[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 38 (Friday, February 26, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8956-8957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-3999]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[60 Day-10-10BR]
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 be received
within 60 days of this notice.
Proposed Project
Evaluation and Development of Hearing Loss Interventions--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.
This research relates to reducing the incidence of noise induced
hearing loss in the coal mining industry through improved development
and dissemination of hearing loss prevention products. The overall
objective of this project is to improve the effectiveness of hearing
loss prevention research products through development, refinement,
promotion, and long term evaluation. Research products developed in
previous projects and new products developed in current projects will
be evaluated and promoted for industry-wide adoption and impact.
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the most common occupational
illness in the United States today, with 30 million workers exposed to
excessive noise levels. Mining has the highest prevalence of hazardous
noise exposure of any major industry sector (Tak, Davis, & Calvert,
2009) and is second only to the railroad industry in prevalence of
workers reporting hearing difficulty (Tak & Calvert, 2008). The Hearing
Loss Prevention Branch at NIOSH Office of Mine Safety and Health
Research (OMSHR) has developed multiple hearing loss prevention
research products with the intent of controlling noise exposure and
reducing the occurrence of NIHL in mining. However, many of the
products are not widely used in industry. The current project has
several goals related to determining the effectiveness of our products
and developing additional products; however it is also necessary to
determine why the products are not receiving greater field utilization
so that we can amend the procedure for dissemination and to assure that
future products are transferred to industry in a more efficient manner.
The outcomes of this project will include a culmination of various
physical measures such as noise dosimetry, noise measures, and
audiometry. These are common industry hygiene methods that typically do
not require special approval. However, it will also be necessary to
conduct semi-structured interviews and questionnaire-based assessments
with various mine personnel who are using NIOSH-developed noise
controls to gain an understanding of the barriers to acceptance.
Employees will be asked about their motivation to implement noise
controls, their attitude towards the specific control being assessed,
their attitude toward safety, and the methods they use to find and
implement health and safety information. These interviews will take
place with health
[[Page 8957]]
and safety managers, mine foremen, maintenance supervisors, production
coordinators and operators of equipment with installed noise controls.
The proposed time schedule for conducting these assessments is before
installation of a control and on a predetermined schedule for the
duration of the life of the control. For example, one noise control may
have an expected performance life of 6 months. In that case the
interviews will occur before installation, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 14 weeks,
and 24 weeks post installation.
Although we plan to follow this general time table, due to the
nature of the mining industry, slight deviation may occur. No noise
control will require greater than 5 interviews per respondent. The goal
is to achieve 6 mines and 6 individuals per mine per noise control.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Average burden
Type of respondent Form name Number of responses per per response Total burden
respondents respondent (in hours) (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Managers Foreman Supervisors Assessment of 36 5 20/60 60
Coordinators Operators. the Urethane-
Coated Chain
for Continuous
Mining Machines.
Managers Foreman Supervisors Assessment of 36 5 20/60 60
Coordinators Operators. the Roof
Bolting Machine
Noise Control
Products.
Managers Foreman Supervisors Assessment for 36 5 20/60 60
Coordinators Operators. the Enclosure
for Vibrating
Screen.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total..................... ................ 108 .............. .............. 180
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dated: February 22, 2010.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2010-3999 Filed 2-25-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P