[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 115 (Tuesday, June 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34437-34438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14686]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority

    Part C (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) of the 
Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of 
the Department of Health and Human Services (45 FR 67772-76, dated 
October 14, 1980, and corrected at 45 FR 69296, October 20, 1980, as 
amended most recently at 80 FR 30076, dated May 26, 2015) is amended to 
reflect the reorganization of the National Institute for Occupational 
Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    Section C-B, Organization and Functions, is hereby amended as 
follows:
    Delete in its entirety the title and the mission and function 
statements for the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory 
(CCL) and insert the following:
    The National Personal Protective Technology (NPPTL) (CCL) prevents 
work-related injury, illness and death by advancing the state of 
knowledge and application of personal protective technologies (PPT) 
including instrumentation, respiratory protective devices (RPD), and a 
diversity of personal protective equipment (PPE) used for the 
protection of American workers. To accomplish this mission, NPPTL leads 
and coordinates the National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health's (NIOSH) programs, projects, and policies related to PPT across 
the Institute. NPPTL: (1) Identifies the need for research, conducts 
and coordinates research to support the development of new 
technologies, performance, quality and reliability standards, Federal 
regulations, safety and health criteria, and Institute policy; (2) 
conducts a variety of laboratory and field investigations relating to 
the development and evaluation of innovative technologies; (3) directs, 
implements, and provides national guidance related to conformity 
assessment programs and functions (e.g. inspection, testing, 
certification, quality assurance, surveillance); (4) provides national 
leadership serving on national and international PPT consensus standard 
setting committees; (5) develops and promulgates standards and 
regulations; (6) produces and disseminates scientific reports and 
national guidance documents including research, laboratory and field 
studies, safety and health investigations, scientific criteria, and 
national guidance; (7) designs and implements information technology 
functions including national or program databases, trusted sources for 
public information and social marketing; and (8) coordinates program 
support functions including budget, facilities, growth initiatives, and 
communications, and scientific support functions such as Committee on 
Personal Protective Equipment and Institute of Medicine evaluations, 
special projects, non-respiratory PPE conformity assessment, and 
federal and consensus standards across NIOSH.
    Research Branch (CCLE). (1) Conducts hypothesis testing-based PPT 
research with an emphasis on respiratory protection, protective 
clothing, and ensemble research; (2) encourages and conducts research 
related to innovative technologies to improve the use and usability of 
existing and new PPT products; (3) conducts laboratory and field 
research projects to measure performance, quality, reliability, and 
efficacy of the materials, components, and sub-systems used in PPT as 
well as complete equipment systems, especially for new or emerging 
hazards, and recommends criteria to improve the selection, care, 
maintenance, and use of PPT; (4) investigates emerging hazards and 
personal exposures to identify worker PPT needs and technology gaps; 
(5) conducts research to identify and recommend effective integration 
strategies and evidence-based test methods for PPT for use in PPT 
standards; (6) recommends performance, quality, reliability, and 
efficacy criteria; (7) studies and improves human/technology interfaces 
to better understand and mitigate barriers to effective PPT selection, 
care, maintenance, and use; (8) conducts laboratory and field-based 
research into the biomechanical, physiological, and psychological 
stressors and worker responses to PPT; (9) conducts research, 
developing interventions, and identifies innovative methods (e.g., new 
software tools, information technology, social marketing, training 
methods, practices,

[[Page 34438]]

equipment, etc.) of increasing end-user compliance with proper 
selection, care, maintenance, and use of PPT; (10) provides systematic 
collection, analysis, and interpretation of PPT use practices, 
including investigation of barriers to effective PPT use; (11) produces 
and disseminates technical information, research findings, training 
materials, and recommendations for PPT to improve protection of 
workers; (12) evaluates and disseminates PPT performance trends 
published through the post market surveillance activities; and (13) 
identifies and implements an effective communication and outreach 
program for stakeholders within the NIOSH sectors to inform end users 
of proper selection, care, maintenance, and use of PPT.
    Conformity Verification and Standards Development Branch (CCLG). 
(1) Administers the Department of Health and Human Services Title 42 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 84-Respiratory Protective 
Devices conformity assessment functions (i.e. inspection, testing, 
certification, documentation control, quality assurance, and 
surveillance) including: (a) Processing respirator approval 
applications by verifying conformance with Federal regulations and 
national consensus standards such as performance, quality, reliability, 
and documentation requirements to determine the effectiveness of 
respirators used during entry into or escape from hazardous 
atmospheres, (b) issuing or revoking NIOSH certificates of approval, 
(c) evaluating and maintaining official records on NIOSH-certified 
respirators including the establishment of NPPTL and national 
databases, (d) recommending NIOSH policy relating to RPD conformity 
verification criteria for traditional and innovative respirator 
technologies and applications, and, (e) investigating and processing 
Freedom-of-Information-Act requests; (2) establishes and administers an 
internal audit program to evaluate the conformity assessment functions 
of NPPTL; (3) maintains official files of policies, standards, standard 
operating and test procedures used as the basis for granting a NIOSH 
certificate of approval; (4) provides national recommendations for 
effective conformity assessment programs associated with non-
respiratory PPT; (5) assesses research findings and translates them 
into effective conformity assessment recommendations for NIOSH policy, 
standards, regulations, and surveillance practices, for new protective 
technologies or special applications of existing technologies; (6) 
leads NIOSH participation in the development and promulgation of 
national and international consensus standards, conformity assessment 
program criteria and guidance, establishment of Federal regulations 
where necessary, and assesses of economic impact of Federal 
regulations; (7) prepares criteria for proper selection, recommends 
national guidance for effective use (e.g. cautions, limitations, and 
restrictions of use) and maintenance, and provides technical support; 
(8) plans and conducts public meetings to solicit or provide 
information concerning technology and conformity assessment practices; 
and (9) prepares and disseminates national reports related to 
conformity assessment of PPT.
    Evaluation and Testing Branch (CCLH). (1) Conducts evaluations and 
tests in accordance with prescribed standard test procedures of RPD in 
support of NIOSH conformity assessment functions that lead to a NIOSH 
certificate of approval or its revocation; (2) conducts quality 
management system in-plant manufacturing-site evaluations including 
post market surveillance, and documents finding and recommendations in 
proper reports; (3) conducts evaluation and testing of PPT for various 
purposes, and prepares reports for dissemination to the public; (4) 
provides testing support to the NPPTL research and standards 
development initiatives; (5) develops evaluation methodologies, and 
unique test procedures to address new protective technologies or 
special applications of existing technologies; (6) conducts post market 
evaluations of NIOSH-certified RPD including the long-term field 
evaluation program, and prepares technical information and reports to 
improve standards for certification, selection, care, and use; (7) 
administers and conducts surveillance of field deployed PPT to evaluate 
conformance to applicable regulation, consensus standards, and NIOSH 
policy; (8) conducts investigations of PPT associated with complaints 
of nonconformance and/or concerns related to adverse health and safety 
including evaluations and analysis associated with NIOSH-certified 
respirators (e.g. certified product investigation process), and 
evaluating respirators and protective clothing submitted in conjunction 
with the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention 
Program investigations conducted by the Division of Safety Research ; 
and (9) maintains and improves laboratory capabilities to perform 
evaluation and testing of PPT including innovative technologies, 
implements a laboratory quality program (e.g., ISO 17025) to ensure 
quality and continuous improvement of PPT evaluations and tests, 
administers and maintains a chain of custody program to secure 
technologies or products obtained for evaluation and testing, and 
conducts an internal audit function to assure evaluation and testing 
are carried out in accordance policy and standard procedures.

James Seligman,
Acting Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2015-14686 Filed 6-15-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P