[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 15 (Friday, January 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3598-3600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-01094]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-15-15LB]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of 
its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the utility 
of government information, invites the general public and other Federal 
agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or 
continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. To request more information on the below 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan 
and instruments, call 404-639-7570 or send comments to Leroy A. 
Richardson, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an 
email to [email protected].
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) approval. 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; (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; and (e) 
estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, 
maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information. Burden 
means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide information 
to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology

[[Page 3599]]

and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. Written comments should be received within 60 
days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Enhancing Dialogue and Execution of Dust Reduction Behaviors 
through Workgroup Communication--New--National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    NIOSH, under Public Law 91-596, Sections 20 and 22 (Section 20-22, 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1977) has the responsibility to 
conduct research relating to innovative methods, techniques, and 
approaches dealing with occupational safety and health problems.
    This project focuses on mineworkers' overexposure to respirable 
coal dust and how using the Continuous Personal Dust Monitor (CPDM), as 
an educational tool, can help provide information to mineworkers and 
their respective workgroups, about ways to reduce respirable coal dust 
exposure in their work environment. NIOSH proposes a 3 year approval 
for a project that seeks to understand what group communication 
practices are important for mine worker H&S and how those practices can 
be developed, implemented, and maintained over time. The following 
questions guide this study:
    What impact does a communication/technology intervention model that 
was designed and implemented have on: (1) Workers' health/safety 
behaviors, including those that lower exposure to dust; and (2) 
workers' perceptions of their organizations' health and safety values?
    To answer the above questions, NIOSH researchers developed an 
intervention that focuses on workers' communication about and 
subsequent actions taken to reduce respirable dust exposure over time, 
using information provided by their Continuous Personal Dust Monitor 
(CPDM). The intervention will inform how workgroups communicate with 
each other about health and how this communication impacts individual 
behavior such as corrective dust actions taken by workers.
    Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis (CWP) or ``Black Lung Disease'' is 
caused by miners' exposure to respirable coal mine dust and is the 
leading cause of death due to occupational illness among US coal 
miners--making this an issue worth placing emphasis in mine health 
research. X-rays provided from the US National Coal Workers' X-ray 
Surveillance Program show that new cases of CWP are occurring among 
miners who have worked exclusively under previous respirable coal mine 
dust exposure limits. Previously, federal law stated that respirable 
coal dust levels must not exceed 2 mg/m\3\ for any work shift [Code of 
Federal Regulations]. However, under the new respirable dust rule that 
passed May 1, 2014 (CFR part 70), the dust level may not exceed 1.5 mg/
m\3\. The new rule also requires mine operators to use CPDMs by 
February 1, 2016, for designated occupations (DO). Although CPDMs 
provide miners with near real-time feedback about their level of 
respirable coal dust exposure, they do not ensure that miners will use 
the information to reduce their level of exposure. Previous research 
indicates that the use of information technology can enhance lateral 
and horizontal communication within organizations, showing support for 
using the CPDM in the current study (Hinds & Kiesler, 1995).
    The intervention is designed to involve workers in the 
interpretation of CPDM feedback and discuss, with their coworkers/
workgroups, potential changes to work practices that can decrease 
exposure to respirable coal mine dust. Data is collected during three 
time points throughout a six-week intervention to assess the ongoing 
communication using CPDM feedback and effects of the workgroup 
communication on behavior. Data collection and analysis will occur via 
a pre/post survey with workers and focus groups with workers and mine 
site leaders. Safety circles are used to communicate and encourage 
specific behavior changes. A typical circle includes a facilitator or 
leader (who directs the meetings), 7-10 members, and one-hour weekly 
meetings that take place during the workday. During the meetings, 
members review data relevant to the problem and brainstorm possible 
solutions. Industries have successfully used ``safety circles'' to 
generate lists of safety concerns that circle members would like to 
analyze and solve. Edwards [1983] documented that one surface coal mine 
was able to decrease the number of accidents on circle members' shifts 
by 27%. If underground coal miners are able to actively participate in 
the discussion of respirable coal mine dust exposure levels and what 
can be done to limit future exposure, they may be more inclined to 
behave in ways that limit their exposure.
    With the stricter regulations that just passed the opportunity to 
proactively improve communication around the CPDM and identify 
appropriate corrective actions, as required by the Mine Health and 
Safety Administration, is favorable. NIOSH proposes this intervention 
design at three coal mine sites. Coal mine sites will be recruited who 
have inquired interest in learning how to improve utility of the CPDM 
on their site and/or interest in improving their employees' 
communication efforts. Only a small sample of workers will participate 
at each mine site because of the time required for completion and to 
ensure the longitudinal data can be adequately collected over the six 
weeks. In other words, we would rather collect data multiple times with 
the same worker and have fewer participants than collect data from more 
workers but not have the ability to appropriately follow-up during the 
subsequent two visits.
    Data collection will take place with no more than 150 mine workers 
and nine mine site leaders over three years. The respondents targeted 
for this study include any active mine worker and any active site 
leader at a coal mine site. It is estimated that a sample of up to 150 
mine workers will participate, which includes participating in three 
focus groups (in the form of workgroup meetings) that will take 
approximately 60 minutes. The focus groups will debrief general CPDM 
data so participants can dialogue about ways to lower their exposure 
levels. In addition, workers will be asked to complete a pre and post-
test survey (~15 minutes). It also is estimated that a sample of up to 
nine mine site leaders will participate in the form of interviews/focus 
groups about HSMS practices at the same mining operations which have 
agreed to participate. The interviews/focus groups also will occur 
three times during each of the NIOSH field visits and will take no more 
than 30 minutes each.
    All participants will be between the ages of 18 and 75, currently 
employed, and living in the United States. Participation will require 
no more than 3.5 hours of workers' time over the six-week intervention 
and no more than 1.5 hours of site leaders' time over the six-week 
intervention period.
    There is no cost to respondents other than their time.

[[Page 3600]]



                                                            Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                             Number of       Number of      burden per     Total burden
               Type of respondent                               Form name                   respondents   responses  per   response  (in       hours
                                                                                                            respondent        hours)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mine Site Leaders/Managers.....................  Mine Recruitment Script................               3               1            5/60               1
                                                 Initial/Mid/Post HSMS interview or                    3               3           30/60               5
                                                  focus group.
Mine Worker....................................  Individual Miner Recruitment Script....              50               1            5/60               4
                                                 Pre/Post Org Perceptions Survey........              50               2           15/60              25
                                                 Pre/Mid/Post Behavior Focus Groups.....              50               3               1             150
                                                                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total......................................  .......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............             185
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Leroy A. 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. 2015-01094 Filed 1-22-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P