[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 183 (Wednesday, September 21, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58515-58517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-24187]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-11-0260]


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) 395-5806. 
Written comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Health Hazard Evaluation/Technical Assistance and Emerging 
Problems--Revision (OMB No. 0920-0260 Exp. 1/31/2012)--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

[[Page 58516]]

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. 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). 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.
    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 federal, state, and local 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 10 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 a clearance of the revised 
information collection package for data collections performed within 
the domain of its health hazard evaluation program. There is no cost to 
respondents other than their time. The total estimated annual burden 
hours are 2874.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
          Type of respondent                      Form               Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents      resondent       in hours
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Employees and Representatives;.......  Health Hazard Evaluation              211               1           12/60
                                        Request Form.
Employers............................  Health Hazard Evaluation              109               1           12/60
                                        Request Form.
Employees............................  Health Hazard Evaluation             3200               1           15/60
                                        specific interview
                                        example.
Employees............................  Health Hazard Evaluation             3440               1           30/60
                                        specific questionnaire
                                        example.
Followback for onsite evaluations for  Initial Site Visit survey             320               1           15/60
 Management, Labor and Requester Year   form.
 1.
                                       Year 1-Closeout for HHE               320               1           15/60
                                        with an OnSite
                                        Evaluation.
                                       Year 2-1 year Later HHE               320               1           15/60
                                        with an On Site
                                        Evaluation.
Followback for evaluations for         Year 1-Closeout Survey                120               1           10/60
 Management, Labor and Requester        cover letter and Forms.
 without onsite evaluation.
                                       Year 2-Closeout Survey                120               1           15/60
                                        Cover Letter and Forms.
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[[Page 58517]]

    Dated: September 13, 2011.
Daniel Holcomb,
Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-24187 Filed 9-20-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P