[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 67 (Friday, April 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18255-18256]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8458]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30DAY-22-01]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-7090. Send written 
comments to CDC, Desk Officer, Human Resources and Housing Branch, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503. Written 
comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Health Hazard Evaluations/Technical Assistance and Emerging 
Problems (OMB No. 0920-0260)--Extension--National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC). In accordance with its mandates under the 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and the Federal Mine Safety 
and Health Act of 1977, the National Institute for Occupational Safety 
and Health (NIOSH) responds each year to approximately 400 requests for 
health hazard evaluations to identify potential chemical, biological, 
or physical hazards at the workplace.
    Approximately half of these requests require that NIOSH conduct a 
short-term field study to adequately address the issues raised by the 
requester. Since 1970, more than 10,000 of these studies have been 
completed. The main purpose of these studies is to help employers and 
employees identify and eliminate occupational health hazards. Ninety-
five percent of these investigations respond to specific requests for 
assistance from employers, employees, employee representatives, or 
other government agencies. The remaining investigations are short-term 
field investigations initiated by NIOSH because it received information 
that a chemical, biological or physical agent may be hazardous to 
workers. In these investigations, NIOSH determines whether the issue 
warrants more detailed studies. Approximately fifty percent of the 
field investigations involve interviews or the administration of a 
questionnaire to the workers. Each questionnaire is specific to that 
workplace and its suspected diseases and/or hazards; however, 
questionnaires are derived from standard medical evaluation techniques. 
NIOSH distributes interim and final reports of the investigations, 
excluding personal identifiers, to requesters, employers, employee 
representatives, the Department of Labor (OSHA and MSHA) and, as 
appropriate, other state and federal agencies. Following the completion 
of field investigations, NIOSH administers follow-back questionnaires 
to employer and employee representatives at the workplace to assess 
program effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. Because of 
the large number of investigations conducted each year, the need to 
respond quickly to requests for assistance and the diverse nature of 
these investigations, NIOSH requests clearance for data collection in 
these investigations. The estimated annual burden hours are 4,093.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Number of      Avg. burden
                           Respondents                               Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employees (initial interviews)..................................           4,200               1           15/60
Employees (questionnaires interviews)...........................           5.250               1           30/60
Employees (follow-back questionnaires)..........................             500           \1\ 1           10/60
                                                                                           \1\ 1           15/60
                                                                                           \2\ 1           15/60
Employees (follow-back questionnaires)..........................             200           \1\ 1           10/60
                                                                                           \2\ 1          15/60
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ (Year 1)
\2\ (Year 2)



[[Page 18256]]

    Dated: March 30, 2001.
Nancy E. Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 01-8458 Filed 4-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P