[Federal Register: July 7, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 129)] [Notices] [Page 36693] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr07jy99-85] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the following meeting Name: Progress and Proposed Future Activities of the NIOSH Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Initiative--Public meeting. Time and Date: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., September 22, 1999. Place: Hyatt Regency Washington, One Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001, telephone 202/737-1234. Status: Open to the public, limited by space available. The meeting room accommodates approximately 50 people. Purpose: The purpose of the meeting is to seek public comments on the progress and proposed future activities of the Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Initiative implemented by NIOSH in October 1996. The problem of children being injured while living, working, or visiting agricultural work environments (primarily farms) has been recognized for several decades. The most recent data suggest about 100 youths under the age of 20 die on farms each year and more than 100,000 farm-related injuries occur to the same age group. Many individuals and groups have advocated for the prevention of agricultural injuries inflicted upon youths, and media attention has been generated on the issue, but until recently a national coordinated effort to address the problem has not existed. In late 1994, a core of 42 individuals from both the public and private sectors formed the National Committee for Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention (NCCAIP). The Committee had broad stakeholder representation, including researchers, farmers, agricultural groups, safety and health professionals, and government officials. Over a 16-month period, the members of the committee reviewed relevant information from previous reports, developed new recommendations based on current injury data along with other scientific evidence, and refined and prioritized recommendations to be clearly understood and acted upon by relevant individuals and agencies. In April 1996, NCCAIP published a report entitled Children and Agriculture: Opportunities for Safety and Health, A National Action Plan to promote the health and safety of children exposed to agricultural hazards. The National Action Plan recommends leadership, surveillance, research, education, and public policy. The plan specifically recommended that NIOSH serve as the lead federal agency in preventing childhood agricultural injury. Due in large part to the efforts by NCCAIP to raise awareness and concern about childhood agricultural injury issues, in October 1996, NIOSH began implementing a Childhood Agricultural Injury Prevention Initiative. To date, NIOSH has undertaken a number of activities, both intramurally and extramurally, to address the recommendations in the National Action Plan. Matters to be Discussed: The agenda for the meeting includes an overview of progress to date and proposed future activities to be implemented by NIOSH, and time for individuals to provide oral comments to NIOSH on the initiative. Contact Persons for Additional Information: Technical information may be obtained from David Hard, Ph.D., NIOSH, CDC, 1095 Willowdale Road, M/S P-1133, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26505, telephone 304/285-6068, e-mail address: dlh6@cdc.gov. Persons wishing to attend or make a presentation at the meeting (limited to 10 minutes), should respond by August 27, 1999 to Diane Miller, NIOSH Docket Office, Education and Information Division, 4676 Columbia Parkway, M/S C-34, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45226. A copy of the document which includes a summary of progress to date and proposed future activities for the initiative will be available after July 15, 1999 through the NIOSH web site at http:// www.cdc.gov/niosh or by written or e-mail request to the NIOSH docket office. Persons interested in providing written comments on this document should submit comments by August 27, 1999 to Diane Miller at the above address. Comments or presentation requests may also be submitted by e-mail to: niocindocket@cdc.gov as WordPerfect 6.0/6.1, 8.0, or ASCII files. The Director, Management Analysis and Services office has been delegated the authority to sign Federal Register notices pertaining to announcements of meetings and other committee management activities, for both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Dated: June 29, 1999. Carolyn J. Russell, Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [FR Doc. 99-17125 Filed 7-6-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4160-19-P