[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 211 (Tuesday, November 3, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56841-56842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-26395]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[30Day-10-09BD]
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) 395-5806.
Written comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.
Proposed Project
Field Evaluation of Prototype Kneel-assist Devices in Low-seam
Mining--New--National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Background and Brief Description
NIOSH, under Public Law 91-596, Sections 20 and 22 (Section 20-22,
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970) has the responsibility to
conduct research relating to innovative methods, techniques, and
approaches dealing with occupational safety and health problems.
According to the Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
injury database, 227 knee injuries were reported in underground coal
mining in 2007. With data from the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH), it can be estimated that the financial
burden of knee injuries was nearly three million dollars in 2007.
Typically, mine workers utilize kneepads to better distribute the
pressures at the knee. The effectiveness of these kneepads was only
recently investigated in a study by NIOSH that has not yet been
published. The results of this study demonstrated that kneepads do
decrease the maximum stress applied to the knee albeit not drastically.
Additionally, the average pressure across the knee remains similar to
the case where subjects wore no kneepads at all. Thus, the injury data
and the results of this study suggest the need for the improved design
of kneel-assist devices such as kneepads. NIOSH is currently
undertaking the task of designing more effective kneel-assist devices
such as a kneepad and a padded support worn at the ankle where mine
workers can comfortably rest their body weight.
These devices must also be field tested to verify they do not
result in body discomfort or inadvertent accidents. It is also
important to determine how usable and durable these devices are in the
harsh mining environment. In order to quantitatively demonstrate that
these prototype devices are superior to their predecessors, mine
workers using these prototypes must be interviewed. Their feedback will
identify any necessary changes to the design of the devices such that
NIOSH can ensure the prototypes will be well-accepted by the mining
community.
To collect this type of information, a field study must be
conducted where kneel-assist devices currently used in the mining
industry (i.e. kneepads) are compared to the new prototype designs. The
study suggested here would take approximately 13 months.
Phase I of this study will evaluate the prototype kneel-assist
device by mine workers after being used for one month. Iterative
changes will be made to the design based on the feedback obtained
during Phase I. Data will be collected via interviews with individual
mine workers and through a focus group where all mine workers come
together to express their opinions about the devices. If the prototype
kneel-assist devices do not appear to be successful, the data collected
will be used to adequately redesign them and the above described
process will begin again. If the prototype kneel-assist devices appear
to be successful, Phase II of the study will commence.
Once Phase II of the study is ready to commence, cooperating mines
will be identified. Every month, the section foreman at the cooperating
mines will be asked to supply some information regarding the current
mine environment.
Initially, the mine workers will be given a control kneel-assist
device. Currently, mine workers only utilize kneepads as a kneel-assist
device. Therefore, only a control kneepad will be provided. They will
then be asked some basic demographics information such as their age and
time in the mining industry. Additional data will then be collected at
1, 3, and 6 months after the study commences. The mine workers will be
asked to provide their feedback regarding factors such as body part
discomfort, usability, durability, and ease of movement with respect to
the control kneepad. After evaluating the control kneepad, mine workers
will then be given the prototype kneel-assist device that was finalized
in Phase I of the study. The same questions that were asked about the
control kneepad will again be asked at 1, 3, and 6 months after usage
begins of the prototype. Thus, Phase II of the study will last 12
months.
There will be no cost to the respondents/subjects other than their
time. The total burden hours are estimated to be 182.
[[Page 56842]]
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of Average burden
Respondents Form name Number of responses per per response
respondents respondent (in hours)
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Phase I...................... Section Foreman. Phase I Section 1 1 10/60
Foreman Form.
Mine Workers.... Phase I 9 1 20/60
Baseline Form.
Mine Workers.... Phase I 1 month 9 1 30/60
form.
Mine Workers.... Phase I Focus 9 1 1
Group
Questions.
Phase II..................... Section Foreman. Phase II 6 12 10/60
Section
Foreman Form.
Mine Workers.... Phase II 54 1 20/60
Baseline Form.
Mine Workers.... Phase II 1, 3, 54 6 25/60
and 6 months
forms.
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Dated: October 28, 2009.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E9-26395 Filed 11-2-09; 8:45 am]
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