[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11132-11133]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04248]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration

[OMB Control No. 1219-0009]


Proposed Information Collection; Training Plans and Records of 
Training, for Underground Miners and Miners Working at Surface Mines 
and Surface Areas of Underground Mines

AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed collections of information 
in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A). This program helps to assure that requested data can be 
provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial 
resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, 
and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be 
properly assessed. Currently, the Mine Safety and Health Administration 
(MSHA) is soliciting comments on the information collection for 
Training Plans and Records of Training, for Underground Miners and 
Miners Working at Surface Mines and Surface Areas of Underground Mines.

DATES: All comments must be received on or before April 28, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning the information collection requirements 
of this notice may be sent by any of the methods listed below.
     Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments for docket 
number [MSHA-2013-0043].
     Regular Mail: Send comments to MSHA, Office of Standards, 
Regulations, and Variances, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2350, 
Arlington, VA 22209-3939.
     Hand Delivery: MSHA, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2350, 
Arlington, VA. Sign in at the receptionist's desk on the 21st floor.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheila McConnell, Acting Director, 
Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, MSHA, at 
[email protected] (email); 202-693-9440 (voice); or 
202-693-9441 (facsimile).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 11133]]

I. Background

    Section 103(h) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 
(Mine Act), 30 U.S.C. 813(h), authorizes MSHA to collect information 
necessary to carry out its duty in protecting the safety and health of 
miners. Further, Section 101(a) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 811 
authorizes the Secretary to develop, promulgate, and revise as may be 
appropriate, improved mandatory health or safety standards for the 
protection of life and prevention of injuries in coal or other mines.
    The Mine Act, as amended, 30 U.S.C. 801 et seq., recognizes that 
education and training in the improvement of miner health and safety is 
an important element of federal efforts to make the nation's mines 
safe. Section 115(a) of the Mine Act states that ``each operator of a 
coal or other mine shall have a health and safety training program 
which shall be approved by the Secretary.'' Title 30 CFR 48.3 and 48.23 
require training plans for underground and surface mines, respectively. 
The standards are intended to assure that miners will be effectively 
trained in matters affecting their health and safety, with the ultimate 
goal of reducing the occurrence of injury and illness in the nation's 
mines.
    Training plans are required to be submitted for approval to the 
MSHA District Manager for the area in which the mine is located. Plans 
must contain the following: (1) Company name, (2) mine name, (3) MSHA 
identification number of the mine, (4) the name and position of the 
person designated by the operator who is responsible for health and 
safety training at the mine, (5) a list of MSHA-approved instructors 
with whom the operator proposes to make arrangements to teach the 
courses and the courses each instructor is qualified to teach, (6) the 
location where training will be given for each course, (7) a 
description of the teaching methods and the course materials which are 
to be used in training, (8) the approximate number of miners employed 
at the mine and the maximum number who will attend each session of 
training, (9) the predicted time or periods of time when regularly 
scheduled refresher training will be given including the titles of 
courses to be taught, (10) the total number of instruction hours for 
each course, and (11) the predicted time and length of each session of 
training for new task training including a complete list of task 
assignments, the titles of personnel conducting the training, the 
outline of training procedures used, and the evaluation procedures used 
to determine the effectiveness of the training.
    Title 30 CFR 48.9 and 48.29 require records of training for 
underground and surface mines, respectively. Upon completion of each 
training program, the mine operator certifies on a form approved by the 
Secretary (MSHA Form 5000-23) that the miner has received the specified 
training in each subject area of the approved health and safety 
training plan.
    The certificates are to be maintained by the operator for a period 
of two years for current employees and sixty days for terminated 
employees and must be available for inspection at the mine site. In 
addition, the miner is entitled to a copy of the certificate upon 
completion of the training and when he/she leaves the operator's 
employment.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    MSHA is soliciting comments concerning the proposed information 
collection related to Training Plans and Records of Training, for 
Underground Miners and Miners Working at Surface Mines and Surface 
Areas of Underground Mines. MSHA is particularly interested in comments 
that:
     Evaluate whether the collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information has practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of MSHA's estimate of the burden of 
the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
     Suggest methods to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses.
    This information collection request is available on http://www.msha.gov/regs/fedreg/informationcollection/informationcollection.asp. The information collection request will be 
available on MSHA's Web site and on http://www.regulations.gov. MSHA 
cautions the commenter against providing any information in the 
submission that should not be publicly disclosed. Full comments, 
including personal information provided, will be made available on 
www.regulations.gov and www.reginfo.gov.
    The public may also examine publicly available documents at MSHA, 
1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2350, Arlington, VA. Sign in at the 
receptionist's desk on the 21st floor.
    Questions about the information collection requirements may be 
directed to the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section of this notice.

III. Current Actions

    This request for collection of information contains provisions for 
Training Plans and Records of Training, for Underground Miners and 
Miners Working at Surface Mines and Surface Areas of Underground Mines. 
MSHA has updated the data with respect to the number of respondents, 
responses, burden hours, and burden costs supporting this information 
collection request.
    Type of Review: Extension, without change, of a currently approved 
collection.
    Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
    OMB Number: 1219-0009.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 2,399.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Number of Responses: 143,263.
    Annual Burden Hours: 17,741 hours.
    Annual Respondent or Recordkeeper Cost: $465,617.
    MSHA Forms: MSHA Form 5000-23, Certificate of Training.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a 
matter of public record.

    Dated: February 21, 2014.
Patricia W. Silvey,
Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-04248 Filed 2-26-14; 8:45 am]
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