[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 179 (Thursday, September 17, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47803-47804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-22373]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-09-09BH]


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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c1aeaca381a2a5a2efa6aeb7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="abc4c6c9ebc8cfc885ccc4dd">[email protected]</span></a>. 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

    Assessing the Safety Culture of Underground Coal 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, (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 occupational safety and health problems in 
the coal mining industry. In recent years, coal mining safety has 
attained national attention due to highly publicized disasters. Despite 
these threats to worker safety and health, the U.S. relies on coal 
mining to meet its electricity needs. For this reason, the coal mining 
industry must continue to find ways to protect its workers while 
maintaining productivity. One way to do so is through improving the 
safety culture at coal mines. In order to achieve this culture, 
operators, employees, the inspectorate, etc. must share a fundamental 
commitment to it as a value. This type of culture is known in other 
industries as a ``safety culture.'' Safety culture can be defined as 
the characteristics of the work environment, such as the norms, rules, 
and common understandings that influence employees' perceptions of the 
importance that the organization places on safety.
    NIOSH proposes an assessment of the current safety culture of 
underground coal mining in order to identify recommendations for 
promoting and ensuring the existence of a positive safety culture 
across the industry. A total of 6 underground coal mines will be 
studied for this assessment in an attempt to study mines of different 
characteristics. It is hoped that a small, a medium and a large 
unionized as well as non-unionized mines will participate. Data will be 
collected one time at each mine; this is not a longitudinal study. The 
assessment includes the collection of data using several diagnostic 
tools: (a) Functional analysis, (b) structured interviews, (c) 
behavioral observations, and (d) surveys.
    It is estimated that across the 6 mines approximately 900 
respondents will be surveyed. Similarly the number of interviews will 
be based upon the number of individuals in the mine population. An 
exact number of participants is unavailable at this time because not 
all mine sites have been selected.
    The use of multiple methods to assess safety culture is a key 
aspect to the methodology. After all of the information has been 
gathered, a variety of statistical and qualitative analyses are 
conducted on the data to obtain conclusions with respect to the mine's 
safety culture. The results from these analyses will be presented in a 
report describing the status of the behaviors important to safety 
culture at that mine.
    This project will provide recommendations for the enactment of new 
safety practices or the enhancement of existing safety practices across 
the underground coal mining industry. This final report will present a 
generalized model of a positive safety culture for underground coal 
mines that can be applied at individual mines. In addition, all study 
measures and procedures will be available for mines to use in the 
future to evaluate their own safety cultures. There is no cost to 
respondents other than their time. The total estimated annualized 
burden hours are 480.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                      Average
                                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per
                 Phase                     Type of respondents      respondents    responses per   response  (in
                                                                                    respondent        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year one Survey.......................  Mine Employees..........             500               1           20/60
Year one Interviews...................  Mine Employees..........             100               1               1
Year two Survey.......................  Mine Employees..........             400               1           20/60
Year two Interviews...................  Mine Employees..........              80               1               1
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[[Page 47804]]

    Date: September 9, 2009.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. E9-22373 Filed 9-16-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P


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