[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 160 (Thursday, August 19, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51484-51485]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-19000]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration


Proposed Information Collection Request; Submitted for Public 
Comment and Recommendations; Mine Accident, Injury, and Illness Report 
and Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report (MSHA Forms 
7000-1 and 7000-2)

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a pre-clearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program helps to 
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, 
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, 
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of 
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.

DATES: Submit comments on or before October 18, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Melissa Stoehr, Acting Chief, Records 
Management Branch, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2134, Arlington, VA 
22209-3939. Commenters are encouraged to send their comments on 
computer disk, or via E-mail to [email protected]. Ms. Stoehr can

[[Page 51485]]

be reached at (202) 693-9827 (voice), or (202) 693-9801 (facsimile).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact the employee listed in the 
ADDRESSES section of this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The reporting and recordkeeping provisions in 30 CFR 50, 
Notification, Investigation, Reports and Records of Accidents, Injuries 
and Illnesses, Employment and Coal Production in Mines, are essential 
elements in MSHA's Congressional mandate to reduce work-related 
injuries and illnesses among the nation's miners.
    Section 50.10 requires mine operators and mining contractors to 
immediately notify MSHA in the event of an accident. This immediate 
notification is critical to MSHA's timely investigation and assessment 
of the probable cause of the accident.
    Section 50.11 requires that the operator or contractor investigate 
each accident and occupational injury and prepare a report. The 
operator or contractor may not use MSHA Form 7000-1 as a report, unless 
the mine employs fewer than 20 miners and the occurrence involves an 
occupational injury not related to an accident.
    Section 50.20(a) requires mine operators and mining contractors to 
report each accident, injury, or illness to MSHA on Form 7000-1 within 
10 working days after an accident or injury has occurred or an 
occupational illness has been diagnosed. The use of MSHA Form 7000-1 
provides for uniform information gathering across the mining industry.
    MSHA tabulates and analyzes the information from MSHA Form 7000-1, 
along with data from MSHA Form 7000-2, to compute incidence and 
severity rates for various injury types. These rates are used to 
analyze trends and to assess the degree of success of the health and 
safety efforts of MSHA and the mining industry.
    Accident, injury, and illness data when correlated with employment 
and production data provide information that allows MSHA to improve its 
safety and health enforcement programs, focus its education and 
training efforts, and establish priorities for its technical assistance 
activities in mine safety and health. Maintaining a current database 
allows MSHA to identify and direct increased attention to those mines, 
industry segments, and geographical areas where hazardous trends are 
developing. This could not be done effectively utilizing historical 
data. The information collected under Part 50 is the most comprehensive 
and reliable occupational data available concerning the mining 
industry.
    Section 103(d) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 
(Mine Act) mandates that each accident be investigated by the operator 
to determine the cause and means of preventing a recurrence. Records of 
such accidents and investigations shall be kept and made available to 
the Secretary or his authorized representative and the appropriate 
State agency. Section 103(h) requires operators to keep any records and 
make any reports that are reasonably necessary for MSHA to perform its 
duties under the Mine Act. Section 103(j) of the Mine Act requires 
operators to notify MSHA of the occurrence of an accident and to take 
appropriate measures to preserve any evidence which would assist in the 
investigation into the cause or causes of the accident.
    Data collected through MSHA Form 7000-1 and MSHA Form 7000-2 enable 
MSHA to publish timely quarterly and annual statistics, reflecting 
current safety and health conditions in the mining industry. These data 
are used not only by MSHA, but also by other Federal and State 
agencies, health and safety researchers, and the mining community to 
assist in measuring and comparing the results of health and safety 
efforts both in the United States and internationally.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    MSHA is particularly interested in comments which:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.
    A copy of the proposed information collection request can be 
obtained by contacting the employee listed in the For Further 
Information Contact section of this notice, or viewed on the Internet 
by accessing the MSHA home page (http://www.msha.gov) and then choosing 
``Statutory and Regulatory Information'' and ``Federal Register 
Documents.''

III. Current Actions

    This request for collection of information contains provisions 
whereby persons may be temporarily qualified or certified to perform 
tests and examinations; requiring specialized expertise; related to 
miner safety and health at coal mines.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
    Title: Mine Accident, Injury, and Illness Report and Quarterly Mine 
Employment and Coal Production Report.
    OMB Number: 1219-0007.
    Form(s): MSHA 7000-1 and MSHA 7000-2.
    Frequency: Quarterly and on occasion.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Respondents: 26,250.
    Estimated Time per Response: 30 minutes for hardcopy filings and 15 
minutes for Form 7000-02 electronic filings.
    Total Burden Hours: 105,042.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $34,105.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a 
matter of public record.

    Dated at Arlington, Virginia, this 11th day of August, 2004.
Lynnette M. Haywood,
Deputy Director, Office of Administration and Management.
[FR Doc. 04-19000 Filed 8-18-04; 8:45 am]
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