[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 186 (Monday, September 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66026-66028]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23074]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-16-16AMV]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted 
the following information collection request to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The notice for the proposed 
information collection is published to obtain comments from the public 
and affected agencies.
    Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies concerning the proposed collection of information are 
encouraged. Your comments should address any of the following: (a) 
Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary 
for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the 
accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; (d) 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; and 
(e) Assess information collection costs.
    To request additional information on the proposed project or to 
obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, call 
(404) 639-7570 or send an email to [email protected]. Written

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comments and/or suggestions regarding the items contained in this 
notice should be directed to the Attention: CDC Desk Officer, Office of 
Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 395-
5806. Written comments should be received within 30 days of this 
notice.

Proposed Project

    Survey of Musculoskeletal Disorders Prevention Tools/Methods: 10-
year Follow-Up--New--National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health, 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. Under Public Law 91- 596, sections 20 
and 22 (Section 20-22, Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970), 
NIOSH has the responsibility to conduct research to advance the health 
and safety of workers. In this capacity, NIOSH proposes to administer a 
survey of ergonomics professionals as a 10-year follow-up to a survey 
conducted of U.S. Certified Professional Ergonomists (CPEs) by Dempsey 
et al. and published in 2005 (A survey of tools and methods used by 
certified professional ergonomists. Applied Ergonomics, 36, 489-503).
    The project is planned to extend the original survey in two ways: 
(1) The sample will be broadened to include international ergonomics 
practitioners (in Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and 
Australia), and, (2) the queried tools and methods have been updated to 
reflect new and emerging technologies not included in the original 
survey.
    The purpose of the survey will be unchanged--to gather information 
on the types of basic tools, direct and observational measurement 
techniques, and software used in the field by ergonomics practitioners 
to assess workplace risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders and to 
evaluate workplace interventions.
    The motivation for the original 2005 survey was to better 
understand the types of tools and methods practitioners use, their 
opinions of these tools, and to potentially gain an understanding of 
the constraints or preferences that influence this selection. At the 
time of the 2005 survey there were many tools reported in the 
literature, but little information on the extent to which these 
different tools were used by practitioners.
    Similarly, there was little published information on users' 
experiences with these different tools. There has been considerable 
interest in the findings and the Dempsey et al. (2005) publication has 
been widely cited. The program anticipates that a follow-up effort will 
result in even greater interest as changes in the practice of 
ergonomics and prevention of soft tissue MSDs can be inferred from 
comparisons between the two surveys time points.
    Since publication of the initial survey findings there has been a 
proliferation of smart phone/smart device-embedded inertial and 
acceleration sensors and related ``apps'' for human motion and activity 
logging. Little is known about the extent to which ergonomics 
practitioners are using these newer technologies towards assessing 
workplace physical activity (and now, workplace inactivity and 
``sedentarism'') and other job demands. Thus, the survey will provide a 
contemporary perspective on the scope of use of assessment tools and 
methods by these professionals.
    In summary, this study will update information collected and 
published in 2005 on the methods and tools used by practicing 
ergonomists. NIOSH expects to complete data collection in 2017. The 
professionals who will be surveyed are being asked to volunteer their 
time. Only certified ergonomics professionals from five countries with 
specific certification credentials will be eligible and invited to 
participate. The certification organizations are shown below with an 
approximation of eligible respondents:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
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Board of Certification in     U.S.......................             853
 Professional Ergonomics
 (BCPE) CPE designation.
European CREE--Centre for     United Kingdom............              43
 Registration of European
 Ergonomists.
Australian Register of        Australia.................              20
 Certified Professional
 Ergonomists.
New Zealand BCNZE--Board for  New Zealand...............              15
 Certification of New
 Zealand Ergonomists.
Canadian College for the      Canada....................             241
 Certification of
 Professional Ergonomists.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The program has assumed an optimistic 80% response rate to estimate 
the number of respondents at 938 in the estimation of annualized burden 
hours.
    This project will involve the collection of non-sensitive data via 
web-based survey questionnaire methods. Survey data relate only to 
respondents' professional practice within the OS&H discipline of 
ergonomics and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. Nonetheless, 
safeguards will be taken to insure data confidentiality and the 
dissociation of personally identifying information (PII) from 
individual questionnaire responses submitted through the web-based 
survey service. Participants' web-submitted responses will not contain 
PII in association with their data. Basic demographic information 
collected over the web, including years' experience and certification 
in the ergonomics profession, current occupation, expertise 
specialization, highest academic degree attained, and field of study 
are non-sensitive information.
    The estimated annual burden is 469 hours.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
          Type of respondents                   Form name            Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent       (in hrs)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individual (Ergonomics Professional)..  Survey of Tools and                  938               1             0.5
                                         Methods.
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[[Page 66028]]

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. 2016-23074 Filed 9-23-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P