NIOSH Seeks Comment on Proposed Survey of Engineered Nanomaterial OSH Practices
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a Federal Register notice on February 10, 2017, inviting comment on a proposed information collection plan, “Survey of Engineered Nanomaterial Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Practices.” The goal of the project is to assess the relevance and impact of NIOSH’s contribution to guidelines and risk mitigation practices for safe handling of engineered nanomaterials in the workplace. The intended use of the data is to inform NIOSH’s research agenda to enhance its relevance and impact on worker safety and health in the context of engineered nanomaterials. NIOSH states that it will survey companies who manufacture, distribute, fabricate, formulate, use, or provide services related to engineered nanomaterials. After analysis, NIOSH will use the information to develop a final report. This project will also help evaluate the influence of NIOSH products, services, and outputs on industry OSH practices. Under this project, NIOSH will conduct the following activities and data collections:
(1) Company pre-calls. Sampled companies will be contacted to identify the person who will complete the survey and to ascertain whether or not the company handles engineered nanomaterials; and
(2) Survey. A web-based questionnaire, with a mail option, will be administered to companies. The purpose of the survey is to learn directly from companies about their use of NIOSH materials and their OSH practices concerning engineered nanomaterials.
NIOSH would compile a sample of 600 companies from lists of industry associations, research reports, marketing databases, and web-based searches. Of the 600 selected companies, NIOSH states that it anticipates that 500 will complete the survey. NIOSH expects the company pre-call to require five minutes to complete, and the survey to require 20 minutes to complete, including the time it may take respondents to look-up and retrieve needed information. NIOSH invites comment on:
- Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of NIOSH, including whether the information shall have practical utility;
- The accuracy of NIOSH’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information;
- Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;
- 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; and
- Estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.
Comments are due April 11, 2017.