[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 17, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48959-48960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23708]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Statement of 
Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority

    Part C (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) of the 
Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of 
the Department of Health and Human Services (45 FR 67772-76, dated 
October 14, 1980, and corrected at 45 FR 69296, October 20, 1980, as 
amended most recently at 61 FR 35219-28, July 5, 1996) is amended to 
reflect the transfer of responsibilities related to respirator 
certification research, and physiology from the Division of Safety 
Research to the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies within the 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
    Following the functional statement for the Division of Respiratory 
Disease Studies (HCCA), insert the following:
    Office of the Director (HCCA1). Directs and manages the operations 
of the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies.
    Following the functional statement for the Laboratory 
Investigations Branch (HCCA5), insert the following:
    Certification and Quality Assurance Branch (HCCA6). (1) Ensures 
protection of workers in dangerous environments by certifying 
reliability, safety, and efficacy of respiratory protection devices; 
(2) evaluates, certifies, and maintains official records and 
respirators and hazard-measuring instruments as required by the Federal 
Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and the Occupational Safety and 
Health Act of 1970; (3) assists in the development of new performance 
criteria, standards, and guidelines for certification of respirators 
and hazard-measuring instruments; (4) evaluates quality control plans, 
conducts in-plant audits of the manufacturers' quality control 
programs, and monitors the quality and performance of certified 
equipment procured on the open market; (5) investigates field problems 
associated with NIOSH-certified equipment; (6) provides assistance to 
users on the selection, use, maintenance, and operation of certified 
equipment; (7)provides recommendations on research needs to the 
Protective Technology Branch and others in the occupational safety and 
health community.
    Air-Purifying Respirator Section (HCCA62). (1) Evaluates, 
recommends certifications, and conducts post-certification audits on 
air-purifying respirators to ensure that they meet regulatory 
requirements; (2) evaluates, recommends certifications, and conducts 
post-certification audits on mine samplers; (3) reviews and assists in 
the development of new performance requirements, standards, and 
guidelines for air-purifying respirators and mine samplers; (4) reviews 
and field evaluates quality control plans for air-purifying respirators 
and mine samplers; (5) responds to inquiries and complaints about air-
purifying respirators and mine samplers.
    Air-Supplied Respirator Section (HCCA63). (1) Evaluates, recommends 
certifications, and conducts post-certification audits on air-supplied 
respirators to ensure that they meet regulatory requirements; (2) 
reviews and assists in the development of new performance requirements, 
standards, and guidelines for air-supplied respirators; (3) reviews and 
field evaluates the quality control plans for air-supplied respirators; 
(4) responds to inquiries and complaints about air-supplied 
respirators.
    Delete the functional statement for the Division of Safety Research 
(HCCB) and insert the following:
    Division of Safety Research (HCCB). (1) As the focal point for the 
Institute's occupational traumatic injury prevention and safety 
program, identifies the major causes of injuries and safety hazards, 
identifies interventions to improve worker safety, and supports 
implementation of these interventions; (2) develops scientifically 
sound recommendations for programs to prevent and control occupational 
traumatic injuries; (3) develops scientifically sound recommendations 
for the performance and use of personal protective equipment and 
various other devices for protecting workers; (4) evaluates the impact 
of targeted control programs for preventing or mitigating traumatic 
injury, diseases, disability, and death; (5) manages program planning/
project coordination, including the Division's financial and personnel 
management systems, and ensures the scientific and program integrity of 
Division functions.
    Delete in its entirety the title and functional statement for the 
Certification and Quality Assurance Branch (HCCB6), Division of Safety 
Research (HCCB).
    Delete the functional statements for Protective Technology Branch 
(HCCB7), Protective Equipment Section (HCCB74) and the Safety Controls 
Section (HCCB76, Division of Safety Research (HCCB), and insert the 
following:
    Protective Technology Branch (HCCB7). (1) Designs and develops new 
and improved safety engineering systems and controls, work practices, 
and personal protective equipment to protect workers; (2) tests and 
evaluates, in the laboratory, simulated workplace, and actual work-
sites, existing and new technological approaches to worker protection, 
and occupational injury prevention and control; (3) evaluates the use 
and performance of safety engineering controls; (4) develops 
scientifically sound recommendations for the performance and sue of 
existing or redesigned safety engineering controls, work practices, and 
personal protective equipment; (5) develops technical information to 
support recommendations for safety standards; (6) coordinates the 
preparation of technical informational packages from the Protective 
Equipment and Safety Controls Sections; (7) provides recommendations to 
the Analysis and Field Evaluations Branch regarding specific hazards or 
interventions requiring further epidemiologic research and/or 
evaluation; (8) provides technical assistance and consultation to other 
branches within the Division of Safety Research, other components of 
NIOSH and CDC, other Federal agencies, and other public and private 
sector organizations on the use of protective technology for the 
prevention of worker exposures to safety hazards that lead to injuries.
    Protective Equipment Section (HCCB74). (1) Conducts research in the 
laboratory, simulated workplace, and actual workplace to identify ways 
to

[[Page 48960]]

improve the performance of personal protective equipment other than 
respirators; (2) develops and validates test methods necessary to 
evaluate interventions and to increase the performance of personal 
protective equipment; (3) develops recommendations for relevant 
constituent groups on the use of effective personal protective 
equipment other than respirators; (4) assists in preparing technical 
informational packages to facilitate the proper use of all types of 
personal protective equipment.
    Safety Controls Section (HCCB76). (1) Conducts research in the 
laboratory, simulated workplace, and actual workplace to identify 
effective approaches and/or interventions to increase the performance 
levels and proper use of engineering controls for protecting workers 
from all types of trauma; (2) analyzes potentially hazardous operations 
using systems safety and/or other engineering techniques to identify 
safety engineering control and safe work practice strategies; (3) 
develops and validates test and measurement methods necessary to 
evaluate interventions, performance standards, and regulations that 
involve the performance of controls and practices for protecting 
workers from acute, subacute, chronic, or cumulative trauma; (4) 
evaluates safety engineering controls and work practices to ensure that 
they meet established criteria; (5) develops recommendations for the 
use of effective safety engineering controls and work practices by 
relevant constituent groups; (6) assists in preparing technical 
informational packages to facilitate the proper use of safety 
engineering controls and work practices.
    Delete in its entirety the title and functional statement for 
Respiratory Protection Section (HCCB75), Protective Technology Branch 
(HCCB7), Division of Safety Research (HCCB).

    Dated: August 30, 1996.
David Satcher,
Director.
[FR Doc. 96-23708 Filed 9-16-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-18-M