[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 70 (Thursday, April 10, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19504-19506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7560]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[60Day-08-0260]
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 404-639-4766
and send comments to Maryam Daneshvar, CDC Assistant 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
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
[[Page 19505]]
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% of 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.
Estimate of Annualized Burden Hours
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Average
Number of Number of burden per Total burden
Type of respondent Form respondents responses per response in hours
respondent hours
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Employees and Representatives. Health Hazard 302 1 12/60 60
Evaluation
Request Form.
Employers..................... Health Hazard 118 1 12/60 24
Evaluation
Request Form.
Employees..................... Health Hazard 4200 1 15/60 1050
Evaluation
specific
interview
example.
Employees..................... Health Hazard 4440 1 30/60 2220
Evaluation
specific
questionnaire
example.
Followback for onsite Initial Site 840 1 15/60 210
evaluations for Management, Visit survey
Labor and Requester. form.
Followback for onsite Closeout for HHE 840 1 15/60 210
evaluations for Management, with an OnSite
Labor and Requester. Evaluation.
Followback for onsite 1 year later HHE 840 1 15/60 210
evaluations for Management, with an OnSite
Labor and Requester. Evaluation.
Followback for evaluations for Followback I 55 1 10/60 9
Management, Labor and Survey cover
Requester without onsite letter and
evaluation. Forms.
Followback for evaluations for Followback II 55 1 15/60 14
Management, Labor and Survey Cover
Requester without onsite Letter and
evaluation. Forms.
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[[Page 19506]]
Total Burden Hours........ ................ .............. .............. .............. 4007
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Dated: March 28, 2008.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports and Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E8-7560 Filed 4-9-08; 8:45 am]
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