This presentation will describe the medical findings of latent noise induced hearing loss and asbestos and beryllium related pulmonary disease surveillance, and discuss the predominant workplace hazards at the Hanford site, a USDOE plutonium production facility. Preliminary findings from over 3000 Occupational Health Surveys from members of this workforce will be discussed. Noise, gamma radiation, chlorinated solvents, asbestos, plutonium and beryllium exposures are significant hazards at the site. Most previous studies of Hanford workers have focused on external penetrating radiation rather than exposures to radionuclides and other hazards. We will discuss some of the reasons why internal radionuclide contamination has received less attention than external radiation and review problems related to detection limits, recording practices, identification of specific radionuclides, and dose imation methods. Analyses of job exposure matrix and medical outcomes will be presented along with workers compensation information. These data will contribute to the discussion of future surveillance and compensation needs for the USDOE worker population.
Learning Objectives: Learning objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant will be able to: 1) Describe the primary exposure hazards at this large USDOE nuclear weapons production facility 2) Evaluate the initial findings of medical screening for noise induced hearing loss, beryllium sensitization and disease, and asbestos related 3) Discuss the implications from the first two and one half years of the screening program for former workers in DOE vv. workers’ compensation and ongoing surveillance
Keywords: Occupational Disease, Occupational Exposure
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.