[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9921-9922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-03180]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-13-13IF]


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 404-639-7570 
and send comments to Kimberly S. Lane, CDC Reports Clearance Officer, 
1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an email 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

    Pilot Project to Evaluate the Use of Exposure Control Plans for 
Bloodborne Pathogens in Private Dental Practices--New--National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 
healthcare workers sustain nearly 600,000 percutaneous injuries 
annually involving contaminated sharps. In response to both the 
continued concern over such exposures and the technological 
developments which can increase employee protection, Congress passed 
the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act directing the Occupational 
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to revise the Bloodborne 
Pathogens (BBP) Standard to establish requirements that employers 
identify and make use of effective and safer medical devices. That 
revision was published on January 18, 2001, and became effective April 
18, 2001.
    The revision to OSHA's BBP Standard added new requirements for 
employers, including additions to the exposure control plan and 
maintenance of a sharps injury log.
    OSHA has determined that compliance with these standards 
significantly reduces the risk that workers will contract a bloodborne 
disease in the course of their work. However, exposure control plans 
for bloodborne pathogens, policies and standards for healthcare workers 
are based primarily on hospital data.
    Approximately one-half of the 11 million healthcare workers in the 
United States are employed in non-hospital settings, including 
physician offices, home healthcare agencies, correctional facilities, 
and dental offices and clinics. Little information is known about the 
risk management practices in these non-hospital settings. In a small 
study conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health (NIOSH) found that although seven of the eight correctional 
healthcare facilities visited had written exposure control plans, only 
two were reviewed and updated annually as required by the OSHA BBP 
Standard. One reason postulated for non-compliance was that hospital-
based standards, policies, and programs may not be appropriate to non-
hospital settings. It is important to identify effective methods for 
using exposure control plans in non-hospital settings and to verify 
whether the specificity and relevance of bloodborne pathogen training 
and educational materials for non-hospital facilities can positively 
impact compliance in dental settings.
    The purpose of this proposal is to understand how bloodborne 
pathogens exposure control plans are implemented in private dental 
offices, an important segment of the non-hospital based healthcare 
system. The proposed work will draw on research-to-practice principles 
and will be assisted by a strong network of dental professional groups, 
trade associations, and government agencies. Specific objectives are 
to:
    (1) Inventory existing exposure control plans in private dental 
practices;

[[Page 9922]]

    (2) determine whether the exposure control plan or other resource 
is actively used to prevent occupational exposures;
    (3) determine available resources and barriers to use such as 
relevant educational materials, knowledge, costs, availability; and
    (4) develop strategies to overcome key barriers to compliance.

The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) is a unique 
group of dental educators and consultants, researchers, clinicians, 
industry representatives, and other interested persons with a 
collective mission to be the world's leading advocate for the safe and 
infection-free delivery of oral healthcare. OSAP supports this 
commitment to dental workers and the public through quality education 
and information dissemination. OSAP's unique membership includes the 
variety of partners critical to gather the data on compliance with the 
OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard, identify barriers and develop 
strategies to overcome barriers to compliance.
    OSAP will be conducting a web survey of private dental practices in 
the United States. Information collected will include an inventory of 
existing exposure control plans; whether the plan or other resource is 
actively used to prevent occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens; 
available resources and barriers to use such as relevant education 
materials, knowledge, costs, and availability. There are no costs to 
the respondents other than their time. OSAP is working with a 
publishing partner that has an email distribution list of 45,419 
dentists, representing every state in the country. The list represents 
nearly one-third (32%) of the total population of working dentists in 
the United States.
    The targeted number of completed questionnaires is estimated at 
about 22,700 (50% participation rate). The survey is estimated to take 
about 15 minutes for respondents to complete. This survey completion 
scenario yields an annualized hour burden estimate of 5,675 hours.
    There are no costs to respondents other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of      Avg. burden
      Type of respondents           Form name        Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       (in hrs)        (in hrs)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Private Dental Practices......  BBP Exposure              22,700               1           15/60           5,675
                                 Control Plan
                                 Survey.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
Total.........................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............           5,675
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Kimberly S. Lane,
Deputy Director, Office of Scientific Integrity Office of the Associate 
Director for Science, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2013-03180 Filed 2-11-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P