[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11132-11133]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04248]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
[OMB Control No. 1219-0009]
Proposed Information Collection; Training Plans and Records of
Training, for Underground Miners and Miners Working at Surface Mines
and Surface Areas of Underground Mines
AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies
with an opportunity to comment on proposed collections of information
in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A). This program helps to assure that requested data can be
provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial
resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood,
and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be
properly assessed. Currently, the Mine Safety and Health Administration
(MSHA) is soliciting comments on the information collection for
Training Plans and Records of Training, for Underground Miners and
Miners Working at Surface Mines and Surface Areas of Underground Mines.
DATES: All comments must be received on or before April 28, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Comments concerning the information collection requirements
of this notice may be sent by any of the methods listed below.
Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments for docket
number [MSHA-2013-0043].
Regular Mail: Send comments to MSHA, Office of Standards,
Regulations, and Variances, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2350,
Arlington, VA 22209-3939.
Hand Delivery: MSHA, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2350,
Arlington, VA. Sign in at the receptionist's desk on the 21st floor.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheila McConnell, Acting Director,
Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, MSHA, at
[email protected] (email); 202-693-9440 (voice); or
202-693-9441 (facsimile).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 11133]]
I. Background
Section 103(h) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977
(Mine Act), 30 U.S.C. 813(h), authorizes MSHA to collect information
necessary to carry out its duty in protecting the safety and health of
miners. Further, Section 101(a) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 811
authorizes the Secretary to develop, promulgate, and revise as may be
appropriate, improved mandatory health or safety standards for the
protection of life and prevention of injuries in coal or other mines.
The Mine Act, as amended, 30 U.S.C. 801 et seq., recognizes that
education and training in the improvement of miner health and safety is
an important element of federal efforts to make the nation's mines
safe. Section 115(a) of the Mine Act states that ``each operator of a
coal or other mine shall have a health and safety training program
which shall be approved by the Secretary.'' Title 30 CFR 48.3 and 48.23
require training plans for underground and surface mines, respectively.
The standards are intended to assure that miners will be effectively
trained in matters affecting their health and safety, with the ultimate
goal of reducing the occurrence of injury and illness in the nation's
mines.
Training plans are required to be submitted for approval to the
MSHA District Manager for the area in which the mine is located. Plans
must contain the following: (1) Company name, (2) mine name, (3) MSHA
identification number of the mine, (4) the name and position of the
person designated by the operator who is responsible for health and
safety training at the mine, (5) a list of MSHA-approved instructors
with whom the operator proposes to make arrangements to teach the
courses and the courses each instructor is qualified to teach, (6) the
location where training will be given for each course, (7) a
description of the teaching methods and the course materials which are
to be used in training, (8) the approximate number of miners employed
at the mine and the maximum number who will attend each session of
training, (9) the predicted time or periods of time when regularly
scheduled refresher training will be given including the titles of
courses to be taught, (10) the total number of instruction hours for
each course, and (11) the predicted time and length of each session of
training for new task training including a complete list of task
assignments, the titles of personnel conducting the training, the
outline of training procedures used, and the evaluation procedures used
to determine the effectiveness of the training.
Title 30 CFR 48.9 and 48.29 require records of training for
underground and surface mines, respectively. Upon completion of each
training program, the mine operator certifies on a form approved by the
Secretary (MSHA Form 5000-23) that the miner has received the specified
training in each subject area of the approved health and safety
training plan.
The certificates are to be maintained by the operator for a period
of two years for current employees and sixty days for terminated
employees and must be available for inspection at the mine site. In
addition, the miner is entitled to a copy of the certificate upon
completion of the training and when he/she leaves the operator's
employment.
II. Desired Focus of Comments
MSHA is soliciting comments concerning the proposed information
collection related to Training Plans and Records of Training, for
Underground Miners and Miners Working at Surface Mines and Surface
Areas of Underground Mines. MSHA is particularly interested in comments
that:
Evaluate whether the collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information has practical utility;
Evaluate the accuracy of MSHA's estimate of the burden of
the collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
Suggest methods to 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.
This information collection request is available on http://www.msha.gov/regs/fedreg/informationcollection/informationcollection.asp. The information collection request will be
available on MSHA's Web site and on http://www.regulations.gov. MSHA
cautions the commenter against providing any information in the
submission that should not be publicly disclosed. Full comments,
including personal information provided, will be made available on
www.regulations.gov and www.reginfo.gov.
The public may also examine publicly available documents at MSHA,
1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2350, Arlington, VA. Sign in at the
receptionist's desk on the 21st floor.
Questions about the information collection requirements may be
directed to the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section of this notice.
III. Current Actions
This request for collection of information contains provisions for
Training Plans and Records of Training, for Underground Miners and
Miners Working at Surface Mines and Surface Areas of Underground Mines.
MSHA has updated the data with respect to the number of respondents,
responses, burden hours, and burden costs supporting this information
collection request.
Type of Review: Extension, without change, of a currently approved
collection.
Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
OMB Number: 1219-0009.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 2,399.
Frequency: On occasion.
Number of Responses: 143,263.
Annual Burden Hours: 17,741 hours.
Annual Respondent or Recordkeeper Cost: $465,617.
MSHA Forms: MSHA Form 5000-23, Certificate of Training.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and included in the request for Office of Management and Budget
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a
matter of public record.
Dated: February 21, 2014.
Patricia W. Silvey,
Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-04248 Filed 2-26-14; 8:45 am]
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