NIOSH Testimony on the Safety of Nuclear Facility Workers by P. J. Bierbaum, April 22, 1985.

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  This testimony concerned NIOSH activities related to the health and safety of workers employed at nuclear facilities. Three NIOSH studies were noted, including an evaluation in progress at the Feed Materials Production Center in Fernald, Ohio, a study of radiation exposure at the Goodyear Atomic Corporation (GAC) in Piketon, Ohio, and a study of deaths from cancer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. In the first study the union representatives at the FMPC had several health and safety issues that they wanted NIOSH to evaluate. However, the necessary information has not been forwarded by the company so that these matters could be examined. Additional requests have been made by the union at this facility in relation to reported uranium (7440611) releases from the site. NIOSH recommended that all potentially exposed workers undergo bioassay testing to determine lung burdens of uranium. Efforts along these lines were continuing. At GAC workers requested an evaluation by NIOSH particularly because of exposure to radiation from uranium-hexafluoride (7783815). Total mortality for radiation workers was significantly below that expected, including cancer deaths, even those from leukemia. Total mortality for nonradiation exposed workers indicated an increase in the number of deaths due to leukemia. In a further study a significantly increased risk for workers whose cumulative lifetime exposure was at least 1.00 rem was noted for malignancies of the trachea, bronchus, or lung.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Asbestos Automobiles Dust Inorganic Chemicals Neoplasms Occupational Health Respiratory Protective Devices Safety
• Keywords:
  Bierbaum-P-J Cancer-rates Carcinogenesis Epidemiology Mortality-rates NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Testimony Nuclear-reactors Pulmonary-system-disorders Radiation-exposure Risk-analysis

  More +
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Testimony
• Place as Subject:
  Maine ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-15
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00193554
• Citation:
  NIOSH 1985 Apr; :1-15
• CAS Registry Number:
  Uranium (CAS RN 7440-61-1) ; Uranium hexafluoride (CAS RN 7783-81-5)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1985
• NORA Priority Area:
  Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ; Disease and Injury ; Pulmonary System Disorders
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3f7772716e54460c698b9b267e3ce284b3e675f6c3f9492d190d0b15e70a387dc7fd6504bb93b1b38f18e422580b40959d31f7de1c8251c711418602497c9c31
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/180330/cdc_180330_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 541.16 KB ]