[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54828-54829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22190]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket Number NIOSH-109]


Review of NIOSH Draft Current Intelligence Bulletin, ``A Strategy 
for Assigning the New NIOSH Skin Notations for Chemicals''

AGENCY: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
(NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting and availability for Public Comment.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
(NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is 
conducting a public review of the NIOSH document ``CIB: A Strategy for 
Assigning the New NIOSH Skin Notations for Chemicals.'' This draft 
Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB) was developed to provide the 
scientific rationale and framework for a strategy for the assignment of 
multiple skin notations capable of distinguishing between systemic, 
localized, and sensitizing health effects of dermal chemical exposures. 
The strategy has

[[Page 54829]]

been designed to (1) communicate the current state of knowledge on 
hazards to workers' health from dermal exposures, (2) address the 
conceptual shortcomings of the current NIOSH skin notation represented 
by the symbol [skin], (3) recognize the health risks associated with 
contact of the skin with chemicals beyond dermal absorption, and (4) 
increase the transparency of the process for assigning the new NIOSH 
skin notations. The CIB can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/review/public/109.
    Public Meeting Time and Date: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. EDT, November 6, 2008.
    Place: NIOSH, Robert A. Taft Laboratories, Taft Auditorium, 4676 
Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226.
    Status: The forum will include scientists and representatives from 
various government agencies, industry, labor, and other stakeholders, 
and is open to the public, limited only by the space available (the 
room accommodates approximately 80 people). Due to limited space, 
notification of intent to attend the meeting must be made to the NIOSH 
Docket Officer, no later than October 22, 2008. The NIOSH Docket 
Officer can be reached at (513) 533-8611 or by e-mail at 
[email protected]. Requests to attend the meeting will be 
accommodated on a first-come basis.
    Non-U.S. Citizens: Because of CDC Security Regulations, any non-
U.S. citizen wishing to attend this meeting must provide the following 
information in writing to the NIOSH Docket Officer at the address below 
no later than October 15, 2008.
    1. Name:
    2. Gender:
    3. Date of Birth:
    4. Place of Birth (city, province, state, country):
    5. Citizenship:
    6. Passport Number:
    7. Date of Passport Issue:
    8. Date of Passport Expiration:
    9. Type of Visa:
    10. U.S. Naturalization Number (if a naturalized citizen):
    11. U.S. Naturalization Date (if a naturalized citizen):
    12. Visitor's Organization:
    13. Organization Address:
    14. Organization Telephone Number:
    15. Visitor's Position/Title within the Organization:
    This information will be transmitted to the CDC Security Office for 
approval. Visitors will be notified as soon as approval has been 
obtained.
    Purpose of the Meeting: To discuss and obtain comments on the draft 
CIB, ``A Strategy for Assigning the New NIOSH Skin Notations for 
Chemicals.'' Special emphasis will be placed on discussion of the 
following issues:
    1. Are the proposed classes of skin notations appropriate?
    2. Are the proposed criteria for assigning each type of skin 
notation appropriate?
    3. Is the proposed assignment of multiple skin notations useful for 
protecting workers from dermal hazards?
    4. Should the sensitizing effects (SEN) notation apply strictly to 
allergic contact dermatitis or is it appropriate to assign the SEN 
notation for other immune-mediate responses, such as respiratory 
sensitization, airway hyperactivity and mucosal inflammation, 
associated with dermal exposure to a compound?
    5. Does the proposed harmonization scheme found in Appendix G.2 
link the new NIOSH skin notations and The Globally Harmonized System of 
Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) assignments 
sufficiently?
    6. Should additional information be included within document? If 
so, what?
    7. Do the data cited support the objectives of the document?
    8. Are the conclusions appropriate in light of the current 
understanding of the toxicological data?
    This document may be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/review/public/109/.
    Written comments may be submitted to the NIOSH Docket Officer, 
Robert A. Taft Laboratories, 4676 Columbia Parkway, M/S C-34, 
Cincinnati, OH 45226, telephone (513) 533-8611, facsimile (513) 533-
8230. Comments may also be submitted via e-mail to 
[email protected]. All electronic comments should be formatted as 
Microsoft Word. Comments must be submitted to NIOSH no later than 
November 7, 2008, and should reference docket number NIOSH-109 in the 
subject heading. Oral comments made at the public meeting must also be 
submitted to the docket in writing in order to be considered by the 
Agency.
    All information received in response to this notice will be 
available for public examination and copying at the NIOSH Docket 
Office, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226.
    Contact Person for Technical Information: Scott Dotson, Industrial 
Hygienist, NIOSH, CDC, telephone (513) 533-8540, M/S C-32, Robert A. 
Taft Laboratories, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226.

    Dated: September 15, 2008.
James D. Seligman,
Chief Information Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. E8-22190 Filed 9-22-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P