[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 214 (Monday, November 5, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66502-66503]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-26936]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
[Docket Number: RITA-2008-0002]
Agency Information Collection Activity; Notice of Request for
Approval to Collect New Information: Confidential Close Call Reporting
for Transit Rail System
AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Research and
Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), U.S. Department of
Transportation.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(A)
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the
intention of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics to request the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the following
information collection: Confidential Close Call Reporting for Transit
Rail System. This data collection effort supports a multi-year program
focused on improving transit rail safety by collecting and analyzing
data and information on close calls and other unsafe occurrences in the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) rail system. The
program is co-sponsored by WMATA's Office of the Deputy General Manager
Operations (DGMO) and the President/Business Agent of the Amalgamated
Transit Union (ATU) Local 689. It is designed to identify safety issues
and propose corrective actions based on voluntary reports of close
calls submitted confidentially to the Bureau of Transportation
Statistics (BTS), U.S. Department of Transportation. This information
collection is necessary to aid WMATA/ATU in systematically collecting
and analyzing data to identify root causes of potentially unsafe
events.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted by January 4, 2013.
ADDRESSES: To ensure that your comments are not entered more than once
into the docket, submit comments by only one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your
comments electronically. Docket Number: RITA-2008-2002.
Mail: Docket Management Facility (DMF), U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building, Ground
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery: Deliver to mail address above between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Fax: (202) 493-2251. Identify all transmission with
``Docket Number RITA-2008-0002'' at the beginning of each page of the
document.
Instructions: All comments must include the agency name and docket
number for this notice. Paper comments should be submitted in
duplicate. The DMF is open for examination and copying, at the above
address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays. If you wish to receive confirmation of receipt of
your written comments, please include a self-addressed, stamped
postcard with the following statement: ``Comments on Docket RITA-2008-
0002.'' The Docket Clerk will date stamp the postcard prior to
returning it to you via the U.S. mail. Please note that all comments
received, including any personal information, will be posted and will
be available on the Internet users, without change, at
www.regulations.gov. You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act
Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (Volume
65, Number 70; pages 19477-78) or you may review the Privacy Act
Statement at www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Demetra V. Collia, Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, Research and Innovative Technology
Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Advanced
Studies, RTS-31, E324-302, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC
20590-0001; Phone No. (202) 366-1610; Fax No. (202) 366-3383; email:
[email protected]. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., EST,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
[[Page 66503]]
Data Confidentiality Provisions: The confidentiality of Close Call
data is protected under the BTS confidentiality statute (49 U.S.C.
6307) and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical
Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-347, Title V). In
accordance with these confidentiality statutes, only statistical and
non-identifying data will be made publicly available through reports.
BTS will not release to WMATA/ATU or any other public or private entity
any information that might reveal the identity of individuals or
organizations mentioned in close call reports without explicit consent
of the respondent.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. The Data Collection
The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35; as
amended) and 5 CFR part 1320 require each Federal agency to obtain OMB
approval to initiate an information collection activity. BTS is seeking
OMB approval for the following BTS information collection activity:
Title: Confidential Close Call Reporting for Transit Rail System
OMB Control Number: TBD.
Type of Review: Approval of data collection.
Respondents: WMATA rail employees.
Number of Respondents: 400 (per annum).
Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.
Frequency: Intermittent for 5 years. (Reports are submitted when
there is a qualifying event, i.e., when a close call occurs within
WMATA's rail system.)
Total Annual Burden: 400 hours.
Abstract: Collecting safety data on the nation's transportation
system is an important component of BTS's responsibility to the
transportation community and is authorized in BTS statute (49 U.S.C.
6302). BTS and WMATA/ATU share a common interest in promoting transit
rail safety based on accurate information. To that end, WMATA's Office
of the Deputy General Manager Operations (DGMO) and ATU's President/
Business Agent are sponsoring the Confidential Close Call Reporting for
Transit Safety Rail System (C\3\RTSRS) project to investigate the
effectiveness of such system in improving transit rail safety. A close
call is a situation or circumstance that had the potential for safety
consequences, but did not result in an adverse safety event. Knowledge
about a close call presents an opportunity to address unsafe work
conditions and improve safety in the workplace.
It is estimated that the time to complete a close report and
participate in a brief confidential interview will be no than 60
minutes for a maximum total burden of 400 hours (400 reports*60
minutes/60 = 400 hours). Reports are submitted when there is a
qualifying event, i.e., a close call occurs within WMATA's rail system.
II. Background
Collecting data on the nation's transportation system is an
important component of BTS' mission and responsibility to the
transportation community as stated in its authorizing statute (49
U.S.C. 6302). BTS and WMATA/ATU share a common interest in promoting
rail transit safety through the use of timely, accurate, and relevant
data. WMATA/ATU is sponsoring the Confidential Close Call Reporting for
Transit Rail System (C\3\RTRS) project to improve transit rail safety
by studying the effectiveness of its own rail system through data and
information collected from reported close calls.
A close call is a situation or circumstance that had the potential
for safety consequences, but did not result in an adverse safety event.
Knowledge about a close call presents an opportunity to address unsafe
work conditions, prevent accidents, and improve safety in the
workplace.
BTS will collect close call reports submitted by WMATA rail
employees, conduct employee interviews, as needed, develop an
analytical database containing the reported data and other pertinent
information, provide statistical analysis to WMATA, and protect the
confidentiality of these data through its own statute (49 U.S.C. 6302)
and CIPSEA. Accordingly, only statistical and non-sensitive information
will be made available through publications and reports.
Voluntary reporting of close calls to a confidential system can
provide a tool to identify and correct weaknesses in WMATA's transit
rail system and help prevent accidents. The C\3\RTRS project will
foster a voluntary, cooperative, non-punitive environment to
communicate safety concerns. Through the analysis of close calls the
WMATA/ATU will receive information about factors that may contribute to
unsafe events and use that information to develop new training programs
and identify root causes of potentially adverse events. The database
will also potentially provide researchers with valuable information
regarding precursors to safety risks and contribute to research and
development of intervention programs aimed at preventing accidents and
fatalities.
Employees involved in reporting a close call incident will be asked
to fill out a report and participate in a brief, confidential
interview. Employees will have the option to mail or submit the report
electronically to BTS. Participants will be asked to provide
information such as: (1) Name and contact information; (2) time and
location of the event; (3) a short description of the event; (4)
contributing factors to the close call; and (5) any other information
that might be useful in determining a root cause of such event.
III. Request for Public Comment
BTS requests comments on any aspects of this information collection
request, including: (1) The accuracy of the estimated burden of 400
hours detailed in Section I; (2) ways to enhance the quality,
usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (3) ways to
minimize the collection burden without reducing the quality of the
information collected, including additional use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Issued on: --October 25, 2012.
Patricia Hu,
Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Research and Innovative
Technology Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-26936 Filed 11-2-12; 8:45 am]
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