Information Collection, 39133-39135 [E9-18740]
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 149 / Wednesday, August 5, 2009 / Notices
Department of State Delegation of
Authority Number 245–1, I hereby
determine that it is important to the
national interest of the United States to
waive the requirements of section
7088(c)(1) of the Act with respect to the
Government of Tajikistan, and I hereby
waive such restriction.
This determination shall be reported
to the Congress, and published in the
Federal Register.
Dated: June 2, 2009.
Jacob J. Lew,
Deputy Secretary of State, Department of
State.
[FR Doc. E9–18753 Filed 8–4–09; 8:45 am]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Notice of Applications for Certificates
of Public Convenience and Necessity
and Foreign Air Carrier Permits Filed
Under Subpart B (Formerly Subpart Q)
During the Week Ending July 18, 2009
The following Applications for
Certificates of Public Convenience and
Necessity and Foreign Air Carrier
Permits were filed under Subpart B
(formerly Subpart Q) of the Department
of Transportation’s Procedural
Regulations (See 14 CFR 301.201 et
seq.). The due date for Answers,
Conforming Applications, or Motions to
Modify Scope are set forth below for
each application. Following the Answer
period DOT may process the application
by expedited procedures. Such
procedures may consist of the adoption
of a show-cause order, a tentative order,
or in appropriate cases a final order
without further proceedings.
Docket Number: DOT–OST–2004–
18468.
Date Filed: July 16, 2009.
Due Date for Answers, Conforming
Applications, or Motion to Modify
Scope: August 6, 2009.
Description: Application of Polar Air
Cargo Worldwide, Inc. requesting
renewal of its certificate of public
convenience and necessity for Route
820 authorizing it to provide scheduled
foreign air transportation of property
and mail between any point or points in
the United States, via any intermediate
points, to a point or points in China
open to scheduled international
18:54 Aug 04, 2009
Jkt 217001
Renee V. Wright,
Program Manager, Docket Operations,
Federal Register Liaison.
[FR Doc. E9–18688 Filed 8–4–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
Aviation Proceedings, Agreements
Filed the Week Ending July 25, 2009
BILLING CODE 4710–46–P
VerDate Nov<24>2008
operations, and beyond to any points
outside of China, with full traffic rights.
The following Agreements were filed
with the Department of Transportation
under Sections 412 and 414 of the
Federal Aviation Act, as amended (49
U.S.C. 1382 and 1384) and procedures
governing proceedings to enforce these
provisions. Answers may be filed within
21 days after the filing of the
application.
Docket Number: DOT–OST–2009–
0166.
Date Filed: July 22, 2009.
Parties: Members of the International
Air Transport Association.
Subject:
Mail Vote 605—Resolution 010e.
TC3 Special Passenger Amending
Resolution between Japan and China
(excluding Hong Kong SAR and
Macao SAR), (Memo 1310).
Intended effective date: 05 August 2009.
Docket Number: DOT–OST–2009–
0169.
Date Filed: July 23, 2009
Parties: Members of the International
Air Transport Association.
Subject:
Mail Vote 606—Resolution 010f.
TC3 Special Passenger Amending
Resolution From Brunei Darussalam
to South East Asia, (Memo 1311).
Intended effective date: 05 August 2009.
Docket Number: DOT–OST–2009–
0170.
Date Filed: July 24, 2009.
Parties: Members of the International
Air Transport Association.
Subject:
PTC31 N&C 0487.
TC31 North & Central Pacific.
TC3 (except Japan)-North America,
Caribbean except between Korea (Rep.
of) and USA.
Resolution 010g, 046e.
Special Passenger Amending Resolution
from Korea (Rep. of) to Canada,
Mexico, Caribbean (Memo 0487).
Intended effective date: 7 August 2009.
Docket Number: DOT–OST–2009–
0171.
Date Filed: July 24, 2009.
Parties: Members of the International
Air Transport Association.
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
39133
Subject:
PTC31 N&C 0487.
TC31 North & Central Pacific.
TC3 (except Japan)-North America,
Caribbean between Korea (Rep. of)
and USA.
Resolution 010h.
Special Passenger Amending Resolution
from Korea (Rep. of) to USA (Memo
0488).
Intended effective date: 7 August 2009.
Renee V. Wright,
Program Manager, Docket Operations,
Federal Register Liaison.
[FR Doc. E9–18689 Filed 8–4–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA–2009–0001–N–18]
Information Collection
AGENCY: Federal Railroad
Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
SUMMARY: In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice
announces that the Information
Collection Requirement (ICR) abstracted
below has been forwarded to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and comment. The ICR describes
the nature of the information collection
and its expected burden. The Federal
Register notice with a 60-day comment
period soliciting comments on the
following collection of information was
published on May 21, 2009 (74 FR
23927).
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before September 4, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Robert Brogan, Office of Safety,
Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS–
21, Federal Railroad Administration,
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., 3rd Floor,
Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590
(telephone: (202) 493–6292), or Ms.
Nakia Jackson, Office of Information
Technology, RAD–20, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave.,
SE., 3rd Floor, Mail Stop 35,
Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202)
493–6073). (These telephone numbers
are not toll-free.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), Public Law 104–13, Section 2,
109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised
at 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), and its
implementing regulations, 5 CFR Part
1320, require Federal agencies to issue
E:\FR\FM\05AUN1.SGM
05AUN1
39134
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 149 / Wednesday, August 5, 2009 / Notices
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
two notices seeking public comment on
information collection activities before
OMB may approve paperwork packages.
44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5,
1320.8(d)(1), 1320.12. On May 21, 2009,
FRA published a 60-day notice in the
Federal Register soliciting comment on
this ICR that the agency was seeking
OMB approval. 74 FR 23927. FRA
received one comment—a letter—in
response to this notice.
The joint letter came from Mr. James
Stem, National Legislative Director,
United Transportation Union (UTU),
and John Tolman, President,
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
and Trainmen (BLET). The UTU
represents 125,000 active and retired
railroad, bus, and mass transit workers
in the United States and Canada. The
BLET is a rail labor organization that
was founded as part of the Teamsters
Union and represents railroad engineers
and railroad operating employees in the
United States and Canada. In their
extensive letter of support, Mr. Stem
and Mr. Tolman stated the following:
Congress assigned FRA to prescribe
regulations and issue orders to establish
hours of service requirements for train
employees engaged in commuter rail and
passenger services. Those regulations may
differ from the requirements of the Rail
Safety Improvement Act (RSIA) requirements
for Hours of Service (HOS) applicable to train
employees engaged in freight service. In
establishing this exception, Congress
required FRA to consider scientific and
medical research related to fatigue and
fatigue abatement, scheduling practices and
operating practices that improve safety or
reduce employee fatigue. A significant body
of scientific and medical research already
exists. Also, the commuter and passenger
services current scheduling and operating
practices in use today mitigate fatigue
substantially; so much so that only minor
changes to the existing HOS regulations are
necessary.
The ‘‘Fatigue Avoidance Scheduling Tool’’
(FAST) is a comprehensive and detailed
analysis of how wakefulness affects fatigue
and an individual’s effectiveness. The FAST
model is based upon the SAFTE fatigue
assessment tool which was developed for the
U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army. For a
fatigue assessment tool to be useful, it must
establish how fatigue impacts effectiveness
and at which point reduced effectiveness
might compromise safety. The FAST model
has been validated for use in predicting
effectiveness in freight railroad service, and
we believe it can function as an appropriate
tool to compare work schedules against a
baseline representing the maximum schedule
that can be worked under the statute. The
current model is programmed to reflect sleep
patterns in a workforce that reports for duty
on call, and will need to be adjusted to reflect
the different sleep patterns of workers with
a known reporting time. We believe such an
adjustment would permit the use of the
FAST model to predict effectiveness among
VerDate Nov<24>2008
18:54 Aug 04, 2009
Jkt 217001
commuter and passenger train employees
* * *
The medical research supports the
conclusion that predictable sleep patterns
can significantly diminish the fatiguing effect
long hours have on employees. While not a
panacea, predictability in work schedules
certainly provides the employees with the
opportunity to plan their rest. Individuals
without regular work hours may find
themselves un-rested if they have been at a
doctor’s appointment or attending to an
elderly parent or child when a call for duty
comes. Since the commuter/passenger
services serve the public their operations
must be advertised to the general public.
Train departures, and therefore work
schedules, are highly predictable * * *
Obviously adequate levels of manpower
are essential for the railroads to properly
execute the operation of the scheduled
service. Recently, the country has seen a
significant increase in ridership in the
commuter/passenger operations. With the
current administration’s High Speed Rail
initiative there is every reason to believe that
this trend will continue for the foreseeable
future. Coupled with the natural attrition of
an aging workforce, manpower will be
stressed for years to come.
Railroads must develop some objective
means of determining an appropriate and
safe level of manpower staffing. One
commuter operation has chronic manpower
shortages. So much so that the overwhelming
majority of its regular assignments and all of
its extra list assignments are required to work
6 days. It utilizes a supplementary volunteer
extra list of regularly assigned employees
(working their only day off) 7 days per week
sometimes for weeks in a row simply to
address its regular operation.
A fair assessment of operating and
scheduling practices will minimize the
impact of fatigue on railroad operations, the
employees and the general public that use
the systems. Through the RSIA Congress
instructed the secretary to implement
regulations to reduce employee fatigue and
improve safety. Fatigue can be effectively
mitigated by addressing it before it occurs.
Proper manpower staffing and construction
of assignments are essential to ensure that
outcome. By addressing fatigue at its base
level (daily) through the use quality
restorative sleep from napping in conducive
sleep environments and predictable, regular
home sleep patterns the industry will have
effectively reduced acute, cumulative and
chronic fatigue from wakefulness to a safe
level.
FRA received no other comments in
response to this notice. Accordingly,
DOT announces that these information
collection activities have been evaluated
and certified under 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and
forwarded to OMB for review and
approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.10(a).
Before OMB decides whether to
approve these proposed collections of
information, it must provide 30 days for
public comment. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b); 5
CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires
OMB to approve or disapprove
PO 00000
Frm 00095
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
paperwork packages between 30 and 60
days after the 30 day notice is
published. 44 U.S.C. 3507 (b)–(c); 5 CFR
1320.12(d); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983,
Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the 30
day notice informs the regulated
community to file relevant comments
and affords the agency adequate time to
digest public comments before it
renders a decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug.
29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should
submit their respective comments to
OMB within 30 days of publication to
best ensure having their full effect. 5
CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 FR 44983,
Aug. 29, 1995.
The summary below describes the
nature of the information collection
requirement (ICR) and the expected
burden for the ICR being submitted for
clearance by OMB as required by the
PRA.
Title: Work Schedules and Sleep
Patterns of Train Crews in Commuter
Passenger Service.
OMB Control Number: 2130–New.
Type of Request: Regular Approval of
a New Collection of Information.
Affected Public: Commuter Railroad
Passenger Service Train Crews.
Abstract: The Railroad Safety
Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA) grants
the Federal Railroad Administration
(FRA) the authority to prescribe
regulations ‘‘* * *Governing the Hours
of Service of Train Employees of
Commuter and Intercity Passenger
Railroad Carriers.’’ (section 21109). This
section of the law provides that
Such regulations and orders may address
railroad operating and scheduling practices,
including unscheduled duty calls,
communications during time off duty, and
time spent waiting for deadhead
transportation or in deadhead transportation
from a duty assignment to the place of final
release, that could affect employee fatigue
and railroad safety.
Furthermore, the regulations shall
consider
* * * scientific and medical research related
to fatigue and fatigue abatement, railroad
scheduling and operating practices that
improve safety or reduce employee fatigue, a
railroad’s use of new or novel technology
intended to reduce or eliminate human error,
the variations in freight and passenger
railroad scheduling practices and operating
conditions, the variations in duties and
operating conditions for employees subject to
this chapter, a railroad’s required or
voluntary use of fatigue management plans
covering employees subject to this chapter,
and any other relevant factors.
The purpose of the research addressed
under this proposed study is to provide
FRA with the necessary information to
meet the requirements of RSIA as noted
above.
E:\FR\FM\05AUN1.SGM
05AUN1
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 149 / Wednesday, August 5, 2009 / Notices
The proposed study has two primary
purposes:
• To document and characterize the
work/rest schedules and sleep patterns
of train crews in commuter passenger
service
• To examine the relationship
between these schedules and level of
alertness/fatigue for the individuals who
work these schedules.
The intent is to report results in
aggregate, not by railroad.
The study will seek to describe the
work and sleep patterns for this group
of railroad employees. It will also obtain
subjective ratings from participants of
their alertness/sleepiness on both work
and non-work days. Data collection will
be through the use of a daily diary or log
as well as a brief background
questionnaire for each participant.
Analysis of the diary data will allow the
FRA to assess whether or not there are
any work-related fatigue issues. The
proposed study will provide a
defensible and definitive estimate of the
work/rest cycle parameters and fatigue
in this group of railroad employees that
will inform FRA regulatory policy and
action.
Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.130;
FRA F 6180.131
Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 930
hours
Addressee: Send comments regarding
this information collection to the Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget, 725
Seventeenth Street, NW., Washington,
DC, 20503, Attention: FRA Desk Officer.
Comments may also be sent via e-mail
to OMB at the following address:
oira_submissions@omb.eop.gov
Comments are invited on the
following: Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the Department, including
whether the information will have
practical utility; the accuracy of the
Department’s estimate of the burden of
the proposed information collection;
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
A comment to OMB is best assured of
having its full effect if OMB receives it
within 30 days of publication of this
notice in the Federal Register.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
18:54 Aug 04, 2009
Jkt 217001
Issued in Washington, DC on July 29, 2009.
Donna Alwine,
Acting Director, Office of Financial
Management, Federal Railroad
Administration.
[FR Doc. E9–18740 Filed 8–4–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
39135
control number 2127–0661 for the E–
911 grant program.
Issued on July 31, 2009.
Jeff Michael,
Associate Administrator, Research and
Program Development, National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration.
[FR Doc. E9–18726 Filed 7–31–09; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910–59–P
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Docket No. NHTSA–2008–0142]
Federal Aviation Administration
RIN 2127–AK37
Full Electronic Distribution of
Airworthiness Directives
E–911 Grant Program
National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Before a Federal agency can
collect certain information from the
public, it must receive approval from
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB). Under procedures established
by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), Federal agencies must solicit
public comment on proposed
collections of information, including
extensions and reinstatements of
previously approved collections before
seeking OMB approval. This document
provides notice of OMB’s approval of
the information collection and the
assignment of a control number for the
E–911 grant program.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Laurie Flaherty, Office of Emergency
Medical Services, NTI–140, telephone
(202) 366–2705, fax (202) 366–7721,
NHTSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.,
Washington, DC 20590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant
to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44
U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration
and the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration
solicited public comments on the
proposed collection of information, with
a 60-day comment period, in the notice
of proposed rulemaking published on
October 3, 2008 (73 FR 57567). In a
Federal Register notice published on
May 19, 2009, the agencies announced
that they submitted the information
collection request to OMB for approval.
(73 FR 23465). In the Final Rule
published in the Federal Register on
June 5, 2009 (74 FR 26965), the agencies
announced that OMB approval of the
information collection was pending.
This document provides notice that
OMB has approved the information
collection and has assigned OMB
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00096
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
AGENCY: Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of policy change; final
disposition.
SUMMARY: This notice announces the
FAA’s schedule for transitioning to full
electronic distribution of airworthiness
directives (ADs). This transition will
provide a timelier and more cost
effective method for the FAA to provide
safety information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Josh
Peebles, Federal Aviation
Administration, Aircraft Certification
Service, Aircraft Engineering Division,
Delegation and Airworthiness Programs
Branch, AIR–140, 6500 S. MacArthur
Blvd., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73125.
Telephone: (405) 954–1345; fax: (405)
954–2209, or e-mail:
josh.peebles@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On August 24, 2006 we published a
notice in the Federal Register (71 FR
50113) to announce changes in our AD
and Special Airworthiness Information
Bulletins (SAIB) printing and
distribution policy. We also announced
our intention to transition to full
electronic distribution for ADs and
notified the public that we would
immediately stop mailing paper copies
of SAIBs.
On March 1, 2007 we published a
notice in the Federal Register (72 FR
9394) to announce our e-mail
subscription service for ADs and SAIBs.
The service, known as GovDelivery, was
activated in May 2007 and is accessible
from the Regulatory and Guidance
Library (RGL) homepage at: https://
rgl.faa.gov. The service is free of charge
and allows any interested party to
subscribe. Subscribers may choose to
receive all published documents or only
those pertaining to a specific product
make and model. They also may choose
to receive all published documents for
E:\FR\FM\05AUN1.SGM
05AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 5, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39133-39135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18740]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2009-0001-N-18]
Information Collection
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information
Collection Requirement (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR
describes the nature of the information collection and its expected
burden. The Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period
soliciting comments on the following collection of information was
published on May 21, 2009 (74 FR 23927).
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 4, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of Safety,
Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., 3rd Floor, Mail Stop 25,
Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6292), or Ms. Nakia Jackson,
Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., 3rd Floor, Mail Stop 35,
Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6073). (These telephone
numbers are not toll-free.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA),
Public Law 104-13, Section 2, 109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised
at 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR Part
1320, require Federal agencies to issue
[[Page 39134]]
two notices seeking public comment on information collection activities
before OMB may approve paperwork packages. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR
1320.5, 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.12. On May 21, 2009, FRA published a 60-day
notice in the Federal Register soliciting comment on this ICR that the
agency was seeking OMB approval. 74 FR 23927. FRA received one
comment--a letter--in response to this notice.
The joint letter came from Mr. James Stem, National Legislative
Director, United Transportation Union (UTU), and John Tolman,
President, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). The
UTU represents 125,000 active and retired railroad, bus, and mass
transit workers in the United States and Canada. The BLET is a rail
labor organization that was founded as part of the Teamsters Union and
represents railroad engineers and railroad operating employees in the
United States and Canada. In their extensive letter of support, Mr.
Stem and Mr. Tolman stated the following:
Congress assigned FRA to prescribe regulations and issue orders
to establish hours of service requirements for train employees
engaged in commuter rail and passenger services. Those regulations
may differ from the requirements of the Rail Safety Improvement Act
(RSIA) requirements for Hours of Service (HOS) applicable to train
employees engaged in freight service. In establishing this
exception, Congress required FRA to consider scientific and medical
research related to fatigue and fatigue abatement, scheduling
practices and operating practices that improve safety or reduce
employee fatigue. A significant body of scientific and medical
research already exists. Also, the commuter and passenger services
current scheduling and operating practices in use today mitigate
fatigue substantially; so much so that only minor changes to the
existing HOS regulations are necessary.
The ``Fatigue Avoidance Scheduling Tool'' (FAST) is a
comprehensive and detailed analysis of how wakefulness affects
fatigue and an individual's effectiveness. The FAST model is based
upon the SAFTE fatigue assessment tool which was developed for the
U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army. For a fatigue assessment tool to
be useful, it must establish how fatigue impacts effectiveness and
at which point reduced effectiveness might compromise safety. The
FAST model has been validated for use in predicting effectiveness in
freight railroad service, and we believe it can function as an
appropriate tool to compare work schedules against a baseline
representing the maximum schedule that can be worked under the
statute. The current model is programmed to reflect sleep patterns
in a workforce that reports for duty on call, and will need to be
adjusted to reflect the different sleep patterns of workers with a
known reporting time. We believe such an adjustment would permit the
use of the FAST model to predict effectiveness among commuter and
passenger train employees * * *
The medical research supports the conclusion that predictable
sleep patterns can significantly diminish the fatiguing effect long
hours have on employees. While not a panacea, predictability in work
schedules certainly provides the employees with the opportunity to
plan their rest. Individuals without regular work hours may find
themselves un-rested if they have been at a doctor's appointment or
attending to an elderly parent or child when a call for duty comes.
Since the commuter/passenger services serve the public their
operations must be advertised to the general public. Train
departures, and therefore work schedules, are highly predictable * *
*
Obviously adequate levels of manpower are essential for the
railroads to properly execute the operation of the scheduled
service. Recently, the country has seen a significant increase in
ridership in the commuter/passenger operations. With the current
administration's High Speed Rail initiative there is every reason to
believe that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future.
Coupled with the natural attrition of an aging workforce, manpower
will be stressed for years to come.
Railroads must develop some objective means of determining an
appropriate and safe level of manpower staffing. One commuter
operation has chronic manpower shortages. So much so that the
overwhelming majority of its regular assignments and all of its
extra list assignments are required to work 6 days. It utilizes a
supplementary volunteer extra list of regularly assigned employees
(working their only day off) 7 days per week sometimes for weeks in
a row simply to address its regular operation.
A fair assessment of operating and scheduling practices will
minimize the impact of fatigue on railroad operations, the employees
and the general public that use the systems. Through the RSIA
Congress instructed the secretary to implement regulations to reduce
employee fatigue and improve safety. Fatigue can be effectively
mitigated by addressing it before it occurs. Proper manpower
staffing and construction of assignments are essential to ensure
that outcome. By addressing fatigue at its base level (daily)
through the use quality restorative sleep from napping in conducive
sleep environments and predictable, regular home sleep patterns the
industry will have effectively reduced acute, cumulative and chronic
fatigue from wakefulness to a safe level.
FRA received no other comments in response to this notice. Accordingly,
DOT announces that these information collection activities have been
evaluated and certified under 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and forwarded to OMB for
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.10(a).
Before OMB decides whether to approve these proposed collections of
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. 44 U.S.C.
3507(b); 5 CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires OMB to approve or
disapprove paperwork packages between 30 and 60 days after the 30 day
notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 3507 (b)-(c); 5 CFR 1320.12(d); see also
60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the 30 day notice
informs the regulated community to file relevant comments and affords
the agency adequate time to digest public comments before it renders a
decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should
submit their respective comments to OMB within 30 days of publication
to best ensure having their full effect. 5 CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60
FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
The summary below describes the nature of the information
collection requirement (ICR) and the expected burden for the ICR being
submitted for clearance by OMB as required by the PRA.
Title: Work Schedules and Sleep Patterns of Train Crews in Commuter
Passenger Service.
OMB Control Number: 2130-New.
Type of Request: Regular Approval of a New Collection of
Information.
Affected Public: Commuter Railroad Passenger Service Train Crews.
Abstract: The Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA) grants
the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) the authority to prescribe
regulations ``* * *Governing the Hours of Service of Train Employees of
Commuter and Intercity Passenger Railroad Carriers.'' (section 21109).
This section of the law provides that
Such regulations and orders may address railroad operating and
scheduling practices, including unscheduled duty calls,
communications during time off duty, and time spent waiting for
deadhead transportation or in deadhead transportation from a duty
assignment to the place of final release, that could affect employee
fatigue and railroad safety.
Furthermore, the regulations shall consider
* * * scientific and medical research related to fatigue and fatigue
abatement, railroad scheduling and operating practices that improve
safety or reduce employee fatigue, a railroad's use of new or novel
technology intended to reduce or eliminate human error, the
variations in freight and passenger railroad scheduling practices
and operating conditions, the variations in duties and operating
conditions for employees subject to this chapter, a railroad's
required or voluntary use of fatigue management plans covering
employees subject to this chapter, and any other relevant factors.
The purpose of the research addressed under this proposed study is to
provide FRA with the necessary information to meet the requirements of
RSIA as noted above.
[[Page 39135]]
The proposed study has two primary purposes:
To document and characterize the work/rest schedules and
sleep patterns of train crews in commuter passenger service
To examine the relationship between these schedules and
level of alertness/fatigue for the individuals who work these
schedules.
The intent is to report results in aggregate, not by railroad.
The study will seek to describe the work and sleep patterns for
this group of railroad employees. It will also obtain subjective
ratings from participants of their alertness/sleepiness on both work
and non-work days. Data collection will be through the use of a daily
diary or log as well as a brief background questionnaire for each
participant. Analysis of the diary data will allow the FRA to assess
whether or not there are any work-related fatigue issues. The proposed
study will provide a defensible and definitive estimate of the work/
rest cycle parameters and fatigue in this group of railroad employees
that will inform FRA regulatory policy and action.
Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.130; FRA F 6180.131
Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 930 hours
Addressee: Send comments regarding this information collection to
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management
and Budget, 725 Seventeenth Street, NW., Washington, DC, 20503,
Attention: FRA Desk Officer. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to
OMB at the following address: oira_submissions@omb.eop.gov
Comments are invited on the following: Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the Department, including whether the information will
have practical utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of
the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
A comment to OMB is best assured of having its full effect if OMB
receives it within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal
Register.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.
Issued in Washington, DC on July 29, 2009.
Donna Alwine,
Acting Director, Office of Financial Management, Federal Railroad
Administration.
[FR Doc. E9-18740 Filed 8-4-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
