In the framework of the International Nuclear Workers Study conducted in
France, the UK and the U.S. (INWORKS), updated and expanded methods
were developed to convert recorded doses of ionizing radiation to
estimates of organ doses or individual personal dose equivalent [Hp(10)]
for a total number of 308,297 workers, including 40,035 women. This
approach accounts for differences in dosimeter response to predominant
workplace energy and geometry of exposure and for the recently published
ICRP report on dose coefficients for men and women separately. The
overall mean annual individual personal dose equivalent, including zero
doses, is 1.73 mSv [median = 0.42; interquartile range (IQR): 0.07,
1.59]. Associated individual organ doses were estimated. INWORKS
includes workers who had potential for exposure to neutrons. Therefore,
we analyzed neutron dosimetry data to identify workers potentially
exposed to neutrons. We created a time-varying indicator for each
worker, classifying them according to whether they had a positive
recorded neutron dose and if so, whether their neutron dose ever
exceeded 10% of their total external penetrating radiation dose. The
number of workers flagged as being exposed to neutrons was 13% for the
full cohort, with 15% of the cohort in France, 12% of the cohort in the
UK and 14% in the U.S. We also used available information on in vivo
and bioassay monitoring to identify workers with known depositions or
suspected internal contaminations. As a result of this work, information
is now available that will allow various types of sensitivity analyses.