[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 22, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3595-3596]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01112]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-14-14GW]


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 or 
send comments to LeRoy Richardson, 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

    Total Worker Health for Small Business--New--National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The mission of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health (NIOSH) is to promote safety and health at work for all people 
through research and prevention. In this capacity, NIOSH requests 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a three-year 
clearance to administer in-depth interviews designed to assess 
perceptions and opinions among small business owners in the Greater 
Cincinnati area regarding the Total Worker Health concept. This 
information will guide the development of a model for diffusion of the 
Total Worker Health approach among small businesses by community 
organizations.
    Total Worker Health (TWH) for Small Business is a four-year field 
study whose overall goal is to identify the perceived costs and 
benefits of offering integrated occupational safety and health and 
workplace wellness services to employees among small businesses, and to 
inform methods that will successfully diffuse the use of a Total Worker 
Health approach among small businesses and the community organizations 
that serve them. The data gathered in this study regarding small 
businesses' specific training needs, motivational factors, and 
preferred information sources will be of significant practical value 
when designing and implementing future interventions.
    The proposed in-depth interviews described here for which OMB 
review and approval is being requested are a critical step toward the 
development of this TWH diffusion model. Phase 1 of this project 
included interview development and revision. The primary goal of Phase 
2 of this project is to gather key-informant perceptions and opinions 
among the target audience, small business owners in the greater 
Cincinnati area. Data gathered from in-depth interviews will guide the 
development of efforts to diffuse the Total Worker Health approach 
among small businesses and the community organizations which serve 
them.
    About 90% of U.S. employer organizations have fewer than 20 
employees, and 62% have less than five.

[[Page 3596]]

Eighteen percent of all U.S. employees work for businesses that have 
less than 20 employees. In addition, more than 21 million U.S. 
businesses have zero employees, meaning that, although they are not 
counted as employees, the owner is also the worker. Workers in smaller 
organizations endure a disproportionate share of the burden of 
occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.
    There is no data available on the prevalence of TWH programs in 
smaller organizations. What is known about smaller organizations is 
divided into information about health protection and health promotion 
activities. Smaller organizations engage in fewer safety activities 
than larger organizations. The need for reaching this population with 
effective, affordable, and culturally appropriate training has been 
documented in publications and is increasingly becoming an 
institutional priority at NIOSH.
    Given the numerous obstacles which small business owners face in 
effectively managing occupational safety and health (e.g., financial 
and time constraints), there is a need for identifying the most crucial 
components of occupational safety and health and health promotion 
training.
    This interview will be administered to a sample of approximately 60 
owners of small businesses with 5-49 employees from the Greater 
Cincinnati area. Each participant will be administered the survey two 
times, approximately one year apart to assess for changes in 
perceptions regarding health protection and health promotion 
activities. The sample size is based on recommendations related to 
qualitative interview methods and the research team's prior experience.
    Participants for this data collection will be recruited with the 
assistance of contractors who have successfully performed similar tasks 
for NIOSH in the past. Participants will be compensated for their time. 
The interview questionnaire will be administered verbally to 
participants in English.
    Once this study is complete, results will be made available via 
various means including print publications and the agency internet 
site. The information gathered by this project could be used by the 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), state health 
department, and occupational health providers to determine guidelines 
for the development of appropriate training materials for small 
businesses. The results of this project will also benefit small 
business workers by developing recommendations for increasing the 
effectiveness of occupational safety and health outreach methods 
specifically targeted to small businesses. Although beyond the scope of 
this study, it is expected that improved use of TWH programs will lower 
rates of injuries and fatalities for workers.
    It is estimated that each interview will take approximately 90 
minutes to complete for a total of 180 burden hours.
    There is no cost to respondents other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of    Average burden
      Type of respondents           Form name        Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)      (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Small Business Owners.........  Interview Form..              60               2             1.5             180
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............             180
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


LeRoy Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the 
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2014-01112 Filed 1-21-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P