[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 119 (Thursday, June 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33296-33297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13263]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Needs and Challenges in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Use 
for Underserved User Populations

AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: NIOSH requests information on the Needs and Challenges in 
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Use for Underserved User 
Populations.

DATES: Submit a letter of information by August 23, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties should submit information to: NIOSH, 
Attn: Sherri Diana, National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health, NIOSH Docket Office, 1090 Tusculum Avenue, MS C-34, Cincinnati, 
Ohio 45226-1998, Email address: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: N. Katherine Yoon, Ph.D., National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, Email Address: [email protected], Phone number: 
412-386-6752 [non-toll-free number]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology 
Laboratory (NPPTL) is expanding its portfolio to include activities 
that consider the needs of U.S. worker populations who are underserved 
related to personal protective equipment (PPE) use, availability, 
accessibility, acceptability, or knowledge. Underserved PPE user 
populations may include, but are not limited to, workers who are of an 
atypical size; who are members of a gender, racial, ethnic, or 
linguistic minority group; who conduct non-traditional worker 
activities; or who are members of sub-disciplines that are not the 
primary focus of the current PPE activities within their larger field. 
To inform the possible design and execution of these activities, NPPTL 
seeks information from the public, including individuals/organizations 
who/that (1) advocate for these worker populations, (2) actively 
conduct PPE research, services, or policymaking for these worker 
populations, (3) are planning to conduct PPE research, services, or 
policymaking for these worker populations, (4) have direct knowledge 
about research, service, or policy gaps affecting these worker 
populations, or (5) are current or former PPE users that experienced 
PPE use, availability, accessibility, acceptability, or knowledge 
issues.
    Information Needs: CDC is particularly interested in receiving 
information being sought in Request (1). As such, responders are 
requested to provide information responsive to Request (1), and may 
address any or all of the topics identified in Requests (2) and (3):
    Request (1) Describe respondent(s)
    i. Individual or company/institution name, location, and website 
(if any)
    ii. Individual or company/institution contact information (include 
the respondent's role in the organization, address, phone number, and 
email address)
    iii. The primary motivation(s) for why you (or your organization) 
are responding to this Notice
    iv. Any additional relevant background information about yourself 
or your organization as well as names of any other organizations 
currently working in applicable issues
    Request (2) Describe your experiences related to PPE use, 
availability, accessibility, acceptability, and knowledge issues for 
underserved PPE user populations within the U.S. (e.g., individuals of 
small or large size; members of gender, racial, ethnic or other 
minority group of a specific occupation, non-traditional workers, etc.)
    i. What experiences have you had in recent years related to PPE 
use, availability, accessibility, acceptability, and knowledge issues 
for underserved PPE user populations? Also, specify and describe the 
underserved PPE user group(s) with which you have had experience.
    ii. What data/information/resources did you find to be the most 
relevant/valuable to the experiences described in Request 2(i)?
    iii. How long have you or your organization been working in the 
areas of work identified in Request 2(i)? Did your or your 
organization's involvement change over time, and if so, how and why?
    iv. What achievements were a result of your work in PPE use, 
availability, accessibility, acceptability, and knowledge for 
underserved PPE user populations? (e.g., publications, guidance, new/
revised policies or procedures, establishment of a key committee)
    v. What is your future work plan on PPE use, availability, 
accessibility, and knowledge for underserved PPE user populations?
    Request (3) Describe PPE gaps/barriers that remain to be addressed 
for underserved PPE user populations within the U.S. related to PPE 
use, availability, accessibility, acceptability, and knowledge issues 
(if any)
    i. What research gaps/barriers remain to be addressed?
    ii. What service gaps/barriers remain to be addressed?
    iii. What policy gaps/barriers remain to be addressed?
    Informational submissions in response to this Notice are due no 
later than August 23, 2021. Please limit informational submission to 
three pages

[[Page 33297]]

or less in 12-point font, single-spaced. NIOSH will not respond to 
individual informational submissions nor publish publicly a compendium 
of responses. An informational submission in response to this Notice 
does not create any commitment on or behalf of CDC or HHS to develop or 
pursue any program or ideas discussed herein or related to PPE use for 
underserved user populations more generally.

Disclaimer and Important Notes

    This Federal Register Notice is for planning purposes; it does not 
constitute a formal announcement for comprehensive applications. In 
accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 48 CFR 15.201(e), 
responses to this Notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the 
Government to form a binding award. NIOSH will not provide 
reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to this Notice.

John J. Howard,
Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2021-13263 Filed 6-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P