indicates 

that the higher radiation dose values are given to the energy worker when the scientific 

information shows a variety of values that are equally possible. 

Closeout Interview— A scheduled interview conducted by ORAU after the claimant receives 

a copy of the draft dose reconstruction report. The purpose of the interview is to review the 

draft report. It is also an opportunity for the claimant to provide any additional relevant 

information that may affect the dose reconstruction or indicate that he/she is in the process of 

obtaining such information. 

DOE— Department of Energy. Under the Act, DOE is the Federal agency responsible for 

providing exposure monitoring records to DOL and NIOSH. These records are used as a 

starting point to help determine the amount of radiation an energy worker likely received in 

the workplace. DOE also identifies and recommends to DOL which nuclear facilities should 

be covered under the Act. 

 

- 4 - 
overseeing the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program and making 

all compensation decisions. DOL processes and reviews each claim to determine if it meets 

the requirements for further evaluation. If the energy worker meets the requirements and

was diagnosed with cancer, then DOL sends the claim to NIOSH for dose reconstruction. 

Dose Reconstruction (DR)— The scientific method NIOSH uses under the Act to determine 

the amount (dose) of radiation an energy worker likely received while working at a DOE or 

AWE facility. DOL uses the dose reconstruction results to determine whether the energy 

worker’s cancer was “at least as likely as not” caused by workplace exposure to radiation and 

therefore, whether the claim should be compensated. Dose reconstruction began in the late 

1970s and is a widely accepted practice used within the expert scientific community. 

EEOICPA— Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000. 

This law was passed in December of 2000. It is intended to compensate energy workers, or 

their survivors, who became ill from workplace exposures to radiation, beryllium, silica, or 

other toxic substances and worked at designated DOE or AWE facilities involved in nuclear 

weapons production activities. DOL oversees the entire compensation program (Part B and 

Part E) and makes all compensation decisions. This law is also referred to as the Act. 

Final Adjudication— A legal term used under the Act when referring to the final 

compensation decision for a claim. All final compensation decisions are made by DOL.

Health Physicist (HP)— An expert in the areas of radiation protection and the health effects 

of radiation exposure. Health physicists conduct dose reconstructions as part of this 

compensation program. 

NIOSH— National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Under the Act, NIOSH is the 

Federal agency responsible for conducting dose reconstructions for energy workers who 

have developed cancer, possibly as a result of radiation exposure they received while 

conducting nuclear weapons production activities at certain DOE or AWE facilities. NIOSH is 

also responsible for evaluating petitions that are filed by persons seeking to become part of 

the Special Exposure Cohort. NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention; Department of Health and Human Services. 

OCAS— Office of Compensation Analysis and Support. The office within NIOSH that is 

responsible for conducting dose reconstructions, handling Special Exposure Cohort 

petitions, and managing the overall dose reconstruction program. 

- 5 - 
report. Claimants must sign and return this form to NIOSH before the final dose 

reconstruction report can be sent to DOL for a compensation decision. The claimant has 60 

days from the time he/she receives the form to sign and return it to NIOSH. Otherwise, 

NIOSH may administratively close the case. Signing this form does not mean that the 

claimant agrees or disagrees with the results of the dose reconstruction. It only confirms that 

the claimant does not have any additional information to share with NIOSH at the time the 

form is signed. The OCAS-1 Form is titled, “Statement by the Claimant Closing the Record 

on a Dose Reconstruction Under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness 

Compensation Program Act.” 

ORAU— Oak Ridge Associated Universities. An independent contractor working with NIOSH 

to collect exposure records from DOE, complete dose reconstructions, conduct telephone 

interviews, and assist in Special Exposure Cohort petition evaluations under Part B of the 

Act. 

Part B— Under the Act, Part B covers illnesses from workplace exposure to radiation, 

beryllium, and silica. Under Part B, NIOSH is responsible for conducting dose 

reconstructions for energy workers who were possibly exposed to radiation at work and 

developed cancer. Under Part B, DOL is responsible for cases involving energy workers who 

possibly developed illnesses from workplace exposure to beryllium and silica. 

Part E— Under the Act, Part E covers illnesses from workplace exposure to any toxic 

substance. DOL is responsible for all claims filed under Part E. 

Period of Covered Employment— A phrase used under the Act that refers to the years of 

employment eligible for evaluation. Facilities and time periods covered by the Act are 

designated by DOE and DOL based on the activities conducted at each nuclear facility. 

Primary Cancer— A cancer diagnosed at the place in the body where it began. The cancer 

is often named after that area of the body and is used when completing the dose 

reconstruction. 

Probability of Causation (POC)— The likelihood (expressed as a percentage between 0% 

and 100%) that an energy worker’s cancer was caused by workplace exposure to radiation. 

DOL uses the completed dose reconstruction to determine the claimant’s POC percentage, 

which is then used to determine whether the claim qualifies for compensation. 

- 6 - 
primary roles of a Public Health Advisor are to manage the progress of claims, respond to 

claimant questions, comments, or concerns, and make any necessary contact with DOL 

about a claim while it is with NIOSH. 

Secondary Cancer— A cancer that spreads from its origin to another area of the body. 

Site Profile— A document that contains information about a facility’s general activities and 

radiation protection practices (i.e., frequency of badge exchange, types of radiation exposure 

monitored, medical exposure information). Site Profiles may be used by NIOSH when 

completing dose reconstructions to further understand or add to the personal exposure 

information for a particular claim; however, they are not always required to complete a dose 

reconstruction. Site Profiles are “living documents” and can be updated at any time as 

relevant information becomes available. If a Site Profile is revised at any time, previous 

non-compensable dose reconstructions will be reviewed to see if the revision affects the 

outcome of the claim. If it does affect the outcome, the dose reconstruction will be revised. 

Special Exposure Cohort (SEC)— A group of energy workers who do not undergo dose 

reconstruction because they meet specific criteria outlined in the Act: a) have at least one of 

22 specified cancers, b) worked at a facility covered under the Cohort, and c) worked for a 

specified amount of time. Workers may be added to the SEC if it is determined that 1) they 

were likely exposed to radiation at a nuclear facility, but it is not possible to estimate the 

amount of radiation the workers received with sufficient accuracy, and 2) there is a 

reasonable likelihood that the amount of radiation they received may have endangered their 

health. DOL determines whether an individual qualifies for compensation as part of the SEC. 

Special Exposure Cohort Petition Counselor— A specific individual at NIOSH responsible 

for providing advice to individuals interested in submitting an SEC petition. The SEC 

Counselor will assist petitioners in understanding the development, submission, qualification, 

evaluation, and the Board’s deliberation processes that their petition will undergo. If you are 

interested in filing an SEC petition or have questions about the petitioning process, contact 

the Counselor toll-free at 1-800-356-4674; directly at 513-533-6800; or email ocas@cdc.gov.

Tracking Number— A number assigned to a claim that allows NIOSH to easily access and 

follow each claim as it moves through the dose reconstruction process. Tracking numbers 

are assigned in the order NIOSH receives the claim from DOL. 

- 7 -