[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 72 (Friday, April 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25876-25877]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07805]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[30Day-24-23HD]
Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted the information
collection request titled ``Exposures, Health Effects, and Controls of
Chemicals from Thermal Spray Coating'' to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review and approval. CDC previously published a
``Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and
Recommendations'' notice on August 7, 2023 to obtain comments from the
public and affected agencies. CDC did not receive comments related to
the previous notice. This notice serves to allow an additional 30 days
for public and affected agency comments.
CDC will accept all comments for this proposed information
collection project. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly
interested in comments that:
(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. Comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. Direct
written comments and/or suggestions regarding the items contained in
this notice to the Attention: CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management
and Budget, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202)
395-5806. Provide written comments within 30 days of notice
publication.
Proposed Project
Exposures, health effects, and controls of chemicals from thermal
spray coating--New--National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Background and Brief Description
Thermal spray coating (TSC) is a surface treatment process that
enables different types of feedstock material to be deposited on to
various substrates--metals, metal alloys, ceramics, and plastics. The
process involves spraying a liquid or molten metal coating product
under pressure onto a surface where it solidifies and forms a solid
coating. The coating material can be pure metals, metal alloys,
carbides, oxides, ceramics, and ceramic metals in wire or powder form
that will not decompose when melted. Although TSC technology has been
around for decades, recently it has been refined and optimized to
impart new properties and functionalities to the coatings, applied
through numerous processes such as flame-, cold-, plasma-, and electric
arc-spraying, arising from the different combinations of sources of
thermal and kinetic energy, form and composition of the feedstock
material and other system configurations. TSC processes are relatively
simple to use, economical, and have been applied to almost all
industrial sectors such as automotive, aerospace, machine shops,
electronics, medical, shipyards, and printing. Important uses include
coatings for wear prevention, repair, restoration, thermal insulation/
conduction, corrosion/oxidation resistance, seals, and decoration.
TSC is a fast-growing and emerging industry and generates exposures
that are known to be hazardous in other settings. However, effects of
TSC processes, quantitative exposures, and subsequent health effects
remain mostly unknown because of paucity of epidemiologic and exposure
studies. Limited data on exposures of workers engaged in TSC and
associated operations and personal communications with industrial
hygienists in this industry suggests exposures can greatly exceed the
current occupational exposure limits, but the prevalence of respiratory
abnormalities including occupational asthma and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease in this population remains unknown. In addition, many
workplaces conduct TSC work manually or semi-automatically, and some
TSC tasks may not be easily amenable to installation of ventilation
controls (e.g., during spray-coating of parts with wide surface area).
The purpose of the proposed data collection is to conduct a survey
of thermal spray coating facilities to: (1) better understand work
practices and controls related to metals, particles, and gases
generated during thermal spray coating; (2) identify areas for
potential intervention; and (3) identify thermal spray coating
facilities willing to participate in future NIOSH exposure and health
research. The burden hours are estimated based on limited pilot testing
conducted internally using the
[[Page 25877]]
survey instrument and previous pilot testing done using a similar
survey instrument. In these pilot tests, the amount of time for
instruction review, collection of mock information, and the survey
completion was between 10-30 minutes. The median time of 20 minutes was
used to estimate annual burden hours. Currently, the total number of
thermal spray coating businesses in the United States is unknown. In
2004, the Air Resources Board (ARB) in California Environmental
Protection Agency conducted the Thermal Spraying Facility Survey of
facilities performing thermal spray coating throughout California, and
reported 97 companies that potentially used TSC. Based on the
California ARB report, we estimated approximately 5,000 thermal spray
coating businesses. CDC requests OMB approval for an estimated 1,667
annual burden hours. There are no costs to respondents other than their
time to participate.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of Average burden
Type of respondents Form name Number of responses per per response
respondents respondent (in hours)
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Thermal spray coating facility Survey.................. 5000 1 20/60
managers/owners.
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Public Health
Ethics and Regulations, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2024-07805 Filed 4-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P