The Former Workers Program at Los Alamos National Laboratory, one site of the Manhattan Project, is a two-phase program. Phase I was a one year Needs Assessment to determine if there was a need for a medical screening program. Investigators collected information on: exposure, potential health impacts from exposure, size of exposed populations, former workers=concerns, and potential severity of the adverse health outcomes. Recommendations for screening were based on these factors and the availability of adequate screening tests and reliable prevention interventions. The following six exposure categories were initially recommended: asbestos, beryllium, chlorinated solvents, lead, noise, and radiation.
Phase II began in August 1999 and will develop and implement the medical screening program. After a vital status update of the cohort, the target population potentially eligible for screening is approximately 38,000 former workers and includes scientists, technicians, and support staff who were employed by the University of California, and building and construction trade union workers who were employed by the primary subcontractor.
The program will recruit and screen about 3,200 former workers who worked at LANL between 1943 and the present. In year one, selection will be based on job titles with a high probability of exposure to one or more of the agents listed above. A free health exam with testing or a review of selected medical records will be offered to these former workers.
This presentation will summarize the Needs Assessment, findings from the first year of screening, and plans for recruiting and screening in subsequent years.
Learning Objectives: na
Keywords: Surveillance,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: USDOE
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.