[Federal Register: December 13, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 239)] [Notices] [Page 70866-70867] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr13de07-62] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [30Day-08-06AO] Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a list of information collection requests under review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-5960 or send an e-mail to omb@cdc.gov. Send written comments to CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC or by fax to (202) 395-6974. Written comments should be received within 30 days of this notice. Proposed Project Evaluation of an Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Program for the Small Business Wood Pallet Industry--New--National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Background and Brief Description The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Section 501, enables CDC/NIOSH to carry out research relevant to the health and safety of workers. The goal of this project is to determine whether receipt of a NIOSH informational manual about occupational safety and health (OSH) concerns specific to pallet manufacturing and recycling will motivate owners or managers to take actions resulting in a safer workplace. The theoretical basis of the study follows the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of Prochaska and DiClemente [1984]. This model states that change is defined by 5 stages: (1) Pre- contemplation--people are unaware of problems and are not thinking seriously about changing within the next 6 months, (2) contemplation-- the stage where people become aware that a problem exists and intend to take action within the next 6 months, (3) preparation--investigating options and intending to take action in the next 30 [[Page 70867]] days, (4) action--people institute environmental changes and change their overt behavior, and (5) maintenance--people continue the gains obtained during the action stage for longer than 6 months. Small business entrepreneurship is a vital component of the U.S. economy. OSH activities, including research, regulation, enforcement, and intervention historically have not focused on small businesses despite their predominance and relatively large numbers of employees overall. Few small business establishments provide on-site occupational health units, medical screening tests, pre-placement physicals, or employ or use industrial hygiene or safety personnel/consultants. As a consequence, prevention of occupational injury and illness is often difficult in small business establishments because they generally have few safety and health resources, do not hire staff devoted to safety and health activities, and often lack the ability to identify occupational hazards and conduct surveillance. The pallet manufacturing industry has higher injury rates than general industry. The incidence rate for non-fatal injuries in the wood pallet and skid (SIC 2448) manufacturing industry was 226% greater than that for general industry. The type of injuries sustained at wood pallet manufacturers and their rates of increase [2002] compared to general industry included amputations (2220% higher), cuts and punctures (378% higher), fractures (237% higher), bruises (221% higher) sprains and strains (133% higher) and back pain (305% higher). Through this study, NIOSH will evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of providing carefully constructed OSH information to one segment of small business pallet makers. The informational manual will be divided into eight chapters targeting specific hazards relevant to pallet work and will provide the owners/managers with suggestions for controlling those hazards. Chapters were selected based on prior NIOSH site visits to a sample of pallet makers and in consultation with the National Wood Pallet and Container Association. The chapters include: An introduction to OSH, developing a site-specific safety program, controlling noise, improving ventilation, saw safety, forklift safety, preventing build up of carbon monoxide, and prevention of musculoskeletal injury through ergonomics. This project will utilize two groups--a treatment group and a control group--in a pre-post design. One hundred eighty pallet companies will be randomly selected and assigned to two groups from a list of small pallet businesses in the United States that was provided by a market research firm. Both groups will participate in a baseline survey conducted by telephone. The treatment group will then receive the NIOSH informational manual by mail and the control group will not receive the manual until the conclusion of the study. Five months after the mailing, both groups will participate in a follow-up telephone survey designed to assess whether receipt and use of the material encouraged owners/managers to contemplate, plan, or initiate OSH changes at their facility. The questionnaire will determine whether owners/managers have progressed from baseline along the stage of change continuum because of receipt and use of the NIOSH material, or if some other factor is influencing their safety and health actions. It is possible that improvements in OSH may occur due to other influences and not from the informational manual. For example, it is possible that some event will occur that will make the entire industry more aware of OSH. Use of a similar control group will help in this determination. Data collection will occur within a 12 month period. However, the entire NIOSH study will occur over a two-year period. There will be no cost to respondents except their time to participate in the telephone survey. The total estimated annualized burden hours are 40. Estimated Annualized Burden Table ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Average burden Type of respondents Form name Number of responses per per response respondents respondent (in hours) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pallet company safety and health Initial Questionnaire 9 1 3/60 managers. (screening only). Initial Questionnaire 48 1 12/60 (complete). Treatment Group....................... Follow-up Questionnaire. 45 1 15/60 Pallet company safety and health Initial Questionnaire 9 1 3/60 managers. (screening only). Initial Questionnaire 48 1 12/60 (complete). Control Group......................... Follow-up Questionnaire* 45 1 9/60 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dated: December 6, 2007. Maryam I. Daneshvar, Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [FR Doc. E7-24140 Filed 12-12-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4163-18-P