[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 15 (Friday, January 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3598-3600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-01094]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[60Day-15-15LB]
Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and
Recommendations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of
its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the utility
of government information, invites the general public and other Federal
agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or
continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995. To request more information on the below
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan
and instruments, call 404-639-7570 or send comments to Leroy A.
Richardson, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an
email to [email protected].
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approval. 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; (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; and (e)
estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation,
maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information. Burden
means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide information
to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review
instructions; to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology
[[Page 3599]]
and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to
a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise
disclose the information. Written comments should be received within 60
days of this notice.
Proposed Project
Enhancing Dialogue and Execution of Dust Reduction Behaviors
through Workgroup Communication--New--National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
Background and Brief Description
NIOSH, under Public Law 91-596, Sections 20 and 22 (Section 20-22,
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1977) has the responsibility to
conduct research relating to innovative methods, techniques, and
approaches dealing with occupational safety and health problems.
This project focuses on mineworkers' overexposure to respirable
coal dust and how using the Continuous Personal Dust Monitor (CPDM), as
an educational tool, can help provide information to mineworkers and
their respective workgroups, about ways to reduce respirable coal dust
exposure in their work environment. NIOSH proposes a 3 year approval
for a project that seeks to understand what group communication
practices are important for mine worker H&S and how those practices can
be developed, implemented, and maintained over time. The following
questions guide this study:
What impact does a communication/technology intervention model that
was designed and implemented have on: (1) Workers' health/safety
behaviors, including those that lower exposure to dust; and (2)
workers' perceptions of their organizations' health and safety values?
To answer the above questions, NIOSH researchers developed an
intervention that focuses on workers' communication about and
subsequent actions taken to reduce respirable dust exposure over time,
using information provided by their Continuous Personal Dust Monitor
(CPDM). The intervention will inform how workgroups communicate with
each other about health and how this communication impacts individual
behavior such as corrective dust actions taken by workers.
Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis (CWP) or ``Black Lung Disease'' is
caused by miners' exposure to respirable coal mine dust and is the
leading cause of death due to occupational illness among US coal
miners--making this an issue worth placing emphasis in mine health
research. X-rays provided from the US National Coal Workers' X-ray
Surveillance Program show that new cases of CWP are occurring among
miners who have worked exclusively under previous respirable coal mine
dust exposure limits. Previously, federal law stated that respirable
coal dust levels must not exceed 2 mg/m\3\ for any work shift [Code of
Federal Regulations]. However, under the new respirable dust rule that
passed May 1, 2014 (CFR part 70), the dust level may not exceed 1.5 mg/
m\3\. The new rule also requires mine operators to use CPDMs by
February 1, 2016, for designated occupations (DO). Although CPDMs
provide miners with near real-time feedback about their level of
respirable coal dust exposure, they do not ensure that miners will use
the information to reduce their level of exposure. Previous research
indicates that the use of information technology can enhance lateral
and horizontal communication within organizations, showing support for
using the CPDM in the current study (Hinds & Kiesler, 1995).
The intervention is designed to involve workers in the
interpretation of CPDM feedback and discuss, with their coworkers/
workgroups, potential changes to work practices that can decrease
exposure to respirable coal mine dust. Data is collected during three
time points throughout a six-week intervention to assess the ongoing
communication using CPDM feedback and effects of the workgroup
communication on behavior. Data collection and analysis will occur via
a pre/post survey with workers and focus groups with workers and mine
site leaders. Safety circles are used to communicate and encourage
specific behavior changes. A typical circle includes a facilitator or
leader (who directs the meetings), 7-10 members, and one-hour weekly
meetings that take place during the workday. During the meetings,
members review data relevant to the problem and brainstorm possible
solutions. Industries have successfully used ``safety circles'' to
generate lists of safety concerns that circle members would like to
analyze and solve. Edwards [1983] documented that one surface coal mine
was able to decrease the number of accidents on circle members' shifts
by 27%. If underground coal miners are able to actively participate in
the discussion of respirable coal mine dust exposure levels and what
can be done to limit future exposure, they may be more inclined to
behave in ways that limit their exposure.
With the stricter regulations that just passed the opportunity to
proactively improve communication around the CPDM and identify
appropriate corrective actions, as required by the Mine Health and
Safety Administration, is favorable. NIOSH proposes this intervention
design at three coal mine sites. Coal mine sites will be recruited who
have inquired interest in learning how to improve utility of the CPDM
on their site and/or interest in improving their employees'
communication efforts. Only a small sample of workers will participate
at each mine site because of the time required for completion and to
ensure the longitudinal data can be adequately collected over the six
weeks. In other words, we would rather collect data multiple times with
the same worker and have fewer participants than collect data from more
workers but not have the ability to appropriately follow-up during the
subsequent two visits.
Data collection will take place with no more than 150 mine workers
and nine mine site leaders over three years. The respondents targeted
for this study include any active mine worker and any active site
leader at a coal mine site. It is estimated that a sample of up to 150
mine workers will participate, which includes participating in three
focus groups (in the form of workgroup meetings) that will take
approximately 60 minutes. The focus groups will debrief general CPDM
data so participants can dialogue about ways to lower their exposure
levels. In addition, workers will be asked to complete a pre and post-
test survey (~15 minutes). It also is estimated that a sample of up to
nine mine site leaders will participate in the form of interviews/focus
groups about HSMS practices at the same mining operations which have
agreed to participate. The interviews/focus groups also will occur
three times during each of the NIOSH field visits and will take no more
than 30 minutes each.
All participants will be between the ages of 18 and 75, currently
employed, and living in the United States. Participation will require
no more than 3.5 hours of workers' time over the six-week intervention
and no more than 1.5 hours of site leaders' time over the six-week
intervention period.
There is no cost to respondents other than their time.
[[Page 3600]]
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Average
Number of Number of burden per Total burden
Type of respondent Form name respondents responses per response (in hours
respondent hours)
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Mine Site Leaders/Managers..................... Mine Recruitment Script................ 3 1 5/60 1
Initial/Mid/Post HSMS interview or 3 3 30/60 5
focus group.
Mine Worker.................................... Individual Miner Recruitment Script.... 50 1 5/60 4
Pre/Post Org Perceptions Survey........ 50 2 15/60 25
Pre/Mid/Post Behavior Focus Groups..... 50 3 1 150
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Total...................................... ....................................... .............. .............. .............. 185
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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. 2015-01094 Filed 1-22-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P