The Defense Authorization Act of 1993 mandates that the Department of Energy "carry out a program for the identification and ongoing medical evaluation of current and former DOE employees who are subject to significant health risks as a result of exposure of such employees to hazardous or radioactive substances during such employment". Presently there are programs evaluating former workers from eleven DOE facilities. The early success of this program supported the enactment of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000. It provides compensation to employees of the Department of Energy, its contractors and subcontractors, companies that provided beryllium to the Department of Energy, and atomic weapons employers. Covered employees are eligible for program benefits and include those who have beryllium disease, silicosis, or cancer caused by radiation. The Act also provides that the Department of Energy assists workers with other occupational illnesses with filing state workers' compensation claims.
This session will present the findings of over 4000 medical examinations of former USDOE workers. Interstitial lung disease associated with beryllium sensitization, and/or asbestos and silica exposure, noise induced hearing loss, and obstructive lung disease are prominent findings in the population screened thus far. Relationships with workplace exposures and relevance to current workers in the USDOE weapons facilities along with the initial response from the compensation program will be discussed.
Learning Objectives: NA
Keywords: Federal Initiatives, Surveillance