[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 12, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40917-40918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-17411]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-11-0260]


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 404-639-5960 or 
send comments to Daniel Holcomb, 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--Revision (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 320 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. For the purpose of the burden estimates, employers 
includes government, other, and joint requests. About 20% of the total 
number of HHE requests received per year is identified specifically as 
management requests. 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% these evaluations (presently estimated to be 
about 80 facilities), questionnaires are distributed to the employees 
(averaging about 40 employees per site for this last subgroup). No 
specific interview form is

[[Page 40918]]

used. 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 15-30 
minutes to complete. An example of an interview and an HHE specific 
questionnaire used for two separate completed HHEs are included in the 
proposed data collection package.
    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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
      Type of respondent              Form           Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       in hours          hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employees and Representatives.  Health Hazard                211               1           12/60              42
                                 Evaluation
                                 Request Form.
Employers.....................  Health Hazard                109               1           12/60              22
                                 Evaluation
                                 Request Form.
Employees.....................  Health Hazard               3200               1           15/60             800
                                 Evaluation
                                 specific
                                 interview
                                 example.
Employees.....................  Health Hazard               3440               1           30/60            1720
                                 Evaluation
                                 specific
                                 questionnaire
                                 example.
Followback for onsite           Initial Site                 320               1           15/60              80
 evaluations for Management,     Visit survey
 Labor and Requester Year 1.     form.
                                Year 1--Closeout             320               1           15/60              80
                                 for HHE with an
                                 On Site
                                 Evaluation.
                                Year 2--1 year               320               1           15/60              80
                                 Later HHE with
                                 an On Site
                                 Evaluation.
Followback for evaluations for  Year 1--Closeout             120               1           10/60              20
 Management, Labor and           Survey cover
 Requester without onsite        letter and
 evaluation.                     Forms.
                                Year 2--Closeout             120               1           15/60              30
                                 Survey Cover
                                 Letter and
                                 Forms.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............            2874
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Catina Conner,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Center for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-17411 Filed 7-11-11; 8:45 am]
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