[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 23, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28565-28567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13043]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0173(2001)]


Course Evaluation Form; Extension of the Office of Management of 
Budget's Approval of Information-Collection (Paperwork) Requirements

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION:  Notice of an opportunity for public comment.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comment concerning its request for an 
extension of the information-collection requirements contained in its 
Course Evaluation Form.
    Request for Comment: The Agency has a particular interest in 
comments on the following issues:
     Whether the proposed information-collection requirements 
are necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions, 
including whether the information is useful;
     The accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden (time 
and costs) of the information-collection requirements, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

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     The quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
collected; and
     Ways to minimize the burden on employers who must comply; 
for example, by using automated or other technological information-
collection and -transmission techniques.

DATES: The public must submit written comments to the office listed 
under ADDRESSES on or before July 23, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. ICR 
1218-0173(2001), OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20201; telephone: (202) 693-
2350. Commenters may transmit written comments of 10 pages or less by 
facsimile to: (202) 693-1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gail Butler, Division of 
Administration and Training Information, OSHA Office of Training and 
Education, 1555 Times Drive, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018; telephone 
(not toll free): (847) 297-4810; e-mail: [email protected] or 
facsimile: (847) 297-4810. A copy of the Agency's Information-
Collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for information-collection 
requirements specified in the Course Evaluation Form is available for 
inspection and copying in the Docket Office, or by requesting a mailed 
copy from Todd Owen at (202) 693-2444. For electronic copies of this 
ICR, contact OSHA on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Department of Labor, as part of it containing effect to reduce 
paperwork and respondent (e.g., employer) burden, conducts a 
preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and 
Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and 
continuing information-collection requirements in accordance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program 
ensures that information is in the desired format, reporting burden 
(time and costs) is minimal, collection instruments are clearly 
understood, and OSHA's estimate of the information burden is correct.
    Section 21 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the 
``OSHA Act'') (see 29 U.S.C. 670) authorizes the Occupational Safety 
and Health Administration (``OSHA'' or the ``Agency'' to conduct 
training and employee education. Paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of 
Section 21 require, respectively, that the Agency: ``(C)onduct, 
directly or by grants or contracts,(1) education programs to provide an 
adequate supply of qualified personnel to carry out the purposes of 
this Act, and(2) informational programs on the importance of and proper 
use of adequate safety and health equipment''; ``(C)onduct, directly or 
by grants or contracts, short-term training of personnel engaged in 
work related to (their) responsibilities under the Act''' and ``(1) 
provide for the establishment and supervision of programs for the 
education and training of employers and employees in the recognition, 
avoidance, and prevention of unsafe and unhealthful working conditions 
in employments covered by this Act, and (2) consult with and advise 
employers and employees, and organizations representing employers and 
employees as to effective means of preventing occupational injuries and 
illnesses.
    As authorized by the appropriate provisions of section 21 of the 
Act, the OSHA Training Institute (the ``Institute'') provides basic, 
intermediate, and advanced training and education in occupational 
safety and health for federal and state compliance officers, Agency 
professionals and technical-support personnel, employers, employees, 
organizations representing employees and employers, educators who 
develop curricula and teach occupational safety and health courses, and 
representatives of professional safety and health groups. This program 
includes the courses on occupational safety and health provided by the 
Institute at its national training facility in Des Plaines, Illinois. 
In addition to conducting courses at the OSHA Training Institute in Des 
Plaines, Illinois, the Institute is also administering a program 
whereby several institutions in various locations throughout the United 
States have been authorized as OSHA Training Institute Education 
Centers. These Education Centers conduct a specific number of OSHA 
courses that are geared for private sector and other Federal Agency 
personnel. The goal of the Education Center program is to expand the 
accessibility of high-quality OSHA training courses.
    All students completing training courses at the Institute and the 
Education Centers are requested to complete the Course Evaluation Form 
(OSHA Form 49, 08-98 edition) on the last day of class. Students may be 
Federal, state, private sector, local or tribal government employees. 
The Course Evaluation Form contains ten close-ended questions. The form 
requests participant feedback on ten elements to assess communication 
and accomplishment of learning objectives, course content, training 
environment, relevance of topics to job, effectiveness of exercises, 
workshops, laboratories, field trips and audiovisuals, usefulness of 
course materials and handouts, and overall rating of course. The 
feedback provides an overall impression of the student's experience for 
the course. Students provide more detailed feedback in the narrative 
sections of the form. Course Evaluation Form student input provides a 
standardized tool for collecting quality data that has been used to 
determine program successes and shortcomings. This quality data has 
assisted the Training Institute in directing resources where they can 
do the most good. All Course Evaluation Forms are reviewed by the 
course chairperson, instructors, the Institute Director and the 
supervisor responsible for that course. Ratings provide baseline data 
from which to draw conclusions about the effectiveness and quality of 
the training courses and to assess the level of student satisfaction 
with the course. Evaluation data is used to determine which courses may 
need improvement. Problem areas are noted and the supervisor discusses 
them with the course chairperson. Courses needing further improvement 
are scheduled for a more comprehensive follow-up course evaluation with 
recommendations for improvement. Revised courses are closely monitored 
to determine if problem areas have been resolved.

II. Proposed Actions

    OSHA proposes to extend Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approval of the collection-of-information (paperwork) requirements 
specified in Course Evaluation Form. The Agency will summarize the 
comments submitted in responses to this notice, and will include this 
summary in its request to OMB to extend the approval of these 
information-collection requirements.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information-
collection requirements.
    Title: Course Evaluation Form.
    OMB Number: 1218-0173.
    Affected Public: Individuals; business or other for-profit 
organizations; Federal government; State, Local, or Tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 16,300.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Total Responses: 16,300.
    Average Time per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 2,716 hours.

IV. Authority and Signature

    R. Davis Layne, Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for 
Occupational

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Safety and Health, directed the preparation of this notice. The 
authority for this notice is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3506) and the Secretary of Labor's Order No. 3-2000 (65 FR 
50017).

    Dated: Signed at Washington, DC on May 18, 2001.
R. Davis Layne,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 01-13043 Filed 5-22-01; 8:45 am]
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