[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
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Number of Average burden
Type of respondent Form Number of responses per per response Total burden
respondents respondent in hours hours
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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.
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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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