[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 250 (Monday, December 31, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77181-77183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-31382]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA 2012-0006-N-18]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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[[Page 77182]]

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its 
implementing regulations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 
hereby announces that it is seeking approval of the following proposed 
information collection activities. Before submitting this proposed 
information collection request (ICR) for clearance by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting public comment on 
specific aspects of the activities identified below.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than March 1, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on any or all of the following 
proposed activities by mail to either: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of 
Safety, Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 
20590, or Ms. Kimberly Toone, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, 
Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 
35, Washington, DC 20590. Commenters requesting FRA to acknowledge 
receipt of their respective comments must include a self-addressed 
stamped postcard stating, ``Comments on OMB control number 2130-New'' 
and should also include the title of the collection of information. 
Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-
6216 or (202) 493-6497, or via email to Mr. Brogan at 
[email protected], or to Ms. Toone at [email protected]. 
Please refer to the assigned OMB control number in any correspondence 
submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in response to this 
notice in a subsequent notice and include them in its information 
collection submission to OMB for approval.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of Planning 
and Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 
New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: 
(202) 493-6292) or Ms. Kimberly Toone, Office of Information 
Technology, RAD-20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey 
Ave. SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-
6132). (These telephone numbers are not toll-free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Public Law 104-13, Sec.  2, 109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised 
at 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 
1320, require Federal agencies to provide 60-days notice to the public 
for comment on information collection activities before seeking 
approval for reinstatement or renewal by OMB. 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 
5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.10(e)(1), 1320.12(a). Specifically, FRA 
invites interested respondents to comment on the following summary of 
proposed information collection activities regarding (i) whether the 
information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly 
execute its functions, including whether the activities will have 
practical utility; (ii) the accuracy of FRA's estimates of the burden 
of the information collection activities, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates; (iii) ways 
for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
being collected; and (iv) ways for FRA to minimize the burden of 
information collection activities on the public by automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology (e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses). See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)(I)-(iv); 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)(1)(I)-(iv). FRA believes that soliciting public comment will 
promote its efforts to reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens 
associated with the collection of information mandated by Federal 
regulations. In summary, FRA reasons that comments received will 
advance three objectives: (i) Reduce reporting burdens; (ii) ensure 
that it organizes information collection requirements in a ``user 
friendly'' format to improve the use of such information; and (iii) 
accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce 
information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
    Below is a brief summary of the proposed Information Collection 
Request (ICR) that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as required 
under the PRA:
    Title: Electronic Device Distraction (EDD) Survey
    OMB Control Number: 2130-New
    Abstract: Operating railroad equipment while being distracted by 
the use of electronic devices (e.g., phones, game consoles, personal 
computers, etc.) is known to be a factor in some accidents and 
suspected of being the cause of many others in the railroad industry. 
It is also known that such use is dangerous, as evidenced by several 
high profile accidents in the railroad industry, and by research on 
distraction in other transportation modes. Consequently, the Department 
of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 
have a keen interest in devising counter measures to reduce the 
incidence of electronic device distraction (EDD) in the railroad 
industry. In order to devise effective countermeasures, FRA believes a 
survey of select rail employees would be extremely beneficial. 
Therefore, FRA proposes to sample railroad employees spread across the 
jobs of conductors, engineers, signalmen, maintenance of way, car 
repair personnel, machinists, and supervisors. The agency's interest is 
shared by rail labor and management representatives, who are strongly 
supporting this survey and cooperating in its administration. All 
involved realize that effective counter measures to EDD must be based 
on a trustworthy understanding of the following: (1) Who is engaged in 
EDD, (2) under what circumstances they use these devices, (3) which 
devices are used, (4) reasons for use, and (5) frequency of use for 
each kind of device. Effective interventions cannot be designed, 
implemented, or evaluated without accurate information on these topics. 
The proposed survey is designed to provide this information, first as a 
baseline, and, in four subsequent years, as a way of tracking and 
evaluating change. For reasons of effectiveness and efficiency, the 
survey will be conducted primarily via the Web, augmented as needed 
with email communications.
    Form Number(s): FRA F 680.158.
    Affected Public: Railroad Employees.
    Respondent Universe: 11,000 Railroad Employees.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                                                                                             Total
                                                        Respondent         Total annual      Average Time   annual
                                    CFR section          universe            responses       per response   burden
                                                                                                             hours
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Form FRA F 6180.158...........  11,000 Railroad     11,000 forms/       20 minutes........           3,667
                                 Employees.          surveys.
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[[Page 77183]]

    Total Responses: 11,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 3,667 hours.
    Type of Request: Approval of a New Information Collection.
    Status: Regular Review.
    Pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b), 
1320.8(b)(3)(vi), FRA informs all interested parties that it may not 
conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, a 
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. Sec. Sec.  3501-3520.

    Issued in Washington, DC on December 21, 2012.
Rebecca Pennington,
Chief Financial Officer, Federal Railroad Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-31382 Filed 12-28-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P