[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 115 (Tuesday, June 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34437-34438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14686]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of
Authority
Part C (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) of the
Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of
the Department of Health and Human Services (45 FR 67772-76, dated
October 14, 1980, and corrected at 45 FR 69296, October 20, 1980, as
amended most recently at 80 FR 30076, dated May 26, 2015) is amended to
reflect the reorganization of the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Section C-B, Organization and Functions, is hereby amended as
follows:
Delete in its entirety the title and the mission and function
statements for the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
(CCL) and insert the following:
The National Personal Protective Technology (NPPTL) (CCL) prevents
work-related injury, illness and death by advancing the state of
knowledge and application of personal protective technologies (PPT)
including instrumentation, respiratory protective devices (RPD), and a
diversity of personal protective equipment (PPE) used for the
protection of American workers. To accomplish this mission, NPPTL leads
and coordinates the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health's (NIOSH) programs, projects, and policies related to PPT across
the Institute. NPPTL: (1) Identifies the need for research, conducts
and coordinates research to support the development of new
technologies, performance, quality and reliability standards, Federal
regulations, safety and health criteria, and Institute policy; (2)
conducts a variety of laboratory and field investigations relating to
the development and evaluation of innovative technologies; (3) directs,
implements, and provides national guidance related to conformity
assessment programs and functions (e.g. inspection, testing,
certification, quality assurance, surveillance); (4) provides national
leadership serving on national and international PPT consensus standard
setting committees; (5) develops and promulgates standards and
regulations; (6) produces and disseminates scientific reports and
national guidance documents including research, laboratory and field
studies, safety and health investigations, scientific criteria, and
national guidance; (7) designs and implements information technology
functions including national or program databases, trusted sources for
public information and social marketing; and (8) coordinates program
support functions including budget, facilities, growth initiatives, and
communications, and scientific support functions such as Committee on
Personal Protective Equipment and Institute of Medicine evaluations,
special projects, non-respiratory PPE conformity assessment, and
federal and consensus standards across NIOSH.
Research Branch (CCLE). (1) Conducts hypothesis testing-based PPT
research with an emphasis on respiratory protection, protective
clothing, and ensemble research; (2) encourages and conducts research
related to innovative technologies to improve the use and usability of
existing and new PPT products; (3) conducts laboratory and field
research projects to measure performance, quality, reliability, and
efficacy of the materials, components, and sub-systems used in PPT as
well as complete equipment systems, especially for new or emerging
hazards, and recommends criteria to improve the selection, care,
maintenance, and use of PPT; (4) investigates emerging hazards and
personal exposures to identify worker PPT needs and technology gaps;
(5) conducts research to identify and recommend effective integration
strategies and evidence-based test methods for PPT for use in PPT
standards; (6) recommends performance, quality, reliability, and
efficacy criteria; (7) studies and improves human/technology interfaces
to better understand and mitigate barriers to effective PPT selection,
care, maintenance, and use; (8) conducts laboratory and field-based
research into the biomechanical, physiological, and psychological
stressors and worker responses to PPT; (9) conducts research,
developing interventions, and identifies innovative methods (e.g., new
software tools, information technology, social marketing, training
methods, practices,
[[Page 34438]]
equipment, etc.) of increasing end-user compliance with proper
selection, care, maintenance, and use of PPT; (10) provides systematic
collection, analysis, and interpretation of PPT use practices,
including investigation of barriers to effective PPT use; (11) produces
and disseminates technical information, research findings, training
materials, and recommendations for PPT to improve protection of
workers; (12) evaluates and disseminates PPT performance trends
published through the post market surveillance activities; and (13)
identifies and implements an effective communication and outreach
program for stakeholders within the NIOSH sectors to inform end users
of proper selection, care, maintenance, and use of PPT.
Conformity Verification and Standards Development Branch (CCLG).
(1) Administers the Department of Health and Human Services Title 42
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 84-Respiratory Protective
Devices conformity assessment functions (i.e. inspection, testing,
certification, documentation control, quality assurance, and
surveillance) including: (a) Processing respirator approval
applications by verifying conformance with Federal regulations and
national consensus standards such as performance, quality, reliability,
and documentation requirements to determine the effectiveness of
respirators used during entry into or escape from hazardous
atmospheres, (b) issuing or revoking NIOSH certificates of approval,
(c) evaluating and maintaining official records on NIOSH-certified
respirators including the establishment of NPPTL and national
databases, (d) recommending NIOSH policy relating to RPD conformity
verification criteria for traditional and innovative respirator
technologies and applications, and, (e) investigating and processing
Freedom-of-Information-Act requests; (2) establishes and administers an
internal audit program to evaluate the conformity assessment functions
of NPPTL; (3) maintains official files of policies, standards, standard
operating and test procedures used as the basis for granting a NIOSH
certificate of approval; (4) provides national recommendations for
effective conformity assessment programs associated with non-
respiratory PPT; (5) assesses research findings and translates them
into effective conformity assessment recommendations for NIOSH policy,
standards, regulations, and surveillance practices, for new protective
technologies or special applications of existing technologies; (6)
leads NIOSH participation in the development and promulgation of
national and international consensus standards, conformity assessment
program criteria and guidance, establishment of Federal regulations
where necessary, and assesses of economic impact of Federal
regulations; (7) prepares criteria for proper selection, recommends
national guidance for effective use (e.g. cautions, limitations, and
restrictions of use) and maintenance, and provides technical support;
(8) plans and conducts public meetings to solicit or provide
information concerning technology and conformity assessment practices;
and (9) prepares and disseminates national reports related to
conformity assessment of PPT.
Evaluation and Testing Branch (CCLH). (1) Conducts evaluations and
tests in accordance with prescribed standard test procedures of RPD in
support of NIOSH conformity assessment functions that lead to a NIOSH
certificate of approval or its revocation; (2) conducts quality
management system in-plant manufacturing-site evaluations including
post market surveillance, and documents finding and recommendations in
proper reports; (3) conducts evaluation and testing of PPT for various
purposes, and prepares reports for dissemination to the public; (4)
provides testing support to the NPPTL research and standards
development initiatives; (5) develops evaluation methodologies, and
unique test procedures to address new protective technologies or
special applications of existing technologies; (6) conducts post market
evaluations of NIOSH-certified RPD including the long-term field
evaluation program, and prepares technical information and reports to
improve standards for certification, selection, care, and use; (7)
administers and conducts surveillance of field deployed PPT to evaluate
conformance to applicable regulation, consensus standards, and NIOSH
policy; (8) conducts investigations of PPT associated with complaints
of nonconformance and/or concerns related to adverse health and safety
including evaluations and analysis associated with NIOSH-certified
respirators (e.g. certified product investigation process), and
evaluating respirators and protective clothing submitted in conjunction
with the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention
Program investigations conducted by the Division of Safety Research ;
and (9) maintains and improves laboratory capabilities to perform
evaluation and testing of PPT including innovative technologies,
implements a laboratory quality program (e.g., ISO 17025) to ensure
quality and continuous improvement of PPT evaluations and tests,
administers and maintains a chain of custody program to secure
technologies or products obtained for evaluation and testing, and
conducts an internal audit function to assure evaluation and testing
are carried out in accordance policy and standard procedures.
James Seligman,
Acting Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2015-14686 Filed 6-15-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P