[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 70 (Thursday, April 10, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19504-19506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7560]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-08-0260]


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 Daneshvar, CDC Assistant 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

    Health Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance--Requests and 
Emerging Problems--Reinstatement (OMB No. 0920-0260)--National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    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 to requests for health hazard evaluations (HHE) to identify 
chemical, biological or

[[Page 19505]]

physical hazards in workplaces throughout the United States. Each year, 
NIOSH receives approximately 400 such requests. Most HHE requests come 
from the following types of companies: Service, manufacturing 
companies, health and social services, transportation, construction, 
agriculture/mining, skilled trade and construction. A printed Health 
Hazard Evaluation request form is available in English and in Spanish. 
The form is also available on the Internet and differs from the printed 
version only in format and in the fact that it uses an Internet address 
to submit the form to NIOSH. Both the printed and Internet versions of 
the form provide the mechanism for employees, employers, and other 
authorized representatives to supply the information required by the 
regulations governing the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation program (42 
CFR 85.3-1). In general, if employees are submitting the form it must 
contain the signatures of three or more current employees. However, 
regulations allow a single signature if the requestor: Is one of three 
(3) or fewer employees in the process, operation, or job of concern; or 
is any officer of a labor union representing the employees for 
collective bargaining purposes. An individual management official may 
request an evaluation on behalf of the employer. The information 
provided is used by NIOSH to determine whether there is reasonable 
cause to justify conducting an investigation and provides a mechanism 
to respond to the requestor.
    In the case of 25% to 50% of the health hazard evaluation requests 
received, NIOSH determines an on-site evaluation is needed. The primary 
purpose of an on-site evaluation is to help employers and employees 
identify and eliminate occupational health hazards. In most on-site 
evaluations employees are interviewed to help further define concerns, 
and in approximately 50% of these evaluations (presently estimated to 
be about 100 facilities), questionnaires are distributed to the 
employees (averaging about 40 employees per site for this last 
subgroup). The interview and survey questions are specific to each 
workplace and its suspected diseases and hazards, however, items are 
derived from standard medical and epidemiologic techniques. The request 
forms take an estimated 12 minutes to complete. The interview forms 
take 30 minutes to complete.
    NIOSH distributes interim and final reports of health hazard 
evaluations, excluding personal identifiers, to: Requesters, employers, 
employee representatives; the Department of Labor (Occupational Safety 
and Health Administration or Mine Safety and Health Administration, as 
appropriate); and, as needed, other state and federal agencies.
    NIOSH administers a follow-back program to assess the effectiveness 
of its health hazard evaluation program in reducing workplace hazards. 
This program entails the mailing of follow-back questionnaires to 
employer and employee representatives at all the workplaces where NIOSH 
conducted site visits. In a small number of instances, a follow-back 
on-site evaluation may be conducted. The initial follow-back 
questionnaire is administrated immediately following the site visits 
and takes about 15 minutes. Another follow-back questionnaire is sent a 
year later and requires about 15 minutes to complete. At 24 months, a 
final follow-back questionnaire regarding the completed evaluation is 
sent which takes about 15 minutes to complete.
    For requests where NIOSH does not conduct an onsite evaluation, the 
requester receives a follow-back questionnaire 12 months after our 
response and a second one 24 months after our response. The first 
questionnaire takes about 10 minutes to complete and the second 
questionnaire takes about 15 minutes to complete.
    Because of the large number of investigations conducted each year, 
the need to respond quickly to requests for assistance, the diverse and 
unpredictable nature of these investigations, and its follow-back 
program to assess evaluation effectiveness; NIOSH requests an umbrella 
clearance for data collections performed within the domain of its 
health hazard evaluation program.
    There is no cost to respondents other than their time.

                                       Estimate of Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per     Total burden
      Type of respondent              Form          respondents    responses per    response in        hours
                                                                    respondent         hours
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Employees and Representatives.  Health Hazard                302               1           12/60              60
                                 Evaluation
                                 Request Form.
Employers.....................  Health Hazard                118               1           12/60              24
                                 Evaluation
                                 Request Form.
Employees.....................  Health Hazard               4200               1           15/60            1050
                                 Evaluation
                                 specific
                                 interview
                                 example.
Employees.....................  Health Hazard               4440               1           30/60            2220
                                 Evaluation
                                 specific
                                 questionnaire
                                 example.
Followback for onsite           Initial Site                 840               1           15/60             210
 evaluations for Management,     Visit survey
 Labor and Requester.            form.
Followback for onsite           Closeout for HHE             840               1           15/60             210
 evaluations for Management,     with an OnSite
 Labor and Requester.            Evaluation.
Followback for onsite           1 year later HHE             840               1           15/60             210
 evaluations for Management,     with an OnSite
 Labor and Requester.            Evaluation.
Followback for evaluations for  Followback I                  55               1           10/60               9
 Management, Labor and           Survey cover
 Requester without onsite        letter and
 evaluation.                     Forms.
Followback for evaluations for  Followback II                 55               1           15/60              14
 Management, Labor and           Survey Cover
 Requester without onsite        Letter and
 evaluation.                     Forms.
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[[Page 19506]]

 
    Total Burden Hours........  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............            4007
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    Dated: March 28, 2008.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports and Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
 [FR Doc. E8-7560 Filed 4-9-08; 8:45 am]
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