[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 54 (Monday, March 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12133-12134]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-6214]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-09-09BD]


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 404-639-5960 
and send comments to Maryam I. Daneshvar, CDC Acting Reports Clearance 
Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an email 
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

    Field Evaluation of Prototype Kneel-assist Devices in Low-seam 
Mining--New--National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
(NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    NIOSH, under Public Law 91-596, Sections 20 and 22 (Section 20-22, 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970) has the responsibility to 
conduct research relating to innovative methods, techniques, and 
approaches dealing with occupational safety and health problems.
    According to the Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) 
injury database, 227 knee injuries were reported in underground coal 
mining in 2007. With data from the National Institute for Occupational 
Safety and Health (NIOSH), it can be estimated that the financial 
burden of knee injuries was nearly three million dollars in 2007.
    Typically, mine workers utilize kneepads to better distribute the 
pressures at the knee. The effectiveness of these kneepads was only 
recently investigated in a study by NIOSH that has not yet been 
published. The results of this study demonstrated that kneepads do 
decrease the maximum stress applied to the knee albeit not drastically. 
Additionally, the average pressure across the knee remains similar to 
the case where subjects wore no kneepads at all. Thus, the injury data 
and the results of this study suggest the need for the improved design 
of kneel-assist devices such as kneepads. NIOSH is currently 
undertaking the task of designing more effective kneel-assist devices 
such as a kneepad and a padded support worn at the ankle where mine 
workers can comfortably rest their body weight.
    These devices must also be field tested to verify they do not 
result in body discomfort or inadvertent accidents. It is also 
important to determine how usable and durable these devices are in the 
harsh mining environment. In order to quantitatively demonstrate that 
these prototype devices are superior to their predecessors, mine 
workers using these prototypes must be interviewed. Their feedback will 
identify any necessary changes to the design of the devices such that 
NIOSH can ensure the prototypes will be well-accepted by the mining 
community.
    To collect this type of information, a field study must be 
conducted where kneel-assist devices currently used in the mining 
industry (i.e. kneepads) are compared to the new prototype designs. The 
study suggested here would take approximately 13 months.
    A pilot mine will be identified to test the prototype kneel-assist 
devices prior to commencing a full study. The data collected at this 
pilot mine will ensure that the prototype kneel-assist devices are 
likely to be successful. Data will be collected via interviews with 
individual mine workers and through a focus group where all mine 
workers come together to express their opinions about the devices. If 
the prototype kneel-assist devices do not appear to be successful, the 
data collected will be used to adequately redesign them and the above 
described process will begin again. If the prototype kneel-assist 
devices appear to be successful, the full study will commence.
    Once the full study is ready to commence, cooperating mines will be 
identified. Every month, the section foreman at the cooperating mines 
will be asked to supply some information regarding the current mine 
environment.
    Initially, the mine workers will be given a control kneel-assist 
device. Currently, mine workers only utilize kneepads as a kneel-assist 
device. Therefore, only a control kneepad will be provided. They will 
then be asked some basic demographics information

[[Page 12134]]

such as their age and time in the mining industry. Additional data will 
then be collected at 1, 3, and 6 months after the study commences. The 
mine workers will be asked to provide their feedback regarding factors 
such as body part discomfort, usability, durability, and ease of 
movement.
    There will be no cost to the respondents.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Number of    Average burden
                   Respondents                        Number of     responses per    per response   Total burden
                                                     respondents     respondent      (in hours)      (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section Foreman (pilot mine).....................               1               1           10/60            0.5
Mine Workers (pilot mine--baseline)..............               9               1           20/60            3
Mine Workers (pilot mine--one month).............               9               1           30/60            4.5
Mine Workers (pilot mine--focus group)...........               9               1               1            9
Section Foreman (full study).....................               6              12           10/60           12
Mine Workers (full study--baseline)..............              54               1           20/60           18
Mine Workers (full study--1, 3, and 6 months for               54               6           25/60          135
 control and prototypes).........................
                                                  --------------------------------------------------------------
    Total........................................  ..............  ..............  ..............          182
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    Dated: March 11, 2009.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
 [FR Doc. E9-6214 Filed 3-20-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P