Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations
Federal Register, Volume 79 Issue 14 (Wednesday, January 22, 2014)
Federal Register Volume 79, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 22, 2014)
Notices
Pages 3595-3596
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office www.gpo.gov
FR Doc No: 2014-01112
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
60Day-14-14GW
Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations
In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call 404-639-7570 or send comments to LeRoy Richardson, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an email to omb@cdc.gov.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.
Proposed Project
Total Worker Health for Small Business--New--National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Background and Brief Description
The mission of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is to promote safety and health at work for all people through research and prevention. In this capacity, NIOSH requests Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a three-year clearance to administer in-depth interviews designed to assess perceptions and opinions among small business owners in the Greater Cincinnati area regarding the Total Worker Health concept. This information will guide the development of a model for diffusion of the Total Worker Health approach among small businesses by community organizations.
Total Worker Health (TWH) for Small Business is a four-year field study whose overall goal is to identify the perceived costs and benefits of offering integrated occupational safety and health and workplace wellness services to employees among small businesses, and to inform methods that will successfully diffuse the use of a Total Worker Health approach among small businesses and the community organizations that serve them. The data gathered in this study regarding small businesses' specific training needs, motivational factors, and preferred information sources will be of significant practical value when designing and implementing future interventions.
The proposed in-depth interviews described here for which OMB review and approval is being requested are a critical step toward the development of this TWH diffusion model. Phase 1 of this project included interview development and revision. The primary goal of Phase 2 of this project is to gather key-informant perceptions and opinions among the target audience, small business owners in the greater Cincinnati area. Data gathered from in-depth interviews will guide the development of efforts to diffuse the Total Worker Health approach among small businesses and the community organizations which serve them.
About 90% of U.S. employer organizations have fewer than 20 employees, and 62% have less than five.
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Eighteen percent of all U.S. employees work for businesses that have less than 20 employees. In addition, more than 21 million U.S. businesses have zero employees, meaning that, although they are not counted as employees, the owner is also the worker. Workers in smaller organizations endure a disproportionate share of the burden of occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.
There is no data available on the prevalence of TWH programs in smaller organizations. What is known about smaller organizations is divided into information about health protection and health promotion activities. Smaller organizations engage in fewer safety activities than larger organizations. The need for reaching this population with effective, affordable, and culturally appropriate training has been documented in publications and is increasingly becoming an institutional priority at NIOSH.
Given the numerous obstacles which small business owners face in effectively managing occupational safety and health (e.g., financial and time constraints), there is a need for identifying the most crucial components of occupational safety and health and health promotion training.
This interview will be administered to a sample of approximately 60 owners of small businesses with 5-49 employees from the Greater Cincinnati area. Each participant will be administered the survey two times, approximately one year apart to assess for changes in perceptions regarding health protection and health promotion activities. The sample size is based on recommendations related to qualitative interview methods and the research team's prior experience.
Participants for this data collection will be recruited with the assistance of contractors who have successfully performed similar tasks for NIOSH in the past. Participants will be compensated for their time. The interview questionnaire will be administered verbally to participants in English.
Once this study is complete, results will be made available via various means including print publications and the agency internet site. The information gathered by this project could be used by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), state health department, and occupational health providers to determine guidelines for the development of appropriate training materials for small businesses. The results of this project will also benefit small business workers by developing recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of occupational safety and health outreach methods specifically targeted to small businesses. Although beyond the scope of this study, it is expected that improved use of TWH programs will lower rates of injuries and fatalities for workers.
It is estimated that each interview will take approximately 90 minutes to complete for a total of 180 burden hours.
There is no cost to respondents other than their time.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of Average burden
Type of respondents Form name Number of responses per per response Total burden
respondents respondent (in hours) (in hours)
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Small Business Owners......... Interview Form.. 60 2 1.5 180
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Total..................... ................ .............. .............. .............. 180
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LeRoy Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
FR Doc. 2014-01112 Filed 1-21-14; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
