[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]


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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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#137c7e71537077703d747c65"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f39c9e91b3909790dd949c85">[email protected]</span></a>.
    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


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