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Introduction to the
Dicrectory of Occupational Titles

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Formal vocational analysis using the DOT has been reduced in importance in the Social Security disability program in recent years. Our experience shows that formal vocational analysis does not result in any more case victories than does a standard common sense vocational approach on behalf of a client. Therefore, consider this lesson to be optional. Social Security is also using other resources for vocational analysis such as the O-net. Both the DOT and the O-net can now be at least partially accessed online.

In lesson five of the Study Guide, we mentioned three basic elements in the process of vocational analysis. Those elements are: Identifying the claimant's physical or mental restrictions, the functional requirements of claimant's past work and finally to compare the claimant's remaining functional abilities with the demands of other work to determine if the claimant can perform other less demanding work.

What is the DOT?

The DOT or Directory of Occupational Titles is a reference manual that contains detailed descriptions of all jobs performed in the United States.

How does the DOT relate to disability?

After you have gotten a description of a claimant's past work, the DOT affords you the means of checking the accuracy of the description and provides an explanation of how that job is generally performed. Without this information you could not determine if claimant is truly unable to perform the work described.

How do you use the DOT?

The actual procedure for using the DOT and SCO is covered in the front portion of the text themselves. This is a functional description of its use. After you have obtained what you consider to be a complete work history from the claimant for the past fifteen years, you are ready to start.

Note: The numbered instructions below are designed to be used with the actual DOT and SCO. Since you probably do not have these texts, simply follow the procedure in general terms.

1st. Identify the job title given by claimant. Start with claimant's most current job. If the job does not have a title, the job description will give you some idea of what the job actually was. Example: Mr. Katts calls himself a carpenter laborer. If the job description provided by Mr. Katts indicates that this labor was performed on the exterior areas of a building and his job description is at least close to the DOT description of a rough carpenter, then most likely his job title is rough carpenter.

2nd. Now match the job title to the DOT alphabetical index list. This is done by turning to the alphabetical index in the back of the DOT and simply matching job title rough carpenter to the job title in the index.

3rd. Notice the nine digit numbers after the job title. In the case of Mr. Katts it would read: Carpenter, Rough 860.381-042.

4th. Now turn to the Term Title and Definition section in the front main body of the DOT. This section is not labeled in the DOT. You will know that you are in the right section because it contains the actual narrative description of the job. Look up the code number 860-381-042 which will be in numerical order. Once the number is located, you will notice a narrative description of the job of a rough carpenter. Read and compare claimant's job description with that of the DOT.

If you are not sure you have the right job, call the claimant and read parts of the description from the DOT to him. The claimant will quickly tell you if you are describing the right job. If you feel that you are not working with the right job description, return to the DOT alphabetical index and review other carpenter job descriptions, repeating steps 3 and 4 until you are sure you have the right job

Note: Once you have identified the correct DOT number and the appropriate job description, you are finished with the DOT. The procedures used in the DOT and SCO may change slightly with each new edition of the text. If you get a slightly newer edition, it will contain procedural instructions at the beginning of the text.

What have you learned from this DOT lesson?

This DOT lesson shows you how to identify the right job description for a claimant's past work. From a DOT job description you can determine many of the physical and mental requirements of a job. Once you are reasonably sure you have located the right job, keep the DOT number for use in your formal argument. Please note that there is no longer a separate SCO text. The DOT and SCO have been combined for easier reference. We will now explain a little amount the SCO segment.

The SCO or Specific Characteristics of Occupations Guide is a reference manual used in conjunction with the DOT in order to specifically identify the characteristics of a particular job.

How is the SCO used?

Once you have the nine digit code number of claimant's past work from the DOT, you are ready to identify its specific job characteristics. To do this, turn to the part B section of the SCO text. Using the DOT nine digit code, find the matching code number in the part B section. Notice the following:

1. The GOE six digit code numbers. The Str fac (strength factor), which is simply the RFC for this job as it is usually performed. The DOT title and industry.

2. For the job of rough carpenter see the GOE code 05.05.02 in part B of the SCO. Now take the GOE code and turn to part A of the SCO in the main body of the SCO text.

3. You will find (1995 version) the rough carpenter GOE code 05.05.02 in part A. Use the first four digits of the code (05.05) at the top of the part A page as a guide to the proper section. Once you have the right section, look for the remaining two digits (.02) at the top left corner of each section to find the specific industry. From this point just look for the proper DOT code or name of the job itself down the list.

Note: You may feel a bit confused about moving through the DOT and SCO at this stage. This process is really very easy, but appears difficult when described in written form. We strongly suggest that you repeat the DOT/SCO instructions if you decide to purchase these texts. You will find the process much simpler with the actual text in front of you.

Now, let's evaluate what we have.

In the part A section of the SCO you should be looking at the following information beside the job of rough carpenter.

DOT code carpenter, rough H 2,3,4,6 B6 M4 L2 SVP 7

Direct your attention to the above line of information and note this same information in your SCO. The SCO tells you what each of these series of letters and numbers above refer to at the top of each column, but you are not told what the specific numbers and letters stand for.

To find out what the specific numbers and letters stand for, let's start with physical demands. In the front of the DOT/SCO, you will find the translation of the physical code numbers listed above. A rough carpenter job is (H) or heavy work. Note the definition of heavy work in the SCO. A rough carpenter job also requires that a person (2) climb and balance, (3) stoop, kneel, crouch, and crawl, (4) reach, handle, finger and feel and (6) vision.

The next letter number set is the environment. A rough carpenter must (B) work both inside and outside and (6) in hazardous situations. (M) refers to mathematics skill requirements for a carpenter and (L) refers to language development, both of which are described in the SCO.

The last value above is the SVP or skill level (see SCO Appendix Two D). When you receive your SCO, you will notice that there is also an Appendix Two E. This appendix is rarely used.

Note: The above SCO information has given you a detailed picture of the physical requirements needed to perform the job of a rough carpenter. With this information you can easily attack the notion that claimant is capable of this type of labor. If the claimant is limited in ways that reduce his/her ability to perform the physical requirements of a carpenter job, that claimant would no longer be capable of performing the job. Use the same approach to rule out other or similar work that requires less physical demand.

Social Security will be a little less likely to contest your conclusions about the claimant's capabilities, if you assign reasonable restrictions to claimant that are supported by the medical evidence. The DOT and SCO is an approach that can be used to strengthen your position but is no longer required as a means of showing how restrictions affect claimant's ability to perform work. Medical evidence supporting reasonable restrictions, coupled with a comparison of job demands to medical restrictions, is a much more powerful way of proving to Social Security that the claimant is totally disabled.