5130.0: Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - 12:45 PM

Abstract #30980

Report on the US DOE Medical Monitoring Program for Construction Workers

Welch Laura, MD, FACP, FACOEM and welch laura, MD, FACP, FACOEM. Director, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Washington Hospital Center, Washington Hospital Center, 100 Irving Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010-3975, 202-877-5466, lxw6@mhg.edu

Construction workers spent numerous person-hours building, repairing and maintaining the DOE facilities. We will present the results of examinations of over 1500 such workers from three locations, with an emphasis on beryllium sensitivity, occupational lung disease, and hearing loss. We will discuss the unique challenges of cohort identification and exposure assessment in this group of workers, including the challenge of assessment of radiation exposure. Finally, we will present the ways we propose to integrate the construction workers into the new compensation program established by the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000.

Learning Objectives: None

Keywords: Occupational Health Programs, Occupational Disease

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
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.

The 129th Annual Meeting of APHA