[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 158 (Thursday, August 16, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46083-46084]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16113]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-07-07BL]


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 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call 404-639-4766 
and send comments to Maryam I. Daneshvar, CDC Acting Reports Clearance 
Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail 
to [email protected].
    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 or other 
forms of information technology. Written comments should be received 
within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) and Commercial Fishermen: 
Preconceptions and Evaluation in Actual Use--New--National Institute 
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    NIOSH has the responsibility under Pub. L. 91-596 section 20 
(Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970) to conduct research 
relating to innovative methods, techniques, and approaches for dealing 
with occupational safety and health problems.
    Commercial fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations in the 
United States, with a fatality rate 30 times higher than the national 
average. Most fishermen who die on the job drown subsequent to a vessel 
sinking (51%) or fall overboard (29%). Because drowning is the leading 
cause of death for commercial fishermen, its prevention is one of the 
highest priorities for those who work to make the industry safer.
    The risk of drowning for commercial fisherman is high, yet most 
fishermen do not wear Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) while on deck. 
From 1990 to 2005, 71 commercial fishermen drowned subsequent to a fall 
overboard in Alaska. None of the victims were wearing a PFD, and many 
were within minutes of being rescued when they lost their strength and 
disappeared under the surface of the water.
    Although there are many new styles of PFDs on the market, it is 
unknown how many commercial fishermen are aware of them, or if they are 
more comfortable and wearable than the older styles. There have not 
been any published studies testing PFDs on commercial fisherman to 
measure product attributes and satisfaction.
    The purpose of this study is to first, identify fishermen's 
perceptions of risk, safety attitudes, and beliefs about PFDs; and 
second, to evaluate a variety of modern PFDs with commercial fishermen 
to discover the features and qualities that they like and dislike. This 
study addresses the repeated recommendation by NIOSH that all 
commercial fishermen wear PFDs while on deck.

Study Design

    NIOSH is requesting OMB approval to administer a survey to 
fishermen operating in several fisheries in Southwest Alaska. This 
questionnaire will contain questions that measure fishermen's risk 
perceptions, safety attitudes, and beliefs about PFDs. The 
questionnaire is short and will take about 20 minutes to complete. The 
sample size was determined to be 370 respondents in order to achieve a 
95% confidence level.
    Additionally, NIOSH is requesting approval to involve fishermen 
directly with an evaluation of the wearability of several different 
styles of PFDs during fishing operations. Fishermen will be asked to 
wear one of several styles of PFDs during their fishing season and rate 
the comfort and features that the PFD has. The PFD ratings will be 
collected at three times during the evaluation period, using a short 
form. Each of the three evaluation forms will take about 10 minutes to 
complete. The sample size for this portion of the study is 145 
respondents but will still have a 95% confidence level. The purpose of 
this portion is to inform potential purchasers of PFD's of other 
fishermen's evaluations of different styles based on their experience 
with their use.
    This study has the potential to greatly benefit the fishing 
industry. One of the first steps to increasing PFD use among commercial 
fishermen is gaining an understanding of fishermen's reasons for not 
wearing PFDs. With the empirical data at hand, safety professionals may 
be better equipped to address fishermen's concerns and remove the 
barriers that are currently in place.
    Findings from the PFD evaluations will provide manufacturers 
valuable information about commercial fishermen's needs and 
expectations of PFDs. Because the PFD wearability ratings will be 
completed by fishermen during fishing operations, the results may have 
more credibility when they are disseminated to the industry. The PFD 
evaluation will also supply information to fishermen about which types 
of PFDs worked best for different types of fishing operations. There 
are no

[[Page 46084]]

costs to respondents other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per     Total burden
               Type of Respondent                   respondents    responses per   response  (in       hours
                                                                    respondent        hours)
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Fishermen (Survey)..............................             370               1           20/60             123
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Fishermen (Evaluation)..........................             145               3           10/60              73
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............             196
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    Dated: August 10, 2007.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E7-16113 Filed 8-15-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P