[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 231 (Tuesday, December 1, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 77258]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26384]



[[Page 77258]]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Mine Accident, Injury, and Illness Report and 
Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Mining Safety 
and Health Administration (MSHA)-sponsored information collection 
request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that agency receives 
on or before December 31, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) if the information will be processed and used in a timely 
manner; (3) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the burden and 
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (4) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (5) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony May by telephone at 202-693-
4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#71353e3d2e2123302e2124333d383231151e1d5f161e07"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ca8e8586959a988b959a9f888683898aaea5a6e4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 103(h) of the Federal Mine Safety 
and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act), 30 U.S.C. 813(h), authorizes MSHA to 
collect information necessary to carry out its duty in protecting the 
safety and health of miners. Further, section 101(a) of the Mine Act, 
30 U.S.C. 811, authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to 
develop, promulgate, and revise as may be appropriate, improved 
mandatory health or safety standards for the protection of life and 
prevention of injuries in coal or other mines. The reporting and 
recordkeeping provisions in 30 CFR part 50 (Part 50), Notification, 
Investigation, Reports and Records of Accidents, Injuries and 
Illnesses, Employment and Coal Production in Mines, are essential 
elements in MSHA's statutory mandate to reduce work-related injuries 
and illnesses among the nation's miners (30 U.S.C. 801). Section 50.10 
requires mine operators and independent contractors to immediately 
notify MSHA in the event of an accident. This immediate notification is 
critical to MSHA's timely investigation and assessment of the cause of 
the accident. Section 50.11 requires that the mine operator or 
independent contractor investigate each accident and occupational 
injury and prepare a report. The mine operator or independent 
contractor may not use MSHA Form 7000-1 as the investigation report, 
except if the operator or contractor employs fewer than 20 miners and 
the injury is not related to an accident. Section 50.20 requires mine 
operators and independent contractors to report each accident, injury, 
and illness to MSHA on Form 7000-1 within 10 working days after an 
accident or injury has occurred or an occupational illness has been 
diagnosed. The use of MSHA Form 7000-1 provides for uniform information 
gathering across the mining industry. Section 50.30 requires that all 
mine operators and independent contractors working on mine property 
report employment to MSHA quarterly on Form 7000-2, and that coal mine 
operators and independent contractors also report coal production. 
Accident, injury, and illness data, when correlated with employment and 
production data, provide information that MSHA uses to improve its 
safety and health enforcement programs, focus its education and 
training efforts, and establish priorities for its technical assistance 
activities in mine safety and health. Maintaining a current database 
allows MSHA to identify and direct increased attention to those mines, 
industry segments, and geographical areas where hazardous trends are 
developing. This could not be done effectively using historical data. 
The information collected under Part 50 is the most comprehensive and 
reliable occupational data available concerning the mining industry. 
Section 103(d) of the Mine Act mandates that each accident be 
investigated by the operator to determine the cause and means of 
preventing a recurrence. Operators must keep records of such accidents 
and investigations and make them available to the Secretary or the 
Secretary's authorized representative and the appropriate State agency. 
Section 103(h) requires operators to keep any records and make any 
reports that are reasonably necessary for MSHA to perform its duties 
under the Mine Act. Section 103(j) requires operators to notify MSHA of 
the occurrence of an accident and to take appropriate measures to 
preserve any evidence that would assist in the investigation into the 
causes of the accident. For additional substantive information about 
this ICR, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on 
September 14, 2020 (85 FR 56637).
    This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency 
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and 
the public is generally not required to respond to an information 
collection, unless the OMB approves it and displays a currently valid 
OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any other provisions 
of law, no person shall generally be subject to penalty for failing to 
comply with a collection of information that does not display a valid 
OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
    DOL seeks PRA authorization for this information collection for 
three (3) years. OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than 
three (3) years without renewal. The DOL notes that information 
collection requirements submitted to the OMB for existing ICRs receive 
a month-to-month extension while they undergo review.
    Agency: DOL-MSHA.
    Title of Collection: Mine Accident, Injury, and Illness Report and 
Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report.
    OMB Control Number: 1219-0007.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profits institutions.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 25,067.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 112,414.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 131,631 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $2,946.

(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D))

    Dated: November 23, 2020.
Anthony May,
Management and Program Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2020-26384 Filed 11-30-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P


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