[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 77 (Monday, April 23, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20128-20130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7650]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[60Day-07-06AO]
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 Joan Karr, 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 be received
within 60 days of this notice.
Proposed Project
Evaluation of an Occupational Safety and Health Program for the
Small Business Wood Pallet Industry, National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
[[Page 20129]]
Background and Brief Description
The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, section
501, enables NIOSH to carry out research relevant to the health and
safety of workers. The goal of this project is to determine whether
receipt of a NIOSH informational manual about OSH concerns specific to
pallet manufacturing and recycling will motivate owners or managers to
take actions resulting in a safer workplace. The theoretical basis of
the study follows the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of Prochaska and
DiClemente (1984). This model states that change is defined by 5
stages: (1) Pre-contemplation--people are unaware of problems and are
not thinking seriously about changing within the next 6 months (2)
contemplation--the stage where people become aware that a problem
exists and intend to take action within the next 6 months (3)
preparation--investigating options and intending to take action in the
next 30 days (4) action--people institute environmental changes and
change their overt behavior and (5) maintenance--people continue the
gains obtained during the action stage for longer than 6 months.
Small business entrepreneurship is a vital component of the U.S.
economy. Occupational safety and health activities including research,
regulation, enforcement, and intervention historically have not focused
on small businesses despite their predominance and relatively large
numbers of employees overall. Few small business establishments provide
on-site occupational health units, medical screening tests, pre-
placement physicals, or employ, or use, industrial hygiene or safety
personnel/consultants. As a consequence, prevention of occupational
injury and illness is often difficult in small business establishments
because they generally have few safety and health resources, do not
hire staff devoted to safety and health activities, and often lack the
ability to identify occupational hazards and conduct surveillance.
The pallet manufacturing industry has higher injury rates than
general industry. The incidence rate for non-fatal injuries in the wood
pallet and skid (SIC 2448) manufacturing industry was 226% greater than
that for general industry. The type of injuries sustained at wood
pallet manufacturers and their rates of increase (2002) compared to
general industry included amputations (2220% higher), cuts and
punctures (378% higher), fractures (237% higher), bruises (221% higher)
sprains and strains (133% higher) and back pain (305% higher).
Through this study, NIOSH will evaluate the feasibility and
effectiveness of providing carefully constructed OSH information to one
segment of small business pallet makers. The informational manual will
be divided into eight chapters targeting specific hazards relevant to
pallet work and will provide the owners/managers with suggestions for
controlling those hazards. Chapters were selected based on prior NIOSH
site visits to a sample of pallet makers and in consultation with the
National Wood Pallet and Container Association. The chapters include:
An introduction to OSH, developing a site specific safety program,
controlling noise, improving ventilation, saw safety, forklift safety,
preventing build up of carbon monoxide, and prevention of
musculoskeletal injury through ergonomics.
This project will utilize two groups, a treatment group and a
control group, in a pre-post design. 180 pallet companies will be
randomly selected and assigned to six groups from a list of small
pallet businesses in the United States that was provided by a market
research firm. Both groups will participate in a baseline survey
conducted by telephone. The treatment group will then receive the NIOSH
informational manual by mail and the control group will not receive the
manual until the conclusion of the study. Five months after the
mailing, both groups will participate in a follow-up telephone survey
designed to assess whether receipt and use of the material encouraged
owners/managers to contemplate, plan, or initiate OSH changes at their
facility. The questionnaire will determine whether owners/managers have
progressed from baseline along the stage of change continuum because of
receipt and use of the NIOSH material, or if some other factor is
influencing their safety and health actions. It is possible that
improvements in OSH may occur due to other influences and not from the
informational manual. For example, it is possible that some event will
occur that will make the entire industry more aware of occupational
safety and health. Use of a similar control group will help in this
determination.
While the entire NIOSH study, including approvals, development and
review of the materials effectiveness will occur over a three-year
period, data collection will occur within a one-year period. There will
be no cost to respondents except their time to participate in the
telephone survey.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of Average
Number of responses burden per Total
Type of respondents Form name respondents per response burden (in
respondent (in hours) hours)
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Pallet company safety and health Initial Questionnaire 17 1 3/60 1
managers; Treatment Group. (incomplete). 95 1 12/60 19
Initial Questionnaire 90 1 15/60 23
(complete).
Follow-up
Questionnaire.
Pallet company safety and health Initial Questionnaire 17 1 3/60 8
managers; Control Group. (incomplete). 95 1 12/60 19
Initial Questionnaire 90 1 9/60 14
(complete).
Follow-up
Questionnaire*.
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Total........................... ...................... ........... ........... ........... 84
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[[Page 20130]]
Dated: April 17, 2007.
Joan F. Karr,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E7-7650 Filed 4-20-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P