DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
[MSHA Form 7000-2]
Information Collection Request Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations; Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance 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.
Currently, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of the information collection related to the ``Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report'' (MSHA Form 7000-2). MSHA is particularly interested in comments which:
A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the person listed in the contact section of this notice.
DATES: Submit comments on or before June 3, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Written comments shall be mailed to Patricia W. Silvey, Director, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, 4015 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203-1984. Commenters are encouraged to send their comments on a computer disk, or via E-mail to psilvey, along with an original printed copy. Ms. Silvey can be reached at (703) 235- 1910 (voice) or (703) 235-5551 (facsimile).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George M. Fesak, Director, Office of Program Evaluation and Information Resources, U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Room 715, 4015 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22203-1984. Mr. Fesak can be reached at Fesak.George@dol.gov (Internet E-mail), (703) 235-8378 (voice), or (703) 235-1563 (facsimile).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Sections 103(d), (h), and (j) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 authorize the recordkeeping and reporting requirements implemented in 30 CFR 50--Notification, Investigation, Reports and Records of Accidents, Injuries, Illnesses, Employment, and Coal Production in Mines. Part 50 consolidated the separate reporting systems under 30 CFR 80 which implemented sections 103(e), 111, and 508 of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 and 30 CFR 58 which implemented sections 4 and 13 of the Federal Metal and Nonmetallic Mine Safety Act of 1966. In so doing, part 50 provided for uniform, industry-wide, mandatory reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
Each operator of a mine in which an individual worked during any day of a calendar quarter is required to submit to MSHA a Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report (MSHA Form 7000-2) within 15 days after the end of each calendar quarter. The MSHA Form 7000-2 is one of the two collection instruments (the other being the MSHA Form 7000-1) by which MSHA monitors its statutory mandate to reduce accidents, occupational injuries, and occupational illnesses among the nation's miners.
Data obtained from this form and MSHA Form 7000-1 provide MSHA with timely information for making decisions on improving its safety and health enforcement programs, redirecting its education and training efforts, and establishing priorities for technical assistance activities in mine safety and health. Maintaining a current data base allows MSHA to effectively direct resources to improve safety and health in the mining industry. This data base provides a means for directing efforts to areas or mines where hazardous trends are developing. This cannot be done using historical data exclusively. Information collected using this form and the MSHA Form 7000-1 is the most comprehensive and reliable occupational data available concerning the mining industry.
Data collected through these two forms 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. Current Actions
MSHA is seeking to continue collection of employment, hours worked, and coal production data through the use of this form. Data are needed from this form to correlate the exposure hours or hours worked, with reported injuries, in order to calculate incidence rates (the number of injuries occurring per 200,000 hours worked). Although there has been a significant decline in the number of occupational fatalities in the mining industry over the last decade, accidents, injuries, and illnesses continue to result in serious personal suffering as well as significant costs to the mining industry. Valid comparisons and analyses of the health and safety performance of the mining industry would not be possible without the employment and production data obtained from mine operators.
MSHA seeks to continue the frequency of collection in order for the Agency to properly assess the nature and extent of the safety and health conditions in today's mining environment, and to respond quickly to developing trends. By requiring submission of the MSHA Form 7000-2 within 15 days after the close of each calendar quarter, MSHA is able to assess quickly whether there are changes occurring which would warrant special attention, as well as to fulfill its congressional requirement for publishing timely and comprehensive statistics on the safety and health of the mining workforce.
MSHA plans to provide the Energy Information Agency (EIA) of the U.S. Department of Energy with mine-specific coal production data as well as other related coal data files containing mine identification and associated information. This consolidation of certain EIA and MSHA data collection activities will reduce the overall reporting burden on coal mine operators and coal-producing contractors. The EIA estimates a reduction of 8,500 burden hours annually on this population.
In order to better serve the mining community, and to reduce the paperwork burden, MSHA provides for and encourages mine operators and mining contractors to submit Form 7000-2 electronically. MSHA is developing the methodology to allow electronic submission of the Form 7000-1 as well. MSHA is establishing the capability to allow mine operators and mining contractors to fax the completed Form 7000-2 in lieu of sending the form by mail. MSHA also is developing procedures for transmitting the required data via the Internet. Statistical compilations based on submitted information are already available on the Internet. For more information on this capability, refer to the person listed in the contact section of this notice.
Type of Review: Extension.
Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Title: Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report.
OMB Number: 1219-0006.
Recordkeeping: 30 CFR 50.30(a) requires respondents to maintain a
copy of the Form 7000-2 at the office closest to the mine for 5 years
after submission.
Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit.
Form: MSHA Form 7000-2.
Total Respondents: 19,935 mine operators and mining contractors.
Frequency: Quarterly.
Total Responses: 83,594 responses.
Average Time per Response: 37 minutes.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 51,562 hours.
Estimated Total Burden Cost: $26,750.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and 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.
George M. Fesak,
Director, Program Evaluation and Information Resources.
[FR Doc. 96-7945 Filed 4-1-96; 8:45 am]
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