Proposed Information Collection Request; Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations; Mine Accident, Injury, and Illness Report and Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report (MSHA Forms 7000-1 and 7000-2)

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.

DATES:

Submit comments on or before October 18, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments to Melissa Stoehr, Acting Chief, Records Management Branch, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, Room 2134, Arlington, VA 22209-3939. Commenters are encouraged to send their comments on computer disk, or via E-mail to stoehr.melissa@dol.gov. Ms. Stoehr can be reached at (202) 693-9827 (voice), or (202) 693-9801 (facsimile).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Contact the employee listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The reporting and recordkeeping provisions in 30 CFR 50, Notification, Investigation, Reports and Records of Accidents, Injuries and Illnesses, Employment and Coal Production in Mines, are essential elements in MSHA's Congressional mandate to reduce work-related injuries and illnesses among the nation's miners.

Section 50.10 requires mine operators and mining contractors to immediately notify MSHA in the event of an accident. This immediate notification is critical to MSHA's timely investigation and assessment of the probable cause of the accident.

Section 50.11 requires that the operator or contractor investigate each accident and occupational injury and prepare a report. The operator or contractor may not use MSHA Form 7000-1 as a report, unless the mine employs fewer than 20 miners and the occurrence involves an occupational injury not related to an accident.

Section 50.20(a) requires mine operators and mining contractors to report each accident, injury, or illness to MSHA on Form 7000-1 within 10 working days after an accident or injury has occurred or an occupational illness has been diagnosed. The use of MSHA Form 7000-1 provides for uniform information gathering across the mining industry.

MSHA tabulates and analyzes the information from MSHA Form 7000-1, along with data from MSHA Form 7000-2, to compute incidence and severity rates for various injury types. These rates are used to analyze trends and to assess the degree of success of the health and safety efforts of MSHA and the mining industry.

Accident, injury, and illness data when correlated with employment and production data provide information that allows MSHA to improve its safety and health enforcement programs, focus its education and training efforts, and establish priorities for its technical assistance activities in mine safety and health. Maintaining a current database allows MSHA to identify and direct increased attention to those mines, industry segments, and geographical areas where hazardous trends are developing. This could not be done effectively utilizing historical data. The information collected under Part 50 is the most comprehensive and reliable occupational data available concerning the mining industry.

Section 103(d) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) mandates that each accident be investigated by the operator to determine the cause and means of preventing a recurrence. Records of such accidents and investigations shall be kept and made available to the Secretary or his authorized representative and the appropriate State agency. Section 103(h) requires operators to keep any records and make any reports that are reasonably necessary for MSHA to perform its duties under the Mine Act. Section 103(j) of the Mine Act requires operators to notify MSHA of the occurrence of an accident and to take appropriate measures to preserve any evidence which would assist in the investigation into the cause or causes of the accident.

Data collected through MSHA Form 7000-1 and MSHA Form 7000-2 enable MSHA to publish timely quarterly and annual statistics, reflecting current safety and health conditions in the mining industry. These data are used not only by MSHA, but also by other Federal and State agencies, health and safety researchers, and the mining community to assist in measuring and comparing the results of health and safety efforts both in the United States and internationally.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

MSHA is particularly interested in comments which:

• Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;
• Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
• Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
• Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the employee listed in the For Further Information Contact section of this notice, or viewed on the Internet by accessing the MSHA home page ( http://www.msha.gov ) and then choosing “Statutory and Regulatory Information” and “Federal Register Documents.”

III. Current Actions

This request for collection of information contains provisions whereby persons may be temporarily qualified or certified to perform tests and examinations; requiring specialized expertise; related to miner safety and health at coal mines.

Type of Review: Extension.

Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Title: Mine Accident, Injury, and Illness Report and Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report.

OMB Number: 1219-0007.

Form(s): MSHA 7000-1 and MSHA 7000-2.

Frequency: Quarterly and on occasion.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.

Respondents: 26,250.

Estimated Time per Response: 30 minutes for hardcopy filings and 15 minutes for Form 7000-02 electronic filings.

Total Burden Hours: 105,042.

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.

Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $34,105.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval of the information collection request; they will also become a matter of public record.