[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 215 (Thursday, November 6, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65970-65971]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-26353]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[30Day-15-14HW]
Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted
the following information collection request to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The notice for the proposed
information collection is published to obtain comments from the public
and affected agencies.
Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected
agencies concerning the proposed collection of information are
encouraged. Your comments should address any of the following: (a)
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; (b) Evaluate the
accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology
and assumptions used; (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; (d) 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; and
(e) Assess information collection costs.
To request additional information on the proposed project or to
obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, call
(404) 639-7570 or send an email to [email protected]. Written comments and/or
suggestions regarding the items contained in this notice should be
directed to the Attention: CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management and
Budget, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 395-5806. Written
comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.
Proposed Project
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Interventions for Airplane Cargo
Baggage Handling--New--National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Background and Brief Description
The mission of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) is to promote worker safety and health through research
and prevention. Under Public Law 91-596, sections 20 and 22 (Section
20-22, Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970), NIOSH has the
responsibility to conduct research to advance the health and safety of
workers. In this capacity, NIOSH is seeking a three-year approval from
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct a study to assess
the effectiveness and cost-benefit of engineering interventions for
reducing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among baggage handlers
working at airports.
In recent years (2009-2012), the overall annual incidence rate of
work-related injuries resulting in days away from work, job transfer,
or restricted work in the airport passenger transportation industry was
approximately 7%. This is one of the highest rates in all job
categories tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A very
large proportion of the injury cases in the airport passenger
transportation industry are musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs),
especially low back disorders, which were found primarily in baggage
handlers working in the ramp or tarmac
[[Page 65971]]
area, where airplanes are parked for services.
Two interventions to be evaluated are the power stow (PS) and the
vacuum lift (VL) systems. The PS is a semi-automatic conveyor to assist
the user in transferring bags. The VL is a lifting assist hoist to
assist in manual lifting. The PS will be used in the cargo compartments
in the airplane, while the VL will be used for tasks required for
transferring bags from a baggage cart to the conveyor connected to the
cargo compartments. The systems will be evaluated through a prospective
study design with a control group.
An estimate of 960 ramp workers are planned to be recruited into
the study. Stratified by their crew units (5 workers per crew), 60 of
960 ramp workers will be randomly chosen to use the interventions (30
in each intervention group). The remainder of 900 will serve as the
control group. MSD risk and incidence data will be collected by a self-
reported questionnaire at baseline, one and two years after
implementation of the two interventions. Additional MSD symptoms and
intervention compliance information will be requested monthly by a
short mail-in questionnaire. The effectiveness of the interventions
will be assessed by a reduction in MSD risks or incidence rates at the
end of the two follow-up periods. The primary health outcomes from the
questionnaires include self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms in
multiple body regions (neck, shoulders, low back and knees), sickness,
absence, and medical attention due to the symptoms. The annual
questionnaire will be used to collect additional information
(demographics, alcohol consumption, health problems, etc.), job demands
(work method, time spent on each job position, etc.), and psychosocial
job characteristics (perceived job stress, coworker support, etc.). The
annual estimated time for completing the yearly questionnaire is 30
minutes per person.
Between the baseline and the second follow-up, a monthly mail-in
short survey will be self-administered to collect additional
information on participants' work methods/postures and health outcomes
in the preceding month. The effectiveness of the interventions will be
evaluated by several health outcome measures including self-reported
musculoskeletal pain symptoms in multiple body regions (neck,
shoulders, low back and knees), sickness absence, and worker
compensation costs in a two-year study period. The estimated time for
completing the monthly questionnaire is 10 minutes per person.
A small portion of the study population (30 from the control, 30
from the PS and VL intervention groups, respectively) will be sampled
for their work using a video task analysis method. Hand forces required
for the recorded tasks will be measured by NIOSH to estimate
operational hand forces for the tasks. WMSD risk data for each task
will be determined by estimated working posture in the video recording
and measured hand force data using a biomechanical model. Baggage
weight information in the airline company baggage record system will be
used to estimate the number of baggage handling operations per flight/
day to estimate a cumulative risk. Through the prospective study
design, a potential exposure-response relationship between the WMSD
risk factors and WMSD incidence, adjusted for personal and psychosocial
factors, will be evaluated for airport baggage handlers. There is no
burden to respondents during video recording and hand force sampling
because the video and force data collections will be conducted by NIOSH
investigators without respondents' involvement.
An informed consent form will be collected one time during the
initial enrollment period. Annualized, over the course of the three
year study, this will be 320 participants completing the informed
consent. An early exit phone interview will be conducted if the
respondent decides to leave the study before the end date. A 20% early
exit study rate during the entire study period of three years is
estimated. This amounts to 64 participants completing the early exit
interview annually. The number of respondents with missing data
(approximately 5 questionnaire items across the annual and monthly
questionnaires per respondent) is estimated to be 5% annually. Based on
the above information and the frequencies of the annual and monthly
surveys, the total estimated annualized burden is 2,436 hours.
Once the study is completed, results will be made available through
the NIOSH Internet site, trade journals and peer-reviewed publications.
There is no cost to respondents other than their time.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average
Number of Number of burden per
Type of respondents Form name respondents responses per response (in
respondent hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Airline baggage handlers in the ramp Self-reported annual 960 1 30/60
area. questionnaire survey
for MSD symptoms and
risk factors.
Self-reported monthly 960 12 10/60
questionnaire for MSD
symptoms and work
method.
Informed Consent Form... 320 1 5/60
Follow-up on missing 48 5 1/60
questionnaire data.
Early Exit Interview.... 64 1 5/60
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leroy A. Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific
Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2014-26353 Filed 11-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P