38676 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 137 / Friday, July 17, 1998 / Notices

which includes all current general wage

determinations for the States covered by

each volume. Throughout the remainder

of the year, regular weekly updates are

distributed to subscribers.

Signed at Washington, D.C. This 9th Day

of July, 1998.

Carl J. Poleskey,

Chief, Branch of Construction Wage

Determinations.

[FR Doc. 98–18828 Filed 7–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–27–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Proposed Information Collection

Request Submitted for Public

Comment and Recommendations;

Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

AGENCY: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as

part of its continuing effort to reduce

paperwork and respondent burden,

conducts a preclearance consultation

program to provide the general public

and Federal agencies with an

opportunity to comment on proposed

and/or continuing collections of

information in accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This

program helps to ensure that requested

data can be provided in the desired

format, reporting burden is minimized,

reporting forms are clearly understood,

and the impact of collection

requirements on respondents can be

properly assessed. Currently, the Bureau

of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed

revision of the ‘‘Census of Fatal

Occupational Injuries.’’ A copy of the

proposed information collection request

(ICR) can be obtained by contacting the

individual listed below in the addresses

section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted to the office listed in the

addresses section below on or before

September 15, 1998.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is

particularly interested in comments

which:

• Evaluate whether the proposed

collection of information is necessary

for the proper performance of the

functions of the agency, including

whether the information will have

practical utility;

• Evaluate the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used;

• Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and

• Minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who

are to respond, including through the

use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology,

e.g., permitting electronic submissions

of responses.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Karin G.

Kurz, BLS Clearance Officer, Division of

Management Systems, Bureau of Labor

Statistics, Room 3255, 2 Massachusetts

Avenue NE., Washington, D.C. 20212.

For further information contact Ms.

Kurz on 202–605–7628 (this is not a toll

free number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

was delegated responsibility by the

Secretary of Labor for implementing

Section 24(a) of the Occupational Safety

and Health Act of 1970. This section

states the ‘‘the Secretary shall compile

accurate statistics on work injuries and

illnesses which shall include all

disabling, serious, or significant injuries

and illnesses * * *’’

Prior to the implementation of the

Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

(CFOI), BLS generated estimates of

occupational fatalities for private sector

employers from a sample survey of

about 280,000 establishments. Studies

showed that occupational fatalities were

underreported in those estimates as well

as those compiled by regulatory, vital

statistics, and workers’ compensation

systems. Estimates varied widely

between 3,000 and 10,00 annually. In

addition, information needed to develop

prevention strategies was often missing

form these earlier programs.

In the late 1980s, the National

Academy of Sciences study, Counting

Injuries and Illnesses in the Workplace,

and the report, Keystone National Policy

Dialogue on Work-Related Illness and

Injury Recordkeeping, emphasized the

need for BLS to compile a complete

roster of work-related fatalities because

of concern over the accuracy of using a

sample survey to estimate the incidence

of occupational fatalities. These studies

also recommended the use of all

available data sources to compile

detailed information for fatality

prevention efforts.

BLS tested the feasibility of collecting

fatality data in this manner in 1989 and

1990. The resulting CFOI was

implemented in 32 States in 1991.

National data covering all 50 States and

the District of Columbia was compiled

and published for 1992–1996,

approximately eight months after each

calendar year.

The CFOI compiles comprehensive,

accurate, and timely information on

work-injury fatalities needed to develop

effective prevention strategies. The

system collects information concerning

the incident, demographic information

on the deceased, and characteristics of

the employer.

Data are used to:

—develop employee safety training

programs;

—develop and assess the effectiveness

of safety standards;

—conduct research for developing

prevention strategies; and

—compare fatalities between States.

In addition, States use the data to

publish State reports, to identify Statespecific hazards, to allocate resources

for promoting safety in the workplace,

and to evaluate the quality of work life

in the State.

II. Current Actions

In 1996, 6,112 workers lost their lives

as a result of injuries received on the

job. This official systematic, verifiable

count mutes controversy over the

various counts from different sources.

The CFOI count has been adopted by

the National Safety Council and other

organizations as the sole source of a

comprehensive count of fatal work

injuries for the U.S. If this information

were not collected, the confusion over

the number and patterns in fatal

occupational injuries would continue,

thus hampering prevention efforts. By

providing timely occupational fatality

data, the CFOI program provides safety

and health managers the information

necessary to respond to emerging

workplace hazards.

In 1997, BLS Washington staff

responded to over 3,000 requests for

CFOI data from various organizations.

(This figure excludes requests received

by the States for State-specific data.) In

addition, BLS Washington staff

responded to numerous requests from

safety organizations for staff members to

participate in safety conferences and

seminars. The CFOI research file, made

available to safety and health groups, is

being used by 50 organizations to

conduct studies on specific topics, such

as protective equipment use, forklift

injuries, tractor-trailer tipovers,

powerline electrocutions, homicides,

construction industry falls, highway

construction, and logging and forestry

fatalities. (A current list of research

articles and reports that include CFOI

data can be found in BLS Report 922,
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 137 / Friday, July 17, 1998 / Notices 38677

dated June 1998, Appendix H. Copies of

this report are available upon request.)

Type of Review: Revision.

Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Title: Census of Fatal Occupational

Injuries.

OMB Number: 1220–0133.

Frequency: On Occasion.

Affected Public: Individuals or

households, Business or other for-profit,

Not-for-profit-institutions, Farms,

Federal Government, State, Local or

Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 2,665.

Estimated Time Per Response: 11

Minutes.

Total Burden Hours: 5,000 Hours.

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup):

$0.

Total Burden Cost (operating/

maintenance): $0.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for Office of

Management and Budget approval of the

ICR; they also will become a matter of

public record.

Signed at Washington, DC, this 13th day of

July, 1998.

Karen A. Krein,

Acting Chief, Division of Management

Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

[FR Doc. 98–19112 Filed 7–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–24–M

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND

SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice 98–095]

Notice of Prospective Patent License

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and

Space Administration.

ACTION: Notice of Prospective Patent

License.

SUMMARY: NASA hereby gives notice

that Lantis Laser, Inc., has applied for a

partially exclusive license to practice

the invention disclosed in NASA Case

No. LAR–15564–1–SB, entitled,

‘‘Method of Controlling Laser

Wavelength(s),’’ for which a U.S. Patent

Application was filed and assigned to

the United States of America as

represented by the Administrator of the

National Aeronautics and Space

Administration. Written objections to

the prospective grant of a license should

be sent to NASA Langley Research

Center.

DATES: Responses to this notice must be

received by September 15, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Robin W. Edwards, Patent Attorney,

NASA Langley Research Center, Mail

Stop 212, Hampton, VA 23681–0001.

Telephone (757) 864–3230; fax (757)

864–9190.

Dated: July 13, 1998.

Edward A. Frankle,

General Counsel.

[FR Doc. 98–19080 Filed 7–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7501–01–P

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

National Science Foundation Proposal/

Award Information—Grant Proposal

Guide; Submission for OMB Review:

Comment Request

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

National Science Foundation (NSF) will

publish periodic summaries of proposed

projects. Such a notice was published at

Federal Register, 6393, dated May 14,

1998. No comments were received. This

material is being submitted for OMB

review. Send any written comments to

Desk Officer, OMB, 3145–0058, OIRA,

Office of Management and Budget,

Washington, DC 20503. Written

comments should be received by August

14, 1998.

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 on

respondents, including through the use

of automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

Proposed project. ‘‘National Science

Foundation Proposal/Award

Information—Grant Proposal Guide.’’

The mission of the NSF are to:

strengthen its ability to support research

in all areas of science and engineering;

and promote innovative science and

engineering education programs that

can better prepare the Nation to meet

the challenges of the future. The

foundation is also committed to

ensuring the Nation’s supply of

scientists, engineers, and science

educators. In its role as leading Federal

supporter of science and engineering,

NSF also has an important role in

national science policy planning.

The information collected is used to

help the Foundation fulfill this

responsibility by initiating and

supporting merit-selected research and

education projects in all the scientific

an engineering disciplines. NSF receives

more than 30,000 proposals annually for

new or renewal support for research,

and math/science/engineering

education projects, and makes

approximately 10,000 new awards. This

support is made primarily through

grants contracts, and other agreements

awarded to approximately 2,800

colleges, universities, academic

consortia, nonprofit institutions, and

small businesses. The awards are based

mainly on evaluations of proposal merit

submitted to the Foundation (see OMB

Clearance No. 3145–0060).

The Foundation has a continuing

commitment to monitor the operations

of its review and award processes to

identify and address excessive reporting

burdens. The Foundation is also

committed to monitor and identify any

real or apparent inequities based on

gender, race, ethnicity, or handicap of

the proposed principal investigator(s)/

project director(s) or co-principal

investigator(s)/co-project director(s).

The collection of this information is a

part of the regular submission of

proposals to the Foundation.

Dated: July 14, 1998.

Mary Lou Higgs,

Acting NSF Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–19072 Filed 7–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7555–01–M

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Special Emphasis Panel in Design,

Manufacture & Industrial Innovation;

Notice of Meeting

This notice is being published in

accord with the Federal Advisory

Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463, as

amended). During the period of August

12–September 30, 1998, the Special

Emphasis Panel in Design, Manufacture

& Industrial Innovation (1194) will be

holding panel meetings to review and

evaluate Small Business Innovation

Research (SBIR) proposals. All meetings

will be held at the National Science

Foundation. The dates, topics and areas

of proposals are as follows:

Date Topic and area

August 6–7, 1998 ............................................................... Topic 23, Mechanics and Materials.