[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6795-6796]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2674]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[60Day-11-11BW]
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 Carol E. Walker, Acting CDC 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
Cops and Cars: Reducing Law Enforcement Officer Deaths in Motor
Vehicle Crashes--NEW--National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Background and Brief Description
Occupational hazards facing law enforcement officers (LEOs) include
psychological, biological, physical, and chemical stressors. While
homicides, suicides, and stress-related cardiovascular disease have
been well documented in the literature, much less is known about work
related motor vehicle incidents in this occupation. Motor vehicle
incidents and crashes are the leading cause of occupational death among
LEOs. This is not surprising given that LEOs spend a large amount of
time conducting vehicle patrols, can be involved in dangerous high-
speed pursuits, and often perform work alongside interstates and
roadways near speeding motor vehicles. While seatbelt use significantly
reduces the chance of dying in a motor-vehicle crash, there is some
anecdotal evidence that LEOs do not wear seatbelts and often for good
reasons. For example, one of the leading reasons why officers report
not wearing seatbelts was the tendency of the belt to get caught on
their gun holster and therefore inhibit their safety while in the
field. A better understanding of how officers view seatbelt usage, ways
to decrease barriers to usage in the field, and possible gateways to
this behavior change is needed before developing evidence-based
interventions.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act, Public Law 91-596 (section
20[a] [1]) authorizes the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) to conduct research to advance the health and safety
of workers. NIOSH is proposing to conduct a population-based, cross-
sectional survey among LEOS in the State of Iowa to measure motor-
vehicle safety practices, perceptions of these practices, and prior
occupational motor-vehicle crashes.
[[Page 6796]]
Enrollment for the study will be performed at the agency level. A
random sample of Iowa law enforcement agencies, stratified on size of
department (small, medium, and large) and type of department (Sheriff's
Departments and City/Police Departments) will be drawn using a publicly
available database. Recruitment packets will be sent to the leadership
of these agencies inviting them to participate in the study. After
agency leadership have agreed to participate in the study, survey
packets will be mailed to a contact person in the agency. These packets
will then be distributed to all sworn officers. Study packets will
consist of an introduction letter and paper-and-pencil survey. The
questionnaire provides information on the following categories: Socio-
demographics, occupation, driving behaviors, attitudes & knowledge of
policies, and details of prior motor-vehicle crashes.
The sample size is estimated to be 162 agencies, with approximately
2,467 police and sheriff patrol officers. This estimate is derived
using a publically available database of all U.S. law enforcement
agencies. Pilot test data demonstrated that respondents should take
approximately 20 minutes to complete the survey, resulting in an
annualized burden estimate of 822 hours. Participation in the study is
completely voluntary.
Distribution of the surveys will also utilize the time of first-
line supervisors of the participating law enforcement agencies. The
surveys will be mailed to the leadership of each participating law
enforcement agency. They will be asked to distribute the surveys to all
sworn officers in their agencies. Depending on the level of involvement
of each agency, additional work activities delineated to the leadership
could include: Collection of the surveys, verbal and/or written
reminders to the officers, re-distribution of surveys, and e-mail/phone
communication with NIOSH. One-hundred and sixty-two agencies have been
invited to participate in the study. We estimate that on average,
leadership at each agency will contribute a total of one burden hour
for a total of 162 burden hours. There is no cost to respondents except
their time.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of Average burden
Type of respondent Number of responses per per response Total burden
respondents respondent (in hours) hours
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Police & sheriff's patrol officers.............. 2,467 1 20/60 822
First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Police & 162 1 1 162
Detectives.....................................
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Total....................................... .............. .............. .............. 984
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Dated: February 1, 2011.
Carol E. Walker,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2011-2674 Filed 2-7-11; 8:45 am]
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