[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42096-42098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18814]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60-Day-17-17AUQ; Docket No. CDC-2017-0064]


Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part 
of its continuing efforts 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. This notice invites comment on Mobile Proximity 
Initial User Feedback information collection project.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 6, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2017-
0064 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Leroy A. Richardson, Information Collection Review 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road 
NE., MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be posted 
without change to Regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided. For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to Regulations.gov.
    Please note: All public comment should be submitted through the 
Federal eRulemaking portal (Regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the 
address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan 
and instruments, contact Leroy A. Richardson, Information Collection 
Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton 
Road NE., MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: 404-639-7570; Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires 
Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new 
proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of 
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information 
collection before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a 
proposed data collection as described below.
    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 and systems for the purpose of

[[Page 42097]]

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.

Proposed Project

    Mobile Proximity Initial User Feedback--New--National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    As a part of The National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health (NIOSH) Pittsburgh Mining Research Division (PMRD) project 
Design of Proximity Systems for Underground Mobile Equipment, NIOSH 
researchers are looking to assess the current state of proximity 
systems being used by industry. In conjunction with performance based 
testing, researchers are examining the human factors aspects of the 
systems and their implementations. NIOSH is requesting a three-year OMB 
approval to collect information.
    Striking, pinning, and crushing injuries are a serious concern in 
underground coal mining, especially around mobile equipment. Between 
2010 and 2014 powered haulage accounted for 24 of the 110 underground 
coal fatalities (NIOSH, 2016). During that same time period, the Mine 
Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) determined that up to 9 of 
these fatalities were striking, pinning, or crushing accidents that may 
have been prevented by proximity detection systems on coal haulage 
machines or scoops (MSHA, 2016a). Following the final rule requiring 
proximity detection systems on continuous mining machines, on September 
2, 2015, MSHA published a proposed rule requiring proximity systems on 
mobile machines in underground coal mines (MSHA, 2015a; 2015b). Though 
the rule is still under development, MSHA reported that by June of 
2015, 155 of approximately 2,116 coal haulage machines and scoops had 
been equipped with proximity detection systems (MSHA, 2016b).
    On January 9 of 2017, MSHA reopened the comment period for 
equipping underground mobile machines with proximity detection systems. 
MSHA reopened the comment period for two key reasons. First, MSHA 
reopened the comment period to explore any additional comments raised 
during or following the closing of the original comment period. Second, 
MSHA reopened the comment period to allow for comments on a field-
report on proximity detection system utilization in South Africa, which 
was conducted following the original comment period and presented at 
the June 22, 2016 NIOSH Proximity Detection Partnership Meeting. Some 
of concerns raised were related to the potential risks that proximity 
detection systems on mobile equipment might pose for mine workers. The 
comments included risk such as those associated with performing routine 
maintenance and troubleshooting tasks, machine movements, which may 
result in pinning, crushing, or striking accidents, and sudden 
equipment stops which may harm machine operators.
    NIOSH researchers are looking to determine the critical use cases 
for proximity systems on mobile equipment in underground mines. 
Researchers would like to answer the following questions: (1) In which 
situations do proximity detection systems on mobile haulage hinder 
normal operation? and (2) in which situations do proximity detection 
systems on mobile haulage endanger miners? Researchers are also 
interested in determining what factors should be considered related to 
human machine interfaces when implementing proximity systems on mobile 
equipment in underground mines. Specifically, researchers hope to 
answer the following questions: (1) What is the expected behavior of a 
proximity detection system on mobile haulage? and (2) What are the 
desired user features of a proximity detection system on mobile 
haulage?
    Previously, NIOSH conducted a pilot study on proximity detection 
systems on mobile equipment used in underground coal mines. The pilot 
study involved determining the required stopping distances and times 
for mobile equipment. Findings from the pilot study identified a need 
for additional research related to the performance of proximity 
detection systems on mobile equipment. Even though the pilot study and 
related, subsequent studies offer findings, which may potentially 
compliment findings from the proposed study, these studies were not 
specifically designed to focus on human factors. Conversely, the 
proposed study focuses on human factors influencing the safety and 
effectiveness of proximity systems installed on underground mobile 
equipment.
    The proposed research study involves conducting semi-structured 
interviews and optional observations of regularly assigned job duties 
with a maximum of 250 mining crew members. To recruit the mines, 
operators will be contacted. The recruitment conversation is expected 
to last 15 minutes.
    Up to 250, 10-minute, semi-structured interviews will be conducted 
to collect workers' experiences with and perspectives on current 
proximity detection systems on mobile haulage equipment. To capture a 
variety of perspectives, various members of the section crews will be 
invited to participate in the interviews.
    Prior to the interview, miners will be read a verbal informed 
consent and asked to give verbal affirmation that they agree to 
participate in the study. Workers that do not wish to participate will 
be given the opportunity to leave. Following the interviews, a subset 
of mine workers will be observed as a section crew of 7 to 13 
individuals performing their normal duties for an hour during their 
shift. The observation component is optional for the individuals. Since 
the participant will be performing regular job duties during the 
observation, this does not require any additional time from the 
participant. To observe crew members in a designated section, 
researchers will obtain verbal consent from all miners who may be 
observed. If a crew member working in a designated section chooses to 
be excluded from the study, the section will not be observed. 
Observation will focus on general behavior with and around the 
proximity system.
    The total estimated time burden is 44 hours. There are no costs to 
respondents other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
      Type of respondents           Form name        Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)      (in hours)
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Mine Operators................  Mine Recruitment               6               1           15/60               2
                                 Script.

[[Page 42098]]

 
Crew Members..................  Interview                    250               1           10/60              42
                                 protocol.
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    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............              44
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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. 2017-18814 Filed 9-5-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P