[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 190 (Wednesday, October 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51479-51481]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-25947]


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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 62 FR 46751, dated September 4, 1997) is 
amended to reflect the organizational structure for mine safety and 
health research functions within the National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
    Section C-B, Organization and Functions, is hereby amended as 
follows:
    After the functional statement for the Contracts and Purchases 
Branch (CA582), Procurement and Grants Office (CA58), Office of Program 
Support (CA5), insert the following:
    Contracts Management Branch (Pittsburgh) (CA583). (1) Provides 
leadership, direction, procurement options and approaches in developing 
specifications/statements of work and contract awards; (2) Executes 
research and development contracts for all of NIOSH.
    Revise the functional statement for the Office of Administrative 
and Management Services (CC11) to insert the following as item (4) and 
renumber the remaining items accordingly: (4) provides management 
information, advice, and guidance to CDC/OPS regarding the conduct and 
the evaluation of Staff Office procurement activities with respect to 
their effectiveness in meeting NIOSH's administrative and programmatic 
needs.
    After the functional statement for the Office of Administrative and 
Management Services (CC11), insert the following:
    Administrative Services Branch (Pittsburgh) (CC112). (1) Provides 
basic facilities operations, maintenance, and

[[Page 51480]]

support functions for the offices, laboratories, and grounds at the 
Pittsburgh Research laboratory; (2) provides access to library and 
information services for Pittsburgh laboratory personnel; (3) 
facilitates procurement support for the Laboratory; (4) coordinates 
Institute activities and overall operations with the facility 
management activities of the other Agencies operating at the Bruceton 
Research Center.
    After the functional statement for the Administrative Services 
Branch (Cincinnati) (CC113), insert the following:
    Administrative Services Branch (Spokane) (CC114). (1) Provides 
basic facilities operations, maintenance, and support functions for the 
offices, laboratories, and grounds at the Spokane Research Laboratory; 
(2) provides access to library, information services, and computer 
access to the CDC network for Spokane Research Laboratory personnel; 
(3) provides site-wide safety and health program support, site 
environmental compliance activities, employee assistance programs, and 
employee wellness programs; (4) provides procurement and budget support 
for the Laboratory; (5) provides material management functions, 
including inventory control for accountable property, and warehouse 
supply for daily operations.
    After the functional statement for the Management Systems Branch 
(CC115), insert the following:
    Procurement Branch (Pittsburgh) (CC116). (1) Plans, directs, and 
conducts the acquisition of equipment, materials, and non-personnel 
services in support of the NIOSH Pittsburgh operations; (2) executes 
contracts for repairs, and capitol improvements to NIOSH Pittsburgh 
facilities.
    After the functional statement for the Regional Operations Branch 
(CC134), insert the following:
    Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (CC2). (1) Provides leadership for 
prevention of work-related illness, injury, and fatalities of miners; 
(2) carries out the surveillance of fatal and non-fatal traumatic 
injuries, occupational diseases, health and safety hazards, and the use 
of control technology and protective equipment for prevention of injury 
and disease in mining; (3) conducts research on the measurement, 
monitoring, and control of dust and other toxic substances to which 
miners may be exposed; (4) conducts laboratory and field research to 
evaluate and control hearing loss and occupational noise exposure in 
mining; (5) conducts field investigations and laboratory studies on 
mining injuries and the means for their prevention; (6) conducts 
laboratory and field investigations to better understand the causes of 
catastrophic events that may lead to fatalities, such as fires, 
explosions, and structural or ground failures; (7) develops sensors, 
predictive models, and engineering controls to reduce miners risk for 
injury or death; (8) translates research findings, new control 
technology concepts, and newly identified approaches to health and 
safety problems affecting miners into usable effective interventions; 
(9) utilizes the unique facilities and resources of the Laboratory as a 
National resource in collaboration with other NIOSH units as well as 
other Departments and Agencies of the government.
    Surveillance, Statistics, and Research Support Activity (CC22). (1) 
Collects and analyzes health and safety data related to mining 
occupations in order to report on the overall incidence, prevalence and 
significance of occupational safety and health problems in mining; (2) 
describes trends in incidence of mining-related fatalities, morbidity, 
and traumatic injury; (3) conducts surveillance on the use of new 
technology, the use of engineering controls, and the use of protective 
equipment in the mining sector; (4) coordinates surveillance activities 
with other NIOSH surveillance initiatives; (5) provides statistical and 
computer support for surveillance and research activities of the 
Laboratory; (6) analyzes and assists in the development of research 
protocols for developing studies; (7) conducts mining-relevant risk 
analyses and assists with interpretations for development of NIOSH 
policy or documents.
    Extramural Coordination and Information Dissemination Activity 
(CC23). (1) Collaborates with research staff to translate findings from 
laboratory research to produce compelling products that motivate the 
mining sector to engage in improved injury control and disease 
prevention activities; (2) incorporates recommended control 
technologies, work practices, and findings of technological feasibility 
into NIOSH policy documents and testimony; (3) coordinates with other 
health communication, health education, and information dissemination 
activities within the Institute to ensure that mining research 
information is effectively integrated in the NIOSH dissemination and 
intervention strategies; (4) serves as the laboratory focal point for 
partnerships with labor, industry and academia and other government 
agencies to foster mission-relevant responsive research; (5) assists in 
the development of mission-relevant CRADAs and patents; (6) coordinates 
mission-relevant technical assistance and response activities; (7) 
coordinates mining grants and cooperative agreements with the NIOSH 
Office of Extramural Coordination and Special Projects.
    Dust and Toxic Substance Control Branch (CC24). (1) Develops, 
plans, and implements a program of research to develop or improve 
personal and area direct reading instruments for measuring mining 
contaminants including but not limited to respirable dust, silica, and 
other toxic substances and mixtures; (2) conducts field tests, 
experiments, and demonstrations of new technology for monitoring and 
assessing mine air quality; (3) designs, plans, and implements 
laboratory and field research to develop airborne hazard reduction 
control technologies; (4) carries out field surveys in mines to 
identify work organization strategies that could result in reduced dust 
or toxic substance exposure; (5) evaluates the performance, economics, 
and technical feasibility of engineering control strategies, novel 
approaches, and the application of new or emerging technologies for 
underground and surface mine dust and toxic substance control systems; 
(6) develops and evaluates implementation strategies for using newly 
developed monitors and control technology for exposure reduction or 
prevention.
    Hearing Loss Prevention Branch (CC25). (1) Plans and conducts 
laboratory and field research on noise-induced hearing loss in miners; 
(2) conducts field dosimetric and audiometric surveys to assess the 
extent and severity of the problem and to identify those mining 
segments in greatest need of attention and to objectively track 
progress in meeting loss prevention goals; (3) conducts field and 
laboratory research to identify noise generation sources and to 
identify those areas most amenable to intervention activities; (4) 
develops, tests, and demonstrates new control technologies for noise 
reduction; (5) evaluates technical and economic feasibility of 
controls; (6) develops, evaluates, and recommends implementation 
strategies to promote the adoption and use of noise reduction 
technology.
    Mining Injury Prevention Branch (CC26). (1) Conducts laboratory, 
field, and computer modeling research to focus on human physiological 
capabilities and limitations and their interactions with mining jobs, 
tasks, equipment, and the mine work environment; (2) assesses the 
health and

[[Page 51481]]

safety relevance of mining equipment design features using scientific 
and engineering techniques, and analyses of reported case-studies of 
mining incidents that lead to traumatic injuries or fatalities; (3) 
designs and conducts epidemiological research studies to identify and 
classify risk factors that cause, or may cause, traumatic injuries to 
miners; (4) designs, builds, and tests proposed interventions, 
including demonstrations of proposed technologies using laboratory 
mock-ups, full-scale demonstrations at the laboratory's experimental 
mines, or through field evaluation in operating mines; (5) evaluates 
and recommends implementation strategies for injury prevention and 
control technologies developed by the Laboratory.
    Disaster Prevention and Response Branch (CC27). (1) Conducts 
laboratory and field investigations of catastrophic events such as 
explosions and catastrophic structural or ground failures to better 
understand cause and effect relationships that initiate such events; 
(2) designs and implements appropriate intervention strategies; (3) 
develops, tests, and promotes the use of disaster prediction and risk 
evaluation systems for control or reduction of risk; (4) develops 
criteria and tests for explosives to determine their suitability for 
mine use and transportation; (5) evaluates and recommends 
implementation strategies for disaster prevention; (6) assists in the 
development and evaluation of curricula for mine rescue, firefighting, 
and the use of life support (self-rescuer) equipment, in conjunction 
with other health education, health communication, and other 
information and education activities of the Institute.
    Following the functional statement for the Division of 
Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies (CC5), insert the 
following:
    Spokane Research Laboratory (CC6). (1) Provides leadership for 
prevention of work-related illness, injury, and death in the extractive 
industries in the Western United States; (2) conducts surveillance and 
tracks trends of fatal and non-fatal traumatic injuries, occupational 
diseases, health and safety hazards, and the use of control technology 
in the extractive industries, with a focus on unique Western issues 
such as those associated with deep metal mines, Western coal mines, and 
precious metal deposits; (3) conducts field investigations, health 
hazard evaluations, and laboratory studies of occupational diseases, 
injuries, and fatalities with focus on western-area mineral-extractive 
industries; (4) conducts laboratory and field investigations to better 
understand the causes of catastrophic events that may lead to multiple 
injuries and fatalities, such as collapse of underground workings, 
massive slope failures, and the collapse of mining facilities; (5) 
develops, tests, and demonstrates sensors, predictive models, and 
engineering control technologies to reduce miners risk for injury or 
death; (6) develops and recommends appropriate criteria for new 
standards, NIOSH policy, documents, or testimony related to health and 
safety in the extractive industries.
    Extramural Coordination and Information Dissemination Activity 
(CC62). (1) Coordinates with other education and information 
dissemination activities within the Institute to assure that 
coordinated and comprehensive mining research information is 
effectively integrated into the NIOSH dissemination and intervention 
strategies; (2) serves as the laboratory focal point for partnerships 
with labor, industry and academia involved with Western extractive 
industries; (3) assists in the development of mission-relevant CRADAs 
and patents; (4) coordinates mission-relevant technical assistance and 
response activities for the western United States.
    Mining Surveillance and Statistics Support Activity (CC63). (1) 
Describes trends in incidence of mining-related fatalities, morbidity, 
and traumatic injury; (2) conducts surveillance on the use of new 
technology and the use of engineering controls; (3) coordinates the 
surveillance activities with other Institute-wide surveillance 
initiatives; (4) provides statistical support for all surveillance and 
research activities of the Laboratory; (5) assists in the development 
of research protocols; (6) communicates the results of surveillance 
activities to researchers to assist in the planning and prioritization 
of future studies.
    Mining Injury and Disease Prevention Branch (CC64). (1) Designs and 
conducts field and laboratory research studies to identify and classify 
risk factors that cause, or may cause, traumatic injuries or illness to 
miners; (2) designs, builds, and tests proposed interventions to reduce 
risk of injury or disease, and conducts demonstrations of proposed 
control technologies; (3) assesses the health and safety implications 
of mining equipment design features using scientific and engineering 
techniques; (4) evaluates and recommends implementation strategies for 
injury and disease prevention and the effective utilization of control 
technologies developed by the laboratory.
    Catastrophic Failure Detection and Prevention Branch (CC65). (1) 
Conducts laboratory and field investigations of catastrophic events 
such as collapse of underground workings, massive slope failures, 
collapse of mine facilities, or other events that lead to traumatic 
injuries or fatalities; (2) develops computer visualization models to 
simulate mine conditions and test alternative mining methods and 
approaches for risk reduction and catastrophic failure prevention; (3) 
develops, tests, and promotes the use of catastrophic failure 
prediction and risk evaluation systems; (4) evaluates and recommends 
implementation strategies for catastrophic failure prevention.

    Dated: September 4, 1997.
David Satcher,
Director.
[FR Doc. 97-25947 Filed 9-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-18-M