[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 39 (Wednesday, February 27, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10469-10470]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3639]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Submission for OMB Review: Comment Request

February 20, 2008.
    The Department of Labor (DOL) hereby announces the submission of 
the following public information collection requests (ICR) to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 
U.S.C. chapter 35). A copy of each ICR, with applicable supporting 
documentation; including among other things a description of the likely 
respondents, proposed frequency of response, and estimated total burden 
may be obtained from the RegInfo.gov Web site at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain or by contacting Darrin King on 202-
693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number)/e-mail: [email protected].
    Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: John Kraemer, OMB Desk 
Officer for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Office of 
Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10235, Washington, DC 
20503, Telephone: 202-395-4816/ Fax: 202-395-6974 (these are not toll-
free numbers), E-mail: [email protected] within 30 days from 
the date of this publication in the Federal Register. In order to 
ensure the appropriate consideration, comments should reference the 
applicable OMB Control Number (see below).
    The OMB 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 submission of responses.
    Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
    Type of Review: Extension without change of currently approved 
collection.
    Title: Mine Accident, Injury & Illness Report and Quarterly Mine 
Employment and Coal Production Report (30 CFR 50.10; 50.11; 50.20; and 
50.30).
    OMB Control Number: 1219-0007.
    Form Number: MSHA-7000-1 and MSHA-7000-2.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 22,295.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 270,666.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost Burden: $31,993.
    Affected Public: Private Sector: Business or other for-profit 
(Mines).
    Description: The reporting and recordkeeping provisions in 30 CFR 
part 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. See section 
103 of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.
    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.
    Section 50.30(a) requires mine operators and independent 
contractors working on mine property to report quarterly employment and 
coal production to MSHA on Form 7000-2. MSHA tabulates and analyzes the 
information from MSHA Form 7000-1, along with data from MSHA Form 7000-
2, Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report to compute 
incidence and severity rates for various

[[Page 10470]]

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.
    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. The data 
gathered from this collection provides MSHA with the figures upon which 
to base its incidence rate calculations and trend analyses. 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.
    MSHA also uses this information to target its inspection and 
assistance activities toward those mines, industry segments, and 
geographical areas which the current data demonstrate as having 
particular problems. Injury rates must be computed at least quarterly 
for MSHA to target its enforcement and assistance resources. Less 
frequent data collection would neither be timely nor statistically 
valid for this purpose.
    The mining industry uses this quarterly injury incidence data in 
its efforts to reduce injuries and illnesses. MSHA's compilations are 
the only source of information which permit a particular mining 
operation to compare its record with that of similar mines. Coal 
production data are used in various analyses that range from a 
comparative nature to complex modeling--such as the Cost of Injury 
Model developed through research. Additionally, this information 
impacts the evaluation and review of MSHA's regulations, the 
development of new safety and health standards, and the evaluation of 
MSHA's programs. For additional information, see related notice 
published at 72 FR 70348 on December 11, 2007.
    Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
    Type of Review: Extension without change of currently approved 
collection.
    Title: Qualification/Certification Program and Man Hoist Operators 
Physical Fitness.
    OMB Number: 1219-0127.
    Form Number: MSHA-5000-41.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,721.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 15,355.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost Burden: $8,047.
    Affected Public: Private Sector: Business or other for-profit 
(Mines).
    Description: Title 30 CFR 75.159 and 77.106 require coal mine 
operators to maintain a list of persons who are certified and those who 
are qualified to perform duties which require specialized expertise at 
underground and surface coal mines, i.e., conduct examinations for 
hazardous conditions, conduct tests for methane and oxygen deficiency, 
conduct tests of air flow, perform electrical work, repair energized 
surface high-voltage lines, and perform duties of hoisting engineer. 
The recorded information is necessary to ensure that only persons who 
are properly trained and have the required number of years of 
experience are permitted to perform these duties. MSHA does not specify 
a format for the recordkeeping; however, it normally consists of the 
names of the certified and qualified persons listed in two columns on a 
sheet of paper. One column is for certified persons and the other is 
for qualified persons.
    Sections 75.100 and 77.100 pertain to the certification of certain 
persons to perform specific examinations and tests. Sections 75.155 and 
77.105 outline the requirements necessary to be qualified as a hoisting 
engineer or hoist man. Also, under Sec. Sec.  75.160, 75.161, 77.107 
and 77.107-1, the mine operator must have an approved training plan 
developed to train and retrain the qualified and certified people to 
effectively do their tasks.
    These regulations recognize State certification and qualification 
programs. However, where State programs are not available, MSHA may 
certify and qualify persons. The MSHA program will continue to qualify 
or certify individuals as long as these individuals meet the 
requirements for certification or qualification, fulfill any applicable 
retraining requirements, and remain employed at the same mine or by the 
same independent contractor.
    Applications for Secretarial qualification or certification are 
submitted to the MSHA Qualification and Certification Unit in Denver, 
Colorado. MSHA Form 5000-41 provides the coal mining industry with a 
standardized reporting format that expedites the certification and 
qualification process while ensuring compliance with the regulations.
    MSHA uses the Form's information to determine if applicants satisfy 
the requirements to obtain the certification or qualification sought. 
Persons must meet certain minimum experience requirements depending on 
the type of certification or qualification.
    The information is used by the mine operator and MSHA enforcement 
personnel to determine whether certified and qualified persons, who are 
properly trained, are conducting tests or examinations, and operating 
hoisting equipment.
    Form 5000-41 allows mining operators to report to MSHA the names of 
persons who have satisfactorily completed required mine foreman and 
hoisting training. MSHA uses the information to issue certification/
qualification cards to those persons who are certified/qualified.
    Mine operators also use the Form to submit an application to 
certify miners to perform specific required examinations and tests, or 
to qualify miners as hoisting engineers or hoist men, in States without 
certification programs. The Qualification and Certification Unit then 
mails the applicant a certificate. This certification satisfies the law 
where State certification programs are not available. For additional 
information, see related notice published at 72 FR 70349 on December 
11, 2007.

Darrin A. King,
Acting Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-3639 Filed 2-26-08; 8:45 am]
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