[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 165 (Monday, August 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49009-49011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16920]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[60 Day-07-0260]
Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and
Recommendations
In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects.
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call 404-639-5960
and send comments to Maryam I. Daneshvar, CDC Acting Reports Clearance
Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail
to [email protected].
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; and (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. Written comments should
[[Page 49010]]
be received within 60 days of this notice.
Proposed Project
Health Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance--Requests and
Emerging Problems--Extension (OMB No. 0920-0260)--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,
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
responds to requests for health hazard evaluations (HHE) to identify
chemical, biological or physical hazards in workplaces throughout the
United States. Each year, NIOSH receives approximately 400 such
requests. Most HHE requests come from the following types of companies:
Service, manufacturing companies, health and social services,
transportation, construction, agriculture/ mining, skilled trade and
construction.
A printed Health Hazard Evaluation 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
uses an Internet address to submit the form to NIOSH. Both the printed
and Internet versions of the form provide the mechanism for employees,
employers, and other authorized representatives to supply the
information required by the regulations governing the NIOSH Health
Hazard Evaluation program (42 CFR 85.3-1). In general, if employees are
submitting the form it must contain the signatures of three or more
current employees. However, regulations allow a single signature if the
requestor: Is one of three (3) or fewer employees in the process,
operation, or job of concern; or is any officer of a labor union
representing the employees for collective bargaining purposes. An
individual management official may request an evaluation on behalf of
the employer. The information provided is used by NIOSH to determine
whether there is reasonable cause to justify conducting an
investigation and provides a mechanism to respond to the requestor.
In the case of 25% to 50% of the health hazard evaluation requests
received, NIOSH determines 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. In most on-site
evaluations employees are interviewed to help further define concerns,
and in approximately 50% these evaluations (presently estimated to be
about 100 facilities), questionnaires are distributed to the employees
(averaging about 40 employees per site for this last subgroup). The
interview and survey questions are specific to each workplace and its
suspected diseases and hazards, however, items are derived from
standard medical and epidemiologic techniques. The request forms take
an estimated 12 minutes to complete. The interview forms take 30
minutes to complete.
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); and, as needed, other state and federal agencies.
NIOSH administers a follow-back program to assess the effectiveness
of its health hazard evaluation 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 site visits. In a small number of instances, a follow-back
on-site evaluation may be conducted. The initial follow-back
questionnaire is administrated immediately following the site visits
and takes about 15 minutes. Another follow-back questionnaire is sent a
year later and requires about 15 minutes to complete. At 24 months, a
final follow-back questionnaire regarding the completed evaluation is
sent which takes about 15 minutes to complete.
For requests where NIOSH does not conduct an onsite evaluation, the
requester receives a follow-back questionnaire 12 months after our
response and a second one 24 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 large 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 an umbrella
clearance for data collections performed within the domain of its
health hazard evaluation program. There is no cost to respondents other
than their time.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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No. of Average burden/
Type of respondent No. of responses/ response (in Total burden
respondents respondent hours) (in hours)
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Employees & Representatives (request form)...... 275 1 12/60 55
Employers (request form)........................ 107 1 12/60 21
Employees (interview)........................... 3800 1 15/60 950
Employees (questionnaire)....................... 4040 1 30/60 2020
Employees and Employers immediately after onsite 760 1 15/60 190
evaluation (follow-back).......................
Employees and Employers 12 months after onsite 760 1 15/60 190
evaluation (follow-back).......................
Employees and Employers 24 months after onsite 760 1 15/60 190
evaluation (follow-back).......................
Primary Requester without onsite evaluation 12 50 1 10/60 8
months (follow-back)...........................
Primary Requester without onsite evaluation 24 50 1 15/60 13
months (follow-back)...........................
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Total....................................... .............. .............. .............. 3637
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[[Page 49011]]
Dated: August 20, 2007.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E7-16920 Filed 8-24-07; 8:45 am]
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