[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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