[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 17, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48959-48960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23708]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
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 61 FR 35219-28, July 5, 1996) is amended to
reflect the transfer of responsibilities related to respirator
certification research, and physiology from the Division of Safety
Research to the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies within the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Following the functional statement for the Division of Respiratory
Disease Studies (HCCA), insert the following:
Office of the Director (HCCA1). Directs and manages the operations
of the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies.
Following the functional statement for the Laboratory
Investigations Branch (HCCA5), insert the following:
Certification and Quality Assurance Branch (HCCA6). (1) Ensures
protection of workers in dangerous environments by certifying
reliability, safety, and efficacy of respiratory protection devices;
(2) evaluates, certifies, and maintains official records and
respirators and hazard-measuring instruments as required by the Federal
Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and the Occupational Safety and
Health Act of 1970; (3) assists in the development of new performance
criteria, standards, and guidelines for certification of respirators
and hazard-measuring instruments; (4) evaluates quality control plans,
conducts in-plant audits of the manufacturers' quality control
programs, and monitors the quality and performance of certified
equipment procured on the open market; (5) investigates field problems
associated with NIOSH-certified equipment; (6) provides assistance to
users on the selection, use, maintenance, and operation of certified
equipment; (7)provides recommendations on research needs to the
Protective Technology Branch and others in the occupational safety and
health community.
Air-Purifying Respirator Section (HCCA62). (1) Evaluates,
recommends certifications, and conducts post-certification audits on
air-purifying respirators to ensure that they meet regulatory
requirements; (2) evaluates, recommends certifications, and conducts
post-certification audits on mine samplers; (3) reviews and assists in
the development of new performance requirements, standards, and
guidelines for air-purifying respirators and mine samplers; (4) reviews
and field evaluates quality control plans for air-purifying respirators
and mine samplers; (5) responds to inquiries and complaints about air-
purifying respirators and mine samplers.
Air-Supplied Respirator Section (HCCA63). (1) Evaluates, recommends
certifications, and conducts post-certification audits on air-supplied
respirators to ensure that they meet regulatory requirements; (2)
reviews and assists in the development of new performance requirements,
standards, and guidelines for air-supplied respirators; (3) reviews and
field evaluates the quality control plans for air-supplied respirators;
(4) responds to inquiries and complaints about air-supplied
respirators.
Delete the functional statement for the Division of Safety Research
(HCCB) and insert the following:
Division of Safety Research (HCCB). (1) As the focal point for the
Institute's occupational traumatic injury prevention and safety
program, identifies the major causes of injuries and safety hazards,
identifies interventions to improve worker safety, and supports
implementation of these interventions; (2) develops scientifically
sound recommendations for programs to prevent and control occupational
traumatic injuries; (3) develops scientifically sound recommendations
for the performance and use of personal protective equipment and
various other devices for protecting workers; (4) evaluates the impact
of targeted control programs for preventing or mitigating traumatic
injury, diseases, disability, and death; (5) manages program planning/
project coordination, including the Division's financial and personnel
management systems, and ensures the scientific and program integrity of
Division functions.
Delete in its entirety the title and functional statement for the
Certification and Quality Assurance Branch (HCCB6), Division of Safety
Research (HCCB).
Delete the functional statements for Protective Technology Branch
(HCCB7), Protective Equipment Section (HCCB74) and the Safety Controls
Section (HCCB76, Division of Safety Research (HCCB), and insert the
following:
Protective Technology Branch (HCCB7). (1) Designs and develops new
and improved safety engineering systems and controls, work practices,
and personal protective equipment to protect workers; (2) tests and
evaluates, in the laboratory, simulated workplace, and actual work-
sites, existing and new technological approaches to worker protection,
and occupational injury prevention and control; (3) evaluates the use
and performance of safety engineering controls; (4) develops
scientifically sound recommendations for the performance and sue of
existing or redesigned safety engineering controls, work practices, and
personal protective equipment; (5) develops technical information to
support recommendations for safety standards; (6) coordinates the
preparation of technical informational packages from the Protective
Equipment and Safety Controls Sections; (7) provides recommendations to
the Analysis and Field Evaluations Branch regarding specific hazards or
interventions requiring further epidemiologic research and/or
evaluation; (8) provides technical assistance and consultation to other
branches within the Division of Safety Research, other components of
NIOSH and CDC, other Federal agencies, and other public and private
sector organizations on the use of protective technology for the
prevention of worker exposures to safety hazards that lead to injuries.
Protective Equipment Section (HCCB74). (1) Conducts research in the
laboratory, simulated workplace, and actual workplace to identify ways
to
[[Page 48960]]
improve the performance of personal protective equipment other than
respirators; (2) develops and validates test methods necessary to
evaluate interventions and to increase the performance of personal
protective equipment; (3) develops recommendations for relevant
constituent groups on the use of effective personal protective
equipment other than respirators; (4) assists in preparing technical
informational packages to facilitate the proper use of all types of
personal protective equipment.
Safety Controls Section (HCCB76). (1) Conducts research in the
laboratory, simulated workplace, and actual workplace to identify
effective approaches and/or interventions to increase the performance
levels and proper use of engineering controls for protecting workers
from all types of trauma; (2) analyzes potentially hazardous operations
using systems safety and/or other engineering techniques to identify
safety engineering control and safe work practice strategies; (3)
develops and validates test and measurement methods necessary to
evaluate interventions, performance standards, and regulations that
involve the performance of controls and practices for protecting
workers from acute, subacute, chronic, or cumulative trauma; (4)
evaluates safety engineering controls and work practices to ensure that
they meet established criteria; (5) develops recommendations for the
use of effective safety engineering controls and work practices by
relevant constituent groups; (6) assists in preparing technical
informational packages to facilitate the proper use of safety
engineering controls and work practices.
Delete in its entirety the title and functional statement for
Respiratory Protection Section (HCCB75), Protective Technology Branch
(HCCB7), Division of Safety Research (HCCB).
Dated: August 30, 1996.
David Satcher,
Director.
[FR Doc. 96-23708 Filed 9-16-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-18-M