[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 129 (Thursday, July 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38222-38223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-15179]
[[Page 38222]]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[30Day-08-0260]
Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-5960 or send an e-mail
to [email protected]. Send written comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of
Management and Budget, Washington, DC or by fax to (202) 395-6974.
Written comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.
Proposed Project
Health Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance--Requests and
Emerging Problems--Reinstatement (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
requester: 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 requester. 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.
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.
Another follow-back questionnaire is sent a year later. A final follow-
back questionnaire regarding the completed evaluation is sent.
For requests where NIOSH does not conduct an onsite evaluation, the
requester is sent a follow-back questionnaire 12 months after NIOSH's
response and a second one at 24 months. 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 are no costs to respondents other than their time. The
total estimated annualized burden hours are 4007.
Estimated Annualized burden Hours
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Number of Average
Number of responses Burden per
Type of respondent Form respondents per response in
respondent hours
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Employees and Representatives........... Health Hazard Evaluation 302 1 12/60
Request Form.
Employers............................... Health Hazard Evaluation 118 1 12/60
Request Form.
Employees............................... Health Hazard Evaluation 4200 1 15/60
specific interview example.
Employees............................... Health Hazard Evaluation 4440 1 30/60
specific questionnaire example.
Followback for onsite evaluations for Initial Site Visit survey form. 840 1 15/60
Management, Labor and Requester.
Followback for onsite evaluations for Closeout for HHE with an OnSite 840 1 15/60
Management, Labor and Requester. Evaluation.
Followback for onsite evaluations for 1 year Later HHE with an On 840 1 15/60
Management, Labor and Requester. Site Evaluation.
[[Page 38223]]
Followback for evaluations for Followback I Survey cover 55 1 10/60
Management, Labor and Requester without letter and Forms.
onsite evaluation.
Followback for evaluations for Followback II Survey Cover 55 1 15/60
Management, Labor and Requester without Letter and Forms.
onsite evaluation.
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Dated: June 27, 2008.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E8-15179 Filed 7-2-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P