[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 129 (Thursday, July 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38222-38223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-15179]



[[Page 38222]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-08-0260]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-5960 or send an e-mail 
to [email protected]. Send written comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of 
Management and Budget, Washington, DC or by fax to (202) 395-6974. 
Written comments should be received within 30 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 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 
requester: 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 requester. 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% 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.
    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. 
Another follow-back questionnaire is sent a year later. A final follow-
back questionnaire regarding the completed evaluation is sent.
    For requests where NIOSH does not conduct an onsite evaluation, the 
requester is sent a follow-back questionnaire 12 months after NIOSH's 
response and a second one at 24 months. 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 are no costs to respondents other than their time. The 
total estimated annualized burden hours are 4007.

                                        Estimated Annualized burden Hours
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                                                                                         Number of     Average
                                                                            Number of    responses    Burden per
           Type of respondent                           Form               respondents      per      response in
                                                                                         respondent     hours
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Employees and Representatives...........  Health Hazard Evaluation                 302            1        12/60
                                           Request Form.
Employers...............................  Health Hazard Evaluation                 118            1        12/60
                                           Request Form.
Employees...............................  Health Hazard Evaluation                4200            1        15/60
                                           specific interview example.
Employees...............................  Health Hazard Evaluation                4440            1        30/60
                                           specific questionnaire example.
Followback for onsite evaluations for     Initial Site Visit survey form.          840            1        15/60
 Management, Labor and Requester.
Followback for onsite evaluations for     Closeout for HHE with an OnSite          840            1        15/60
 Management, Labor and Requester.          Evaluation.
Followback for onsite evaluations for     1 year Later HHE with an On              840            1        15/60
 Management, Labor and Requester.          Site Evaluation.

[[Page 38223]]

 
Followback for evaluations for            Followback I Survey cover                 55            1        10/60
 Management, Labor and Requester without   letter and Forms.
 onsite evaluation.
Followback for evaluations for            Followback II Survey Cover                55            1        15/60
 Management, Labor and Requester without   Letter and Forms.
 onsite evaluation.
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    Dated: June 27, 2008.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E8-15179 Filed 7-2-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P