[Federal Register: March 6, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 45)]
[Notices]               
[Page 12179-12180]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06mr08-72]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 
 Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
(NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

SUMMARY: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
(NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
announces the availability of the following meeting and request for 
information:
    Opportunity To Provide Input regarding a protocol for the 
following: (1) An industry wide research study to evaluate occupational 
exposure to flavorings in the flavorings and food production 
industries; (2) an industry wide study of engineering controls for 
protection against exposure to flavorings in the flavorings and food 
manufacturing industries; and (3) research concerning improved 
analytical laboratory methods for use in flavorings and food production 
exposure assessment.

[[Page 12180]]

    Public Meeting Time and Date: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., April 2, 2008.
    Place: NIOSH Hamilton Laboratory, 5555 Ridge Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 
45213, telephone (513) 841-4366, fax (513) 841-4483.
    Status: Meeting is open to the public, limited only by the space 
available (the room accommodates approximately 80 people). Persons who 
are not U.S. citizens will need approval to enter the NIOSH building 
and should contact Douglas Trout, MD, MHS, by March 5, 2008, to arrange 
for this. Those who cannot attend in person are encouraged to email 
comments. Deadline for e-mailed comments is April 16, 2008.
    Background: According to 2002 U.S. Census data, there were 
approximately 21,000 employees working in flavoring production and 
about 1.5 million workers in food manufacturing nationwide. Employees 
have complex exposures in terms of the physical form of the agents 
(solid, liquid, and gas) and the number of different chemicals used. 
Severe respiratory health effects have been identified among workers 
after exposure to flavoring chemicals such as diacetyl (a component of 
butter flavoring). NIOSH investigators have begun a research effort 
evaluating analytical methods, exposure assessment, and engineering 
controls in the flavoring and food production industries. This research 
is intended to provide information necessary to reduce occupational 
exposures and prevent health effects among workers in these industries.
    The meeting will consist of two parts: (1) External peer review of 
the research protocol. Peer reviewers external to CDC will be present 
to provide technical (scientific) review comments for the project 
officers to maximize the relevance and quality of the proposed 
research; and (2) Stakeholder meeting. The latter part of the meeting 
will be structured to hear stakeholder comments on important 
occupational safety and health issues related to this research.
    Participants wishing to provide stakeholder comments may do so via 
E-mail or may request an opportunity to make a five minute 
presentation. Participants making a presentation at the meeting must 
submit their comments in writing at the time of the meeting. All 
participants (whether making a presentation or not) are requested to 
register for the free meeting by sending an E-mail to DTrout@cdc.gov 
with their name, affiliation, whether they are requesting time to speak 
briefly, and, if so, the general topic(s) on which they wish to speak. 
Participants wishing to speak are encouraged to register early. The 
public meeting is open to everyone, including all workers, 
representatives of professional societies, organized labor, employers, 
researchers, health professionals, government officials and elected 
officials. Broad participation is desired.
    Contact Person For Technical Information: Dr. Douglas Trout, MD, 
MHS, Associate Director for Science, Division of Surveillance, Hazard 
Evaluations, and Field Studies, NIOSH, telephone (513) 841-4428. 
Comments and meeting registrations may also be E-mailed to 
DTrout@cdc.gov, or sent via mail to: Dr. Douglas Trout, NIOSH, 4676 
Columbia Parkway, R-12, Cincinnati, OH 45226.

    Dated: February 27, 2008.
James D. Seligman,
Chief Information Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. E8-4333 Filed 3-5-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163-19-P