[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.
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    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]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P