[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 102 (Tuesday, May 28, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31897-31898]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-12552]


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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

[Docket No. CPSC-2011-0074]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; CPSC Table Saw User Survey

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) is 
announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection 
of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice in the 
Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information and 
to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This 
notice solicits comments on a survey of table saw users to determine 
the effectiveness of modular blade guards.

DATES: Submit written or electronic comments on the collection of 
information by July 29, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CPSC-2011-
0074, by any of the following methods:
    Electronic Submissions: Submit electronic comments to the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments. The Commission does not accept 
comments submitted by electronic mail (email), except through 
www.regulations.gov. The Commission encourages you to submit electronic 
comments by using the Federal eRulemaking Portal, as described above.
    Written Submissions: Submit written submissions in the following 
way: Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for paper, disk, or CD-ROM 
submissions), preferably in five copies, to: Office of the Secretary, 
Consumer Product Safety Commission, Room 820, 4330 East West Highway, 
Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone (301) 504-7923.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number for this notice. All comments received may be posted 
without change, including any personal identifiers, contact 
information, or other personal information provided, to: http://www.regulations.gov. Do not submit confidential business information, 
trade secret information, or other sensitive or protected information 
that you do not want to be available to the public. If furnished at 
all, such information should be submitted in writing.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to: http://www.regulations.gov, and insert the 
docket number, CPSC-2011-0074, into the ``Search'' box, and follow the 
prompts. A copy of the draft survey is available at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. CPSC-2011-0074, Supporting and 
Related Materials.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert H. Squibb, Consumer Product 
Safety Commission, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; (301) 
504-7815, or by email to: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal 
agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. 
``Collection of information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 
1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of 
the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a 
third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) 
requires federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal 
Register concerning each proposed collection of information before 
submitting the collection to OMB for approval. Accordingly, the CPSC is 
publishing notice of the proposed collection of information set forth 
in this document.

A. Table Saw User Survey

    The CPSC is considering whether a new performance safety standard 
is needed to address an unreasonable risk of injury associated with 
table saws. On October 11, 2011, the Commission published an advance 
notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) for table saws, under the Consumer 
Product Safety Act (CPSA), 15 U.S.C. 2051-2084. (76 FR 62678). The ANPR 
explained that under the current voluntary standard, UL 987, Stationary 
and Fixed Electric Tools, published in November 2007, a new modular 
blade guard design, developed by a joint venture of the leading table 
saw manufacturers, expanded the table saw guarding requirements. The 
new blade guard did not consist of a hood, but rather, a top-barrier 
guarding element and two side-barrier guarding elements. The new 
modular guard design was intended to be an improvement over traditional 
hood guard designs, by providing better visibility, by being easier to 
remove and install, and by

[[Page 31898]]

incorporating a permanent riving knife design. The revised standard 
also specified detailed design and performance requirements for the 
modular blade guard, riving knife, and anti-kickback device(s). The 
effective date for the new requirements in UL 987 was January 31, 2010.
    In the ANPR, the Commission expressed concern that the requirements 
in the voluntary standard for table saws, UL 987, which include a 
permanent riving knife and the new modular blade guard system, may not 
adequately address the operator blade contact injuries associated with 
table saw use. The Commission stated that:

    While we support the recent progress UL has made in improving 
the voluntary standard to address blade contact injuries by focusing 
solely on prevention of skin-to-blade contact, the standard 
requirements do not appear to address adequately the number or 
severity of blade contact injuries that occur on table saws, nor do 
they address the associated societal costs. In addition, while we 
believe that the new modular guard design is a significant 
improvement over the old guard design, the effectiveness of any 
blade guard system depends upon an operator's willingness to use it. 
Safety equipment that hinders the ability to operate the product 
likely will result in consumers bypassing, avoiding, or discarding 
the safety equipment. In addition, of the 66,900 table saw operator 
blade contact injuries in 2007 and 2008, approximately 20,700 
(30.9%) of the injuries occurred on table saws where the blade guard 
was in use. The current voluntary standard for table saws does not 
appear to address those types of injuries. Accordingly, we are 
particularly interested in obtaining information regarding current 
or developing voluntary standards that would address table saw blade 
contact injuries.

76 FR 62683. Currently, the CPSC does not know how consumers are using 
the new modular blade guard. Because the usage patterns are directly 
linked to the safety of the user, additional data are needed to 
understand how consumers use the modular blade guard to determine how 
effective the design will be in preventing future injuries. The data 
collected from this survey will be used to help CPSC staff understand 
better how consumers are using the modular blade guard system, such as 
when consumers install and remove the blade guard, what type of cuts 
are being made without the blade guard, and/or what may be preventing 
the use of the blade guard. With additional information, the Commission 
will be able to evaluate the role of modular blade guards in the 
proposed rule. The data, along with testing results, subject matter 
input analysis, and other study information, will be used by the 
Commission to develop the proposed rule addressing consumer injuries 
associated with table saws.
    To gather the information, the CPSC will conduct a survey of 
consumers who own table saws with a modular blade guard system. Because 
the population of owners of table saws that were purchased with a 
modular blade guard is a specific and hard-to-reach population, the 
survey will be based on a convenience sample of participants recruited 
by various advertisement strategies. No results from the survey will be 
generalized to the population. To recruit respondents, advertisements 
will be placed on popular Web sites, in woodworking magazines, and 
posted in woodworking guilds with their cooperation. Respondents will 
have the option to go through a screening process, either online, or 
via the telephone. Respondents meeting the criteria of the survey--
owners of table saws with the modular blade guard system--will 
participate in the follow-up, full-scale Computer Assisted Telephone 
Interviewing (CATI) survey about their usage of, and opinions about, 
the modular blade guard system. After completion of the full-scale CATI 
survey, each respondent will be sent a $50 check for completing the 
survey. CPSC staff anticipates that approximately 100 eligible 
respondents will be interviewed. Up to an additional 100 respondents 
may be interviewed, if additional funding becomes available.
    A final report will summarize the data about modular blade use 
collected from the surveyed table saw owners. Any patterns that emerge 
can be considered in conjunction with other testing, subject matter 
expert analyses, and any other data gathered as part of the rulemaking 
process, to assess the potential effectiveness of the modular blade 
guard design and to inform rulemaking. Any patterns that emerge may 
also be used by CPSC staff to develop future studies.

B. Burden Hours

    CPSC staff estimates that the recruitment stage time required to 
verify whether the respondent fits the study's target group of 
consumers will not exceed 10 minutes, and the actual survey will not 
exceed 25 minutes. Thus, total time per eligible respondent is 
estimated not to exceed 35 minutes. For the 100 anticipated eligible 
respondents, time required in connection with the survey would be 
estimated at approximately 58 hours (100 x 0.58 hours) in the 
aggregate. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 2013, 
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm, the average 
compensational hourly rate is $28.89. The total cost burden for this 
study is estimated at $1,676. If an additional 100 respondents were 
interviewed, the total burden hours would be estimated at $3,352.
    The estimated cost to the federal government is $182,159.87 for the 
costs of recruiting respondents and conducting the survey. In addition, 
one full-time CPSC employee will spend an estimated 600 hours of labor 
for an estimated cost of $49,488, the equivalent of a GS-14 Step 5 
employee with an additional 30.8 percent added for benefits for an 
hourly compensation rate of $82.48. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 
``Employer Costs for Employee Compensation,'' December 2012, Table 1, 
percentage of wages and salaries for all civilian management, 
professional, and related employees, http://www.bls.gov/ncs). 
Accordingly, the total estimated cost to the federal government is 
$231,647.87 ($182,159.87 plus $49,488). If an additional 100 
respondents are surveyed, the additional estimated cost to the federal 
government is $98,000 ($31,000 for recruiting + $67,000 for conducting 
survey), for a total estimated cost to the federal government of 
$329,647.87.

C. Request for Comments

    The CPSC invites comments on these topics:
     Whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of CPSC's functions, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
     The accuracy of CPSC's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
     Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques, when appropriate, and other forms of information 
technology.

    Dated: May 22, 2013.
Todd A. Stevenson,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2013-12552 Filed 5-24-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P