[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 199 (Tuesday, October 19, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57860-57861]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-22744]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Occupational Noise Exposure
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Mine Safety
and Health Administration (MSHA)-sponsored information collection
request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review
and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.
DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that agency receives
on or before November 18, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the
Department, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (2) if the information will be processed and used in a timely
manner; (3) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the burden and
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (4) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (5) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Crystal Rennie by telephone at 202-
693-0456 or by email at DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Noise is a harmful physical agent and one of
the most pervasive health hazards in mining. Repeated exposure to high
levels of sound over time causes occupational noise-induced hearing
loss (NIHL). NIHL is a serious, often profound physical impairment for
miners, with far-reaching psychological and social effects. NIHL can be
distinguished from aging and other factors that can contribute to
hearing loss and it can be prevented. According to the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), NIHL is among the
``top ten'' leading occupational illnesses and injuries.
For many years, NIHL was regarded as an inevitable consequence of
working in a mine. Mining, an intensely mechanized industry, relies on
drills, crushers, compressors, conveyors, trucks, loaders, and other
heavy-duty equipment for the excavation, haulage, and processing of
material. This equipment creates high sound levels, exposing machine
operators as well as miners working nearby to occupational noise that
can contribute to hearing loss. MSHA, the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration, the military, and other organizations around the
world have established and enforced standards to reduce the loss of
hearing. Quieter equipment, isolation of workers from noise sources,
and limiting the time workers are exposed to noise are among the many
well-accepted methods that will prevent NIHL.
Records of miners' exposures to noise are necessary so that mine
operators and MSHA can evaluate the need for and effectiveness of
engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective
equipment to protect miners from harmful levels of noise that can
result in hearing loss. However, the Agency believes that extensive
records for this purpose are not needed. Instead, the requirements are
a performance-oriented approach to monitoring. Records of miners'
hearing examinations enable mine operators and MSHA to ensure that the
controls are effective in preventing NIHL for individual miners.
Records of training are needed to confirm that miners receive the
information they need to become active participants in hearing
conservation efforts. For additional substantive information about this
ICR, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on May
10, 2021 (86 FR 24897).
This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and
the public is generally not required to respond to an information
collection, unless the OMB approves it and displays a currently valid
OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any other provisions
of law, no person shall generally be subject to penalty for failing to
comply with a collection of information that does not display a valid
OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
DOL seeks PRA authorization for this information collection for
three (3)
years. OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than three (3)
years without renewal. The DOL notes that information collection
requirements submitted to the OMB for existing ICRs receive a month-to-
month extension while they undergo review.
Agency: DOL-MSHA.
Title of Collection: Occupational Noise Exposure.
OMB Control Number: 1219-0147.
Affected Public: Private Sector: Businesses or other for-profits.
Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 12,929.
Total Estimated Number of Responses: 190,001.
Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 14,153 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $30,585.
(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D)).
Crystal Rennie,
Senior PRA Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2021-22744 Filed 10-18-21; 8:45 am]
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