[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 28 (Thursday, February 10, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6604-6605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3058]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control And Prevention

[60Day-00-21]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506 (c) (2) (A) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention is providing opportunity for public comment on proposed 
data collection projects. To request more information on the proposed 
projects or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
instruments, call the CDC Reports Clearance Officer on (404) 639-7090.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques for other 
forms of information technology. Send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC 
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, 
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.

Proposed Projects

    The Role of Positive and Negative Emotion in Promoting Hearing 
Conservation Behaviors Among Coal Miners--New--The mission of the 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is to 
promote ``safety and health at work for all people through research and 
prevention.'' NIOSH investigates and identifies occupational safety and 
health hazards and conducts a variety of activities, including 
educational programs with workers, to help prevent work-related illness 
and injury.
    One of the most widespread, but often overlooked, occupational 
hazards is noise. As a result, hearing loss is the most common 
occupational disease in the United States today. More than 30 million 
workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels.
    The risk of hearing loss is particularly high in certain 
occupations. Research shows that more than 90 percent of coal miners 
will experience moderate to significant hearing loss by the time they 
reach retirement. This level of hearing loss has a number of negative 
implications for both the affected individual and others: (1) Impaired 
communication with family members, friends, and coworkers can result in 
social isolation; (2) unrelenting tinnitus (ringing in the ears) can 
significantly lower one's quality of life; (3) a diminished ability to 
monitor the work environment (including warning signals, etc.) 
increases the risk of accidents and further injury at the workplace; 
and, finally, (4) there are economic costs that result from workers' 
compensation and lower productivity.
    New noise standards for the mining environment have recently been 
issued by the Department of Labor and will go into effect in September 
2000. The new rules require that mine operators take necessary action 
to protect miners' hearing when noise levels reach 85 dBA or more over 
an eight-hour period with additional actions required at 90 dBA. While 
the new standard establishes mandatory behaviors, such as the wearing 
of both ear plug and earmuff-type hearing protectors at noise levels of 
105 dBA or more over an eight-hour period, there are also voluntary 
behaviors associated with the new rules. The wearing of hearing 
protectors at levels below 90 dBA and getting hearing tests as part of 
a hearing conservation program are both voluntary on the part of the 
individual miner.
    This study is designed to ascertain factors that can be used to 
encourage adoption of voluntary behaviors among coal miners. The choice 
of this subset of miners is based upon research that indicates they 
experience significantly more hearing loss than metal and nonmetal 
miners. NIOSH proposes working with the United Mine Workers of America 
and experts in health communication to test the effectiveness of 
several innovative approaches to communicating hearing loss risk and 
promoting self-protective behaviors. Different messages will be sent to 
four different groups of coal miners, and there will be one control 
group that receives no message. The researchers will follow up with 
these groups at two different points in time to assess the relative 
effectiveness of the messages.
    The central purpose of this study is to promote hearing 
conservation among coal miners and encourage the adoption of the 
voluntary components of the new noise standard. However, NIOSH believes 
that the results of this study will help in similar efforts with other 
worker populations. There is no cost to respondents.

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                                                                          Number of
                                                            Number of    responses/    Ave. burden  Total burden
                       Respondents                         respondents   respondent   per response    (in hrs.)
                                                                          (in hrs.)     (in hrs.)
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Coal miners in pretest..................................           80             1         30/60            40

[[Page 6605]]

 
Coal miners in study....................................          300             2         30/60           300
                                                                                                   -------------
    Total...............................................  ............  ............  ............          340
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    Dated: February 2, 2000.
Nancy Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 00-3058 Filed 2-9-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P