Opinion ID: 2814833
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Hypothetical to the VE

Text: Bainbridge’s final argument is that the dispositive hypothetical question the ALJ posed to the VE (which mirrored the ALJ’s RFC finding) should have included (1) a limitation regarding exposure to air conditioning and (2) a restriction to only occasional reaching and handling. When Bainbridge’s attorney posed these additional limitations to the VE at the hearing, the VE said a person limited to sedentary, unskilled jobs such as those the ALJ ultimately relied on for her step-five finding (again, cutter/paster, document preparer, and surveillance system monitor) would have no ability to adjust air conditioning or to move further away from a vent. The VE also said that the manipulative limitations would exclude the cutter/paster and document-preparer jobs but not surveillance system monitor. If a hypothetical question does not precisely relate all of a claimant’s impairments, the testimony it elicits cannot be considered substantial evidence in support of an ALJ’s decision. Hargis v. Sullivan, 945 F.2d 1482, 1492 (10th Cir. - 12 - 1991). However, a hypothetical question must contain “only . . . those impairments borne out by the evidentiary record.” Bean v. Chater, 77 F.3d 1210, 1214 (10th Cir. 1995). Here, the only evidence that air conditioning aggravated Bainbridge’s respiratory symptoms is the testimony he and his wife gave at the hearing and a note from Dr. Bates, dated after the ALJ’s decision and submitted to the Appeals Council, stating that the symptoms of Bainbridge’s respiratory condition, which had “been present since early 2010,” are “worse in cool, dry environments” and therefore “it would be extremely difficult for him to perform any type of job in an air conditioned environment without making this condition worse.” Aplt. App. at 437.5 Bainbridge twice reported that “cold air” or “cold weather” triggered his cough. Id. at 305 (reporting “cold air” to Dr. Bates); id. at 350 (reporting “cold weather” to a consulting examiner). But there are no record references to Bainbridge complaining that air conditioning—as opposed to the vague references to “cold air” or “cold weather,” each of which suggests something more extreme than the level of coolness typically associated with air conditioning—aggravated his condition. Nor did any medical source except Dr. Bates opine that he should not be exposed to air conditioning. Further, the hypothetical asked the VE to assume a person who must avoid “even moderate exposure to non-weather related extreme temperatures of both cold and heat,” id. at 96, which appears reasonably calculated to accommodate the 5 Because the Appeals Council considered Dr. Bates’s post-decision letter but concluded it did not affect the outcome, we examine it as part of the record. See Martinez v. Barnhart, 444 F.3d 1201, 1208 (10th Cir. 2006). - 13 - limited credence the ALJ gave to Bainbridge’s testimony about his need to avoid air conditioning. Accordingly, we see no error in omitting a specific air-conditioning restriction from the dispositive hypothetical. We need not resolve whether the ALJ should have included the additional manipulative limitations because, even if she should have, the error was harmless. We may hold an ALJ’s error harmless “where, based on material the ALJ did at least consider (just not properly), we could confidently say that no reasonable administrative factfinder, following the correct analysis, could have resolved the factual matter in any other way.” Allen v. Barnhart, 357 F.3d 1140, 1145 (10th Cir. 2004). The VE testified that the additional manipulative limitations would not preclude work as a surveillance system monitor and stated that there were 20,000 such jobs in Colorado and 500,000 such jobs nationally. The relevant test in a disability case is whether there is a significant number of jobs in the regional or national economy. Raymond v. Astrue, 621 F.3d 1269, 1274 n.2 (10th Cir. 2009). Excluding the cutter/paster and document-preparer jobs leaves 500,000 surveillance-system-monitor jobs in the national economy. Any reasonable trier of fact would be compelled to conclude that 500,000 is a significant number of jobs for purposes of a step-five determination. See id. at 1274 (recognizing that this court has considered 152,000 jobs in the national economy to be legally significant). - 14 -