[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7560-7562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-02541]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[60Day-20-0260; Docket No. CDC-2020-0008]
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 effort to reduce public burden and maximize the
utility of government information, invites the general public and other
Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed and/or
continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed
information collection project titled Health Hazard Evaluations/
Technical Assistance and Emerging Problems. This proposed collection,
in accordance with mandates under the Occupational Safety and Health
Act of 1970 and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, allows
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to
respond to requests for HHEs to identify chemical, biological or
physical hazards in workplaces throughout the United States.
DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before April 10, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2020-
0008 by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, 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. CDC will post, without change, all relevant comments
to Regulations.gov.
Please note: Submit all comments 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 Jeffrey M. Zirger, 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
[[Page 7561]]
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 the OMB for approval. To
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a
proposed data collection as described below.
The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help:
1. 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;
2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
4. 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
submissions of responses.
5. Assess information collection costs.
Proposed Project
Health Hazard Evaluations/Technical Assistance and Emerging
Problems (OMB Control No. 0920-0260, Exp. 10/31/2020)--Revision--
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Background and Brief Description
In accordance with its mandates under the Occupational Safety and
Health Act of 1970 and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977,
NIOSH responds to requests for Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) to
identify chemical, biological or physical hazards in workplaces
throughout the United States. Each year, NIOSH receives approximately
250 such requests. Most HHE requests come from workplaces in the
following industrial sectors: Services, manufacturing, health and
social services, transportation, and construction.
A printed HHE request form is available in English and in Spanish.
The form is also available on the internet and differs from the printed
version only in format and in the fact that it can be submitted
directly from the website. The request form takes an estimated 12
minutes to complete. The form provides the mechanism for employees,
employers, and other authorized representatives to supply the
information required by the regulations governing the NIOSH HHE program
(42 CFR 85.3-1). NIOSH reviews the HHE request to determine if an on-
site evaluation is needed. The primary purpose of an on-site evaluation
is to help employers and employees identify and eliminate occupational
health hazards. For 25% of the requests received, NIOSH determines an
on-site evaluation is needed.
In about 70% of on-site evaluations, employees are interviewed in
an informal manner to help further define concerns. Interviews may take
approximately 15 minutes per respondent. The interview questions are
specific to each workplace and its suspected diseases and hazards.
However, interviews are based on standard medical practices.
In approximately 30% of on-site evaluations questionnaires are
distributed to the employees (averaging about 100 employees per site).
Questionnaires may require approximately 30 minutes to complete. The
survey questions are specific to each workplace and its suspected
diseases and hazards, however, items in the questionnaires are derived
from standardized or widely used medical and epidemiologic data
collection instruments.
About 70% of the on-site evaluations involve employee exposure
monitoring in the workplace. Employees participating in on-site
evaluations by wearing a sampler or monitoring device to measure
personal workplace exposures are offered the opportunity to get
notification of their exposure results. To indicate their preference
and, if interested, provide contact information, employees complete a
contact information post card. Completing the contact card may take
five minutes or less. The number of employees monitored for workplace
exposures per on-site evaluation is estimated to be 25 per site.
NIOSH distributes interim and final reports of health hazard
evaluations, excluding personal identifiers, to: Requesters, employers,
employee representatives; the Department of Labor (Occupational Safety
and Health Administration or Mine Safety and Health Administration, as
appropriate); state health departments; and, as needed, other state and
federal agencies.
NIOSH administers a follow-back program to assess the effectiveness
of its HHE program in reducing workplace hazards. This program entails
the mailing of follow-back questionnaires to employer and employee
representatives at all the workplaces where NIOSH conducted an on-site
evaluation. In a small number of instances, a follow-back on-site
evaluation may be completed. The first follow-back questionnaire is
sent shortly after the first visit for an on-site evaluation and takes
about 10 minutes to complete. A second follow-back questionnaire is
sent after the final report is completed and requires about 20 minutes
to complete. At 12 months, a third follow-back questionnaire is sent
which takes about 15 minutes to complete.
For requests where NIOSH does not conduct an on-site evaluation,
the requestor receives the first follow-back questionnaire after our
response letter is sent and a second one 12 months after our response.
The first questionnaire takes about 10 minutes to complete and the
second questionnaire takes about 15 minutes to complete.
Because of the number of investigations conducted each year; the
need to respond quickly to requests for assistance; the diverse and
unpredictable nature of these investigations; and its follow-back
program to assess evaluation effectiveness, NIOSH requests a
consolidated clearance for data collections performed within the domain
of its HHE program. The total estimated burden hours is 1715. There is
no cost to respondents other than their time.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Average
Number of Number of burden per Total burden
Type of respondents Form name respondents responses per response (in (in hrs.)
respondent hrs.)
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Employees and Representatives. Health Hazard 175 1 12/60 35
Evaluation
Request Form.
[[Page 7562]]
Employers *................... Health Hazard 75 1 12/60 15
Evaluation
Request Form.
Employees..................... Health Hazard 1,470 1 15/60 368
Evaluation
specific
interview
example.
Employees..................... Health Hazard 2,100 1 30/60 1,050
Evaluation
specific
questionnaire
example.
Employees..................... Contact 1,225 1 5/60 102
information
post card.
Employees and Representatives; First follow- 140 1 10/60 23
Employers--Year 1 (on-site back
evaluation). questionnaire.
Second follow- 140 1 20/60 47
back
questionnaire.
Employees and Representatives; Third follow- 140 1 15/60 35
Employers--Year 2 (on-site back
evaluation). questionnaire.
Employees and Representatives; First follow- 94 1 10/60 16
Employers--Year 1 (without on- back
site evaluation). questionnaire.
Employees and Representatives; Second follow- 94 1 15/60 24
Employers--Year 2 (without on- back
site evaluation). questionnaire.
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Total..................... ................ .............. .............. .............. 1,715
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2020-02541 Filed 2-7-20; 8:45 am]
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