[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9921-9922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-03180]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[60Day-13-13IF]
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 404-639-7570
and send comments to Kimberly S. Lane, CDC Reports Clearance Officer,
1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an email to
[email protected].
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
Pilot Project to Evaluate the Use of Exposure Control Plans for
Bloodborne Pathogens in Private Dental Practices--New--National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Background and Brief Description
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that
healthcare workers sustain nearly 600,000 percutaneous injuries
annually involving contaminated sharps. In response to both the
continued concern over such exposures and the technological
developments which can increase employee protection, Congress passed
the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act directing the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to revise the Bloodborne
Pathogens (BBP) Standard to establish requirements that employers
identify and make use of effective and safer medical devices. That
revision was published on January 18, 2001, and became effective April
18, 2001.
The revision to OSHA's BBP Standard added new requirements for
employers, including additions to the exposure control plan and
maintenance of a sharps injury log.
OSHA has determined that compliance with these standards
significantly reduces the risk that workers will contract a bloodborne
disease in the course of their work. However, exposure control plans
for bloodborne pathogens, policies and standards for healthcare workers
are based primarily on hospital data.
Approximately one-half of the 11 million healthcare workers in the
United States are employed in non-hospital settings, including
physician offices, home healthcare agencies, correctional facilities,
and dental offices and clinics. Little information is known about the
risk management practices in these non-hospital settings. In a small
study conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) found that although seven of the eight correctional
healthcare facilities visited had written exposure control plans, only
two were reviewed and updated annually as required by the OSHA BBP
Standard. One reason postulated for non-compliance was that hospital-
based standards, policies, and programs may not be appropriate to non-
hospital settings. It is important to identify effective methods for
using exposure control plans in non-hospital settings and to verify
whether the specificity and relevance of bloodborne pathogen training
and educational materials for non-hospital facilities can positively
impact compliance in dental settings.
The purpose of this proposal is to understand how bloodborne
pathogens exposure control plans are implemented in private dental
offices, an important segment of the non-hospital based healthcare
system. The proposed work will draw on research-to-practice principles
and will be assisted by a strong network of dental professional groups,
trade associations, and government agencies. Specific objectives are
to:
(1) Inventory existing exposure control plans in private dental
practices;
[[Page 9922]]
(2) determine whether the exposure control plan or other resource
is actively used to prevent occupational exposures;
(3) determine available resources and barriers to use such as
relevant educational materials, knowledge, costs, availability; and
(4) develop strategies to overcome key barriers to compliance.
The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) is a unique
group of dental educators and consultants, researchers, clinicians,
industry representatives, and other interested persons with a
collective mission to be the world's leading advocate for the safe and
infection-free delivery of oral healthcare. OSAP supports this
commitment to dental workers and the public through quality education
and information dissemination. OSAP's unique membership includes the
variety of partners critical to gather the data on compliance with the
OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard, identify barriers and develop
strategies to overcome barriers to compliance.
OSAP will be conducting a web survey of private dental practices in
the United States. Information collected will include an inventory of
existing exposure control plans; whether the plan or other resource is
actively used to prevent occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens;
available resources and barriers to use such as relevant education
materials, knowledge, costs, and availability. There are no costs to
the respondents other than their time. OSAP is working with a
publishing partner that has an email distribution list of 45,419
dentists, representing every state in the country. The list represents
nearly one-third (32%) of the total population of working dentists in
the United States.
The targeted number of completed questionnaires is estimated at
about 22,700 (50% participation rate). The survey is estimated to take
about 15 minutes for respondents to complete. This survey completion
scenario yields an annualized hour burden estimate of 5,675 hours.
There are no costs to respondents other than their time.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of Avg. burden
Type of respondents Form name Number of responses per per response Total burden
respondents respondent (in hrs) (in hrs)
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Private Dental Practices...... BBP Exposure 22,700 1 15/60 5,675
Control Plan
Survey.
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Total......................... ................ .............. .............. .............. 5,675
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Kimberly S. Lane,
Deputy Director, Office of Scientific Integrity Office of the Associate
Director for Science, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2013-03180 Filed 2-11-13; 8:45 am]
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