[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38087-38088]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-15503]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of the Secretary
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Occupational Noise Exposure
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Mine Safety
and Health Administration (MSHA) sponsored Information Collection
Request (ICR) titled, ``Occupational Noise Exposure,'' to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use
in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.).
DATES: Submit comments on or before July 26, 2012.
ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation;
including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency
of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained from the
RegInfo.gov Web site, http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, on the
day following publication of this notice or by contacting Michel Smyth
by telephone at 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or
sending an email to DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov.
Submit comments about this request to the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for DOL-MSHA, Office of
Management and Budget, Room 10235, New Executive Office Building,
Washington, DC 20503, Telephone: 202-395-6929/Fax: 202-395-6881 (these
are not toll-free numbers), email: OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Michel Smyth by telephone at
202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Noise is a harmful physical agent and one of
the most pervasive health hazards in mining. Repeated exposure to high
levels of sound over time causes occupational noise-induced hearing
loss (NIHL), a serious, often profound physical impairment in mining,
with far-reaching psychological and social effects. NIHL can be
distinguished from aging and other factors that can contribute to
hearing loss and it can be prevented. According to the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIHL is among the top ten
leading occupational illnesses and injuries.
For many years, NIHL was regarded as an inevitable consequence of
working in a mine. Mining, an intensely mechanized industry, relies on
drills, crushers, compressors, conveyors, trucks, loaders, and other
heavy-duty equipment for the excavation, haulage, and processing of
material. This equipment creates high sound levels, exposing machine
operators as well as miners working nearby. The MSHA, Occupational
Safety and Health Administration, military, and other organizations
around the world have established and enforced standards to reduce the
loss of hearing. Quieter equipment, isolation of workers from noise
sources, and limiting the time workers are exposed to noise are among
the many well-accepted methods that will prevent the costly incidence
of NIHL.
Records of miner exposures to noise are necessary so that mine
operators and the MSHA can evaluate the need for and effectiveness of
engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective
equipment to protect miners from harmful levels of noise that can
result in hearing loss. However, the Agency believes that extensive
records for this purpose are not needed. These requirements are a
performance-oriented approach to monitoring. Records of miner hearing
examinations enable mine operators and the MSHA to ensure that the
controls are effective in preventing NIHL for individual miners.
Records of training are needed to confirm that miners receive the
information they need to become active participants in hearing
conservation efforts.
These information collections are 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 it is approved by the OMB under the PRA 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 if the
collection of information does not display a valid OMB Control Number.
See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this
information collection under OMB Control Number 1219-0120. The current
OMB approval is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2012; however, it
should be noted that existing information collection requirements
submitted to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension while they
undergo review. For additional information, see the
[[Page 38088]]
related notice published in the Federal Register on March 22, 2012 (77
FR 16865).
Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB,
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in
the ADDRESSES section within 30 days of publication of this notice in
the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate
consideration, comments should mention OMB Control Number 1219-0120.
The OMB is particularly interested in comments that:
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 submission of responses.
Agency: DOL-MSHA.
Title of Collection: Occupational Noise Exposure.
OMB Control Number: 1219-0120.
Affected Public: Private Sector--Businesses or other for-profits.
Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 13,245.
Total Estimated Number of Responses: 207,633.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 14,289.
Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $34,327.
Dated: June 20, 2012.
Michel Smyth,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-15503 Filed 6-25-12; 8:45 a.m.]
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