DOL to NIOSH and back to DOL 

 

 

 

Detailed Steps in the 

Dose Reconstruction 

Process under the Act 

 

 

Energy Employees 

Occupational Illness 

Compensation Program Act 
Step 1: DOL receives a claim filed 

under the Energy Employees 

Occupational Illness Compensation 

Program Act (the Act) from either an 

energy worker or a survivor of an 

energy worker. DOL then processes 

and reviews the claim to determine if 

it qualifies for further evaluation. 

NOTE: If the claim does not qualify for 

further evaluation, then DOL will 

inform the energy worker or the 

survivor.

 

Step 2a: If the claim does qualify for 

further evaluation AND the energy 

worker was a) possibly exposed to 

radiation and b) has been diagnosed 

with cancer, then DOL sends the 

claim to NIOSH for dose 

reconstruction. 

 

Step 2b: If the claim does qualify for 

further evaluation, but the energy 

worker has not been diagnosed with 

cancer or have possible workplace 

exposure to radiation, then DOL is 

responsible for completing the claim. 

- 2 - 
Claims are with NIOSH for Steps 

3 thru 14 

Step 3: NIOSH receives the claim 

from DOL, enters the energy worker’s 

information into a tracking database, 

and assigns the claim a NIOSH 

tracking number. At this point, 

communication between NIOSH and 

the claimant (person who filed the 

claim—energy worker or survivor) 

begins. 

Step 4: The claimant receives a 

packet of information from NIOSH 

explaining that NIOSH has received 

his/her claim from DOL for dose 

reconstruction. This packet includes 

information about the dose 

reconstruction process. 

Step 5: NIOSH begins gathering the 

information needed to complete the 

dose reconstruction. 

NOTE: Step 5 begins at the same time 

as step 4 and continues as steps 6-9 

occur in the dose reconstruction 

process.

- 3 - 
Claims are with NIOSH for Steps 

3 thru 14 

Step 6: The claimant receives a letter 

from Oak Ridge Associated 

Universities (ORAU—a NIOSH 

contractor) requesting a voluntary

telephone interview. This letter 

includes a list of questions that will be 

discussed during the interview, if the 

claimant chooses to participate. 

Step 7: Voluntary Phone Interview– 

The claimant will have an opportunity 

to provide NIOSH with any information 

that may be relevant to the claim. 

The information provided in this 

interview could be useful to NIOSH 

when completing the dose 

reconstruction. 

Step 8: If the claimant participates in 

the voluntary telephone interview, 

then he/she receives a summary 

report of the interview from ORAU. 

After receiving this report, the 

claimant has the opportunity to revise 

the information and provide NIOSH 

with any additional documents or 

information that he/she feels may 

help in the dose reconstruction. 

- 4 - 
Claims are with NIOSH for Steps 

3 thru 14 

Step 9: The claimant receives a 

“Conflict of Interest” letter. This letter 

explains that the claim will not be 

assigned to either a health physicist 

who has worked at the same facility 

as the energy worker or a health 

physicist whom the claimant feels 

may be conflicted in completing the 

dose reconstruction. 

Step 10: The claim is assigned to a 

health physicist for dose 

reconstruction. Before completing 

the dose reconstruction, the health 

physicist reviews the full case file, 

including employment and cancer 

information, personal radiation 

exposure data, worksite information, 

and anything available from the 

telephone interview. The health 

physicist completes the claimant’s 

dose reconstruction. 

Step 11: The claimant receives the 

following information from NIOSH 

after the dose reconstruction is 

complete: 

(Step 11 is continued on the next column) 

- 5 - 
Claims are with NIOSH for Steps 

3 thru 14 

Step 11 (continued from previous 

column): 

A: Draft Dose Reconstruction Report– 

A detailed account of how the dose 

reconstruction was completed. This 

report includes the amount of 

radiation the energy worker likely 

received while working at a DOE or 

AWE facility during a period of 

covered employment. 

 

B. OCAS-1 Form– A form that the 

claimant must sign and return to 

NIOSH confirming that there is no 

additional information to share with 

NIOSH that might be relevant to the 

energy worker’s dose reconstruction. 

Step 12: Closing Interview– 

The claimant has an opportunity to 

discuss the draft dose reconstruction 

report with a health physicist. It is 

also an opportunity for the claimant to 

provide NIOSH with additional 

information that may be relevant to 

the dose reconstruction. 

- 6 - 
Claims are with NIOSH for Steps 

3 thru 14 

Step 13: The claimant signs and 

returns the OCAS-1 Form to NIOSH. 

Signing and returning the OCAS-1 

Form only means that the claimant 

does not have any more information 

to share with NIOSH that might be 

relevant to the dose reconstruction. It 

does not mean that the claimant 

agrees or disagrees with the results of 

the dose reconstruction. 

If the claimant does not sign and 

return the OCAS-1 Form to NIOSH, 

then the final dose reconstruction 

report cannot be mailed to DOL for a 

compensation decision. 

NOTE: If changes occur to the dose 

reconstruction, then the claimant will 

receive a revised dose reconstruction 

report and new OCAS-1 Form to sign. 

Step 14: NIOSH sends the final dose 

reconstruction report to DOL and the 

claimant once NIOSH receives the 

signed OCAS-1 Form. 

 (See reverse side for Steps 15 & 16)

- 7 - 
 

Step 15: DOL receives the final dose 

reconstruction report from NIOSH and 

uses the results of the dose 

reconstruction to determine if the 

energy worker’s cancer was “at least 

as likely as not” caused by workplace 

exposure to radiation. DOL then 

provides the claimant with a 

recommended decision for whether 

the claim should be compensated. 

In other words, DOL recommends that 

the claimant receive compensation 

if there is at least a 50% possibility 

that the energy worker’s cancer was 

caused by workplace exposure to 

radiation. 

Step 16: DOL offers the claimant an 

opportunity to request an 

“administrative review.” Once this 

review is complete, DOL issues the 

claimant a final compensation 

decision. 

For more information about the dose 

reconstruction process under the Act, 

contact NIOSH. 

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

Toll-free: 1-800-356-4674 

Direct: 513-533-6800 

Email: ocas@cdc.gov 

- 8 -