New Information Collection Request: Demographic Information Collection for MSHA Grants, 6134-6136 [2024-01893]
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6134
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 21 / Wednesday, January 31, 2024 / Notices
Staff, Justice Management Division,
United States Department of Justice,
Two Constitution Square, 145 N Street
NE, 4W–218 Washington, DC 20530.
Dated: January 25, 2024.
Darwin Arceo,
Department Clearance Officer for PRA, U.S.
Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2024–01867 Filed 1–30–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–02–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission for OMB
Review; National Compensation
Survey
Notice of availability; request
for comments.
ACTION:
The Department of Labor
(DOL) is submitting this Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS)-sponsored information
collection request (ICR) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and approval in accordance with
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA). Public comments on the ICR are
invited.
DATES: The OMB will consider all
written comments that the agency
receives on or before March 1, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting
‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open
for Public Comments’’ or by using the
search function.
Comments are invited on: (1) whether
the collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the Department,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of
the agency’s estimates of the burden and
cost of the collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3)
ways to enhance the quality, utility and
clarity of the information collection; and
(4) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nicole Bouchet by telephone at 202–
693–0213, or by email at DOL_PRA_
PUBLIC@dol.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
National Compensation Survey (NCS),
BLS currently uses the Employment
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:00 Jan 30, 2024
Jkt 262001
Cost Index (ECI) and Occupational
Employment Statistics to provide grade
and local wage data required by the
President’s Pay Agent to comply with
the requirements of the Federal
Employees Pay Comparability Act of
1990. The President’s Pay Agent uses
these data to recommend pay increases
for Federal General Schedule workers;
NCS data produces the Employment
Cost Index which is designated a
Principal Federal Economic Indicator
under OMB Statistical Policy Directive
No. 3. NCS data is used to produce the
ECI, the Employer Cost for Employee
Compensation, employee benefit
provision publications, Modeled Wage
Estimates, and data for the President’s
Pay Agent. For additional substantive
information about this ICR, see the
related notice published in the Federal
Register on November 9, 2023 (88 FR
77363).
This information collection is subject
to the PRA. A Federal agency generally
cannot conduct or sponsor a collection
of information, and the public is
generally not required to respond to an
information collection, unless the OMB
approves it and displays a currently
valid OMB Control Number. In addition,
notwithstanding any other provisions of
law, no person shall generally be subject
to penalty for failing to comply with a
collection of information that does not
display a valid OMB Control Number.
See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
Agency: DOL–BLS.
Title of Collection: National
Compensation Survey.
OMB Control Number: 1220–0164.
Affected Public: Businesses or other
for-profits; Not-for-profit institutions;
State, Local and Tribal Governments.
Total Estimated Number of
Respondents: 19,567.
Total Estimated Number of
Responses: 53,896.
Total Estimated Annual Time Burden:
41,465 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Other Costs
Burden: $0.
(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D))
Nicole Bouchet,
Senior Paperwork Reduction Act Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2024–01894 Filed 1–30–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–24–P
PO 00000
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
[OMB Control No. 1219–New]
New Information Collection Request:
Demographic Information Collection
for MSHA Grants
Mine Safety and Health
Administration, Labor.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
AGENCY:
The Department of Labor
(DOL), 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 collections of information, in
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995. 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.
The Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA) is soliciting
comments on the new information
collection regarding Demographic
Information Collection for MSHA
Grants.
SUMMARY:
All comments must be received
on or before April 1, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments concerning the
information collection requirements of
this notice may be sent by any of the
methods listed below. Please note that
late comments received after the
deadline will not be considered.
• Federal E-Rulemaking Portal:
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
on-line instructions for submitting
comments for docket number MSHA–
2023–0021.
• Mail/Hand Delivery: DOL–MSHA,
Office of Standards, Regulations, and
Variances, 201 12th Street South, Suite
4E401, Arlington, VA 22202–5452.
Before visiting MSHA in person, call
202–693–9455 to make an appointment,
in keeping with the Department of
Labor’s COVID–19 policy. Special
health precautions may be required.
• MSHA will post all comments as
well as any attachments, except for
information submitted and marked as
confidential, in the docket at https://
www.regulations.gov.
DATES:
S.
Aromie Noe, Director, Office of
Standards, Regulations, and Variances,
MSHA, at
MSHA.information.collections@dol.gov
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 21 / Wednesday, January 31, 2024 / Notices
(email); 202–693–9440 (voice); or 202–
693–9441 (facsimile). This is not a tollfree number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 103(h) of the Federal Mine
Safety and Health Act of 1977, as
amended (Mine Act), 30 U.S.C. 813(h),
authorizes MSHA to collect information
necessary to carry out its duty in
protecting the safety and health of
miners. Further, section 101(a) of the
Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 811(a), authorizes
the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to
develop, promulgate, and revise as may
be appropriate, improved mandatory
health or safety standards for the
protection of life and prevention of
injuries in coal and metal and nonmetal
mines.
MSHA works to prevent death,
illness, and injury from mining and to
promote safe and healthful workplaces
for U.S. miners. Section 115 of the Mine
Act, 30 U.S.C. 825, requires MSHA to
approve mine operators’ health and
safety training programs for miners. To
assist mine operators, MSHA
administers two grant programs: State
Grants and Brookwood-Sago Mine
Safety Grants. The grant programs fund
training for individuals, miners,
employers, and contractors on how to
recognize, avoid, and prevent unsafe
and unhealthful working conditions in
accordance with section 503 of the Mine
Act, 30 U.S.C. 953, and section 14 of the
Mine Improvement and New Emergency
Response Act of 2006 (MINER Act), 30
U.S.C. 965.
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
State Grants
Under section 503 of the Mine Act, 30
U.S.C. 953, the Secretary may award
grants to States to assist in developing
and enforcing State mine health and
safety laws and regulations, to improve
State workers’ compensation and
mining occupational disease laws and
programs, and to improve health and
safety conditions in the Nation’s mines
through Federal-State coordination and
cooperation. Any State in which mining
takes place may apply for the State
Grants. Under 30 U.S.C. 953(g), MSHA
may fund up to 80 percent of the State
Grants activities and a Grant recipient
must provide matching funds of no less
than 20 percent of the total costs. This
State Grant program supports federally
mandated training of miners and mine
operators working at surface and
underground coal, metal, and nonmetal
mines. Under 30 U.S.C. 953(e) of the
Mine Act, a State grant application or
modification may include a program to
train State mine inspectors.
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17:00 Jan 30, 2024
Jkt 262001
MSHA recognizes that State training
programs are a key source of mine safety
and health training and education for
individuals who work or will work at
mines. MSHA encourages State training
programs to prioritize health and safety
training for small mining operations and
underserved mines and miners within
the mining industry, and to prioritize
diversity, equity, inclusion, and
accessibility. MSHA has recently
expanded the priority to include
underserved operators and miners,
including limited English proficient
(LEP) and low literacy individuals.
MSHA supports programs that
emphasize training on miners’ statutory
rights, including the right to work in a
safe working environment, to refuse an
unsafe task, and to have a voice in the
safety and health conditions at the
mine. In particular, MSHA encourages
grant recipients to address the following
topics in their training and education
programs: occupational health hazards
caused by exposures to respirable coal
mine dust and respirable crystalline
silica; powered haulage and mobile
equipment safety; mine emergency
preparedness; mine rescue; electrical
safety; contract and customer truck
drivers; improving training for new and
inexperienced miners; managers and
supervisors performing mining tasks;
pillar safety for underground mines; and
falls from heights.
Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants
Section 14 of the MINER Act, 30
U.S.C. 965, established the BrookwoodSago Mine Safety Grants. This
competitive grant program provides
funding for education and training
programs to better identify, avoid, and
prevent unsafe working conditions in
and around mines. Grantees can use
these funds to establish and implement
education and training programs or to
create training materials and programs
on MSHA-identified safety priorities.
Funds can also be used to develop and
implement training and related
materials for mine emergency
preparedness as well as for the
prevention of accidents in underground
mines.
MSHA expects Brookwood-Sago Mine
Safety grantees to develop training or
educational materials and/or provide
mine safety training or educational
programs, to recruit mine operators and
miners to participate in training, and to
conduct and evaluate the training
program. 30 U.S.C. 965 mandates that
the Secretary emphasize programs and
materials that target smaller mines,
including programs and materials for
training mine operators and miners
about new MSHA standards, high risk
PO 00000
Frm 00048
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
6135
activities, or hazards. The BrookwoodSago Mine Safety Grants give priority to
the funding of pilot and demonstration
projects that will provide opportunities
for broad applicability for mine safety.
Special attention will also be given to
programs and materials that serve
underserved mines and miners within
the mining industry, and that prioritize
diversity, equity, inclusion, and
accessibility.
Under 30 U.S.C. 965, the BrookwoodSago Mine Safety Grants are required to
conduct follow-up evaluations with the
people who received the training
provided under the grants to measure
how the training promotes the DOL’s
strategic goal to ‘‘Ensure Safe Jobs,
Essential Protections, and Fair
Workplaces,’’ and MSHA’s goal to
‘‘prevent fatalities, disease, and injury
from mining, and secure safe and
healthful working conditions for
America’s miners.’’ Evaluations will
focus on determining how effective the
subject training was in either reducing
hazards, improving miners’ skills, or
improving safety and health conditions
in mines. Grantees must fully cooperate
with MSHA evaluators; such
cooperation may include providing
MSHA evaluators relevant data,
educational or training materials, or
information on training methods and
equipment.
Additional Authorities
Executive Order (E.O.) 13985 on
‘‘Advancing Racial Equity and Support
for Underserved Communities Through
the Federal Government’’ aims to
advance equity and provide everyone
with the opportunity to reach their full
potential. The E.O. requires each agency
to assess whether, and to what extent,
its programs and policies perpetuate
systemic barriers to opportunities and
benefits for people of color and other
underserved groups.
In response to E.O. 13985, the
Department of Labor developed an
‘‘Equity Action Plan’’ which highlighted
several of MSHA’s planning efforts to
reach workers with limited English
proficiency, including:
• MSHA is planning several
initiatives to expand its reach to
Spanish language-speaking populations,
including by recruiting for new
bilingual positions in regions where
there is a mining community that is
predominantly Spanish-speaking,
developing more bilingual signs to
inform mine workers of health and
safety risks in languages they can read
and understand, and introducing new
bilingual training assistance, including
for mine operators and contractors, to
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31JAN1
6136
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 21 / Wednesday, January 31, 2024 / Notices
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ensure that health and safety training
initiatives reach all mine workers.
• In addition, MSHA is tracking
progress toward its new performance
milestone of making half of MSHA signs
available in Spanish.
To fulfill these goals and to carry out
MSHA’s initiatives, the Agency creates
the ‘‘MSHA Participant Demographic
Information Form.’’ This optional form
will be distributed among training
participants by grantees after
completing training. The new survey
form will ask training participants to
identify their age, gender, ethnicity,
race, and primary language spoken. This
information will be kept confidential
(i.e., the responses are not associated
with a specific participant) and will be
reported only in the aggregate.
By collecting this demographic and
primary language data, MSHA will
improve its ability to identify barriers
that prevent underserved rural and
minority communities from benefitting
from MSHA grantees’ training and
compliance assistance programs and
thereby accessing safe and healthy jobs
in the mining industry. The collected
data may identify training needs for
women and individuals with limited
English proficiency in underserved
communities in rural and minority
areas. Equipped with this data, MSHA
will be better able to take steps to
overcome these barriers and lay out
targeted activities, such as increasing
the number of MSHA-approved nonEnglish speaking instructors and
training materials to assist individuals
with low literacy and limited English
proficiency.
Additionally, State grantees will
submit to MSHA a modified form called
‘‘State Grants Demographic Information
Progress Report.’’ This form will report
a summary of training participants’
aggregate responses by the end of each
quarter.
II. Desired Focus of Comments
MSHA is soliciting comments
concerning the proposed information
collection related to Demographic
Information Collection for MSHA
Grants. MSHA is particularly interested
in comments that:
• Evaluate whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Agency, including whether the
information has practical utility;
• Evaluate the accuracy of MSHA’s
estimate of the burden of the collection
of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
• Suggest methods to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:00 Jan 30, 2024
Jkt 262001
• 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 submission of
responses.
The information collection request
will be available on https://
www.regulations.gov. MSHA cautions
the commenter against providing any
information in the submission that
should not be publicly disclosed. Full
comments, including personal
information provided, will be made
available on www.regulations.gov and
www.reginfo.gov.
The public may also examine publicly
available documents at DOL–MSHA,
201 12th Street South, Suite 4E401,
Arlington, VA 22202–5452. Sign in at
the receptionist’s desk on the 4th floor
via the East elevator. Before visiting
MSHA in person, call 202–693–9455 to
make an appointment, in keeping with
the Department of Labor’s COVID–19
policy. Special health precautions may
be required.
Questions about the information
collection requirements may be directed
to the person listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION section of this notice.
III. Current Actions
This information collection request
concerns Demographic Information
Collection for MSHA Grants, including
two new data collection forms. MSHA
has provided the data with respect to
the number of respondents, responses,
burden hours, and burden costs
supporting this new information
collection request.
Type of Review: New collection.
Agency: Mine Safety and Health
Administration.
OMB Number: 1219–New.
Affected Public: Individuals, state,
tribal, and territorial governments,
business or other for-profits, and nonprofit institutions.
Number of Annual Respondents:
150,706.
Frequency: On occasion, quarterly,
and annually.
Number of Annual Responses:
150,930.
Annual Burden Hours: 8,093.
Annual Respondent or Recordkeeper
Cost: $0.
MSHA Forms: MSHA Participant
Demographic Information Collection
Form; MSHA State Grants Demographic
Information Progress Report.
Comments submitted in response to
this notice will be summarized and
included in the request for Office of
PO 00000
Frm 00049
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Management and Budget approval of the
proposed new information collection
request; they will become a matter of
public record and will be available at
https://www.reginfo.gov.
Song-ae Aromie Noe,
Certifying Officer, Mine Safety and Health
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024–01893 Filed 1–30–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–43–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration
[Docket No. OSHA–2010–0025]
Hydrostatic Testing Provision of the
Standard on Portable Fire
Extinguishers; Extension of the Office
of Management and Budget’s (OMB)
Approval of Information Collection
(Paperwork) Requirements
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Notice; correction.
AGENCY:
The Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA)
published a document in the Federal
Register on January 9, 2024, soliciting
public comments concerning the
proposal to extend the Office of
Management and Budget’s (OMB)
approval of the information collection
requirements specified in the regulation
on Hydrostatic Testing Provision of the
Standard on Portable Fire Extinguishers.
The document contained an incorrect
OMB Control Number. This notice
corrects this error.
DATES: This correction is effective
January 31, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Seleda Perryman or Theda Kenney,
Directorate of Standards and Guidance,
OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor;
telephone: (202) 693–2222.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Correction
In the Federal Register of January 9,
2024 (89 FR 1129), correct the OMB
Control Number as described below.
On page 1129—in the third column
the section titled ‘‘III. Proposed
Actions’’ listed under OMB Control
Number change 1219–0218 to read:
[1218–0218].
*
*
*
*
*
Authority and Signature
James S. Frederick, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Labor for Occupational
Safety and Health, directed the
preparation of this notice. The authority
E:\FR\FM\31JAN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 21 (Wednesday, January 31, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6134-6136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01893]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
[OMB Control No. 1219-New]
New Information Collection Request: Demographic Information
Collection for MSHA Grants
AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL), 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 collections
of information, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
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. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is
soliciting comments on the new information collection regarding
Demographic Information Collection for MSHA Grants.
DATES: All comments must be received on or before April 1, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments concerning the information collection requirements
of this notice may be sent by any of the methods listed below. Please
note that late comments received after the deadline will not be
considered.
Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments for docket
number MSHA-2023-0021.
Mail/Hand Delivery: DOL-MSHA, Office of Standards,
Regulations, and Variances, 201 12th Street South, Suite 4E401,
Arlington, VA 22202-5452. Before visiting MSHA in person, call 202-693-
9455 to make an appointment, in keeping with the Department of Labor's
COVID-19 policy. Special health precautions may be required.
MSHA will post all comments as well as any attachments,
except for information submitted and marked as confidential, in the
docket at https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: S. Aromie Noe, Director, Office of
Standards, Regulations, and Variances, MSHA, at
[email protected]
[[Page 6135]]
(email); 202-693-9440 (voice); or 202-693-9441 (facsimile). This is not
a toll-free number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 103(h) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977,
as amended (Mine Act), 30 U.S.C. 813(h), authorizes MSHA to collect
information necessary to carry out its duty in protecting the safety
and health of miners. Further, section 101(a) of the Mine Act, 30
U.S.C. 811(a), authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to
develop, promulgate, and revise as may be appropriate, improved
mandatory health or safety standards for the protection of life and
prevention of injuries in coal and metal and nonmetal mines.
MSHA works to prevent death, illness, and injury from mining and to
promote safe and healthful workplaces for U.S. miners. Section 115 of
the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 825, requires MSHA to approve mine operators'
health and safety training programs for miners. To assist mine
operators, MSHA administers two grant programs: State Grants and
Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants. The grant programs fund training for
individuals, miners, employers, and contractors on how to recognize,
avoid, and prevent unsafe and unhealthful working conditions in
accordance with section 503 of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 953, and section
14 of the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006
(MINER Act), 30 U.S.C. 965.
State Grants
Under section 503 of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 953, the Secretary may
award grants to States to assist in developing and enforcing State mine
health and safety laws and regulations, to improve State workers'
compensation and mining occupational disease laws and programs, and to
improve health and safety conditions in the Nation's mines through
Federal-State coordination and cooperation. Any State in which mining
takes place may apply for the State Grants. Under 30 U.S.C. 953(g),
MSHA may fund up to 80 percent of the State Grants activities and a
Grant recipient must provide matching funds of no less than 20 percent
of the total costs. This State Grant program supports federally
mandated training of miners and mine operators working at surface and
underground coal, metal, and nonmetal mines. Under 30 U.S.C. 953(e) of
the Mine Act, a State grant application or modification may include a
program to train State mine inspectors.
MSHA recognizes that State training programs are a key source of
mine safety and health training and education for individuals who work
or will work at mines. MSHA encourages State training programs to
prioritize health and safety training for small mining operations and
underserved mines and miners within the mining industry, and to
prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. MSHA has
recently expanded the priority to include underserved operators and
miners, including limited English proficient (LEP) and low literacy
individuals.
MSHA supports programs that emphasize training on miners' statutory
rights, including the right to work in a safe working environment, to
refuse an unsafe task, and to have a voice in the safety and health
conditions at the mine. In particular, MSHA encourages grant recipients
to address the following topics in their training and education
programs: occupational health hazards caused by exposures to respirable
coal mine dust and respirable crystalline silica; powered haulage and
mobile equipment safety; mine emergency preparedness; mine rescue;
electrical safety; contract and customer truck drivers; improving
training for new and inexperienced miners; managers and supervisors
performing mining tasks; pillar safety for underground mines; and falls
from heights.
Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants
Section 14 of the MINER Act, 30 U.S.C. 965, established the
Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants. This competitive grant program
provides funding for education and training programs to better
identify, avoid, and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around
mines. Grantees can use these funds to establish and implement
education and training programs or to create training materials and
programs on MSHA-identified safety priorities. Funds can also be used
to develop and implement training and related materials for mine
emergency preparedness as well as for the prevention of accidents in
underground mines.
MSHA expects Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grantees to develop
training or educational materials and/or provide mine safety training
or educational programs, to recruit mine operators and miners to
participate in training, and to conduct and evaluate the training
program. 30 U.S.C. 965 mandates that the Secretary emphasize programs
and materials that target smaller mines, including programs and
materials for training mine operators and miners about new MSHA
standards, high risk activities, or hazards. The Brookwood-Sago Mine
Safety Grants give priority to the funding of pilot and demonstration
projects that will provide opportunities for broad applicability for
mine safety. Special attention will also be given to programs and
materials that serve underserved mines and miners within the mining
industry, and that prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and
accessibility.
Under 30 U.S.C. 965, the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants are
required to conduct follow-up evaluations with the people who received
the training provided under the grants to measure how the training
promotes the DOL's strategic goal to ``Ensure Safe Jobs, Essential
Protections, and Fair Workplaces,'' and MSHA's goal to ``prevent
fatalities, disease, and injury from mining, and secure safe and
healthful working conditions for America's miners.'' Evaluations will
focus on determining how effective the subject training was in either
reducing hazards, improving miners' skills, or improving safety and
health conditions in mines. Grantees must fully cooperate with MSHA
evaluators; such cooperation may include providing MSHA evaluators
relevant data, educational or training materials, or information on
training methods and equipment.
Additional Authorities
Executive Order (E.O.) 13985 on ``Advancing Racial Equity and
Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government''
aims to advance equity and provide everyone with the opportunity to
reach their full potential. The E.O. requires each agency to assess
whether, and to what extent, its programs and policies perpetuate
systemic barriers to opportunities and benefits for people of color and
other underserved groups.
In response to E.O. 13985, the Department of Labor developed an
``Equity Action Plan'' which highlighted several of MSHA's planning
efforts to reach workers with limited English proficiency, including:
MSHA is planning several initiatives to expand its reach
to Spanish language-speaking populations, including by recruiting for
new bilingual positions in regions where there is a mining community
that is predominantly Spanish-speaking, developing more bilingual signs
to inform mine workers of health and safety risks in languages they can
read and understand, and introducing new bilingual training assistance,
including for mine operators and contractors, to
[[Page 6136]]
ensure that health and safety training initiatives reach all mine
workers.
In addition, MSHA is tracking progress toward its new
performance milestone of making half of MSHA signs available in
Spanish.
To fulfill these goals and to carry out MSHA's initiatives, the
Agency creates the ``MSHA Participant Demographic Information Form.''
This optional form will be distributed among training participants by
grantees after completing training. The new survey form will ask
training participants to identify their age, gender, ethnicity, race,
and primary language spoken. This information will be kept confidential
(i.e., the responses are not associated with a specific participant)
and will be reported only in the aggregate.
By collecting this demographic and primary language data, MSHA will
improve its ability to identify barriers that prevent underserved rural
and minority communities from benefitting from MSHA grantees' training
and compliance assistance programs and thereby accessing safe and
healthy jobs in the mining industry. The collected data may identify
training needs for women and individuals with limited English
proficiency in underserved communities in rural and minority areas.
Equipped with this data, MSHA will be better able to take steps to
overcome these barriers and lay out targeted activities, such as
increasing the number of MSHA-approved non-English speaking instructors
and training materials to assist individuals with low literacy and
limited English proficiency.
Additionally, State grantees will submit to MSHA a modified form
called ``State Grants Demographic Information Progress Report.'' This
form will report a summary of training participants' aggregate
responses by the end of each quarter.
II. Desired Focus of Comments
MSHA is soliciting comments concerning the proposed information
collection related to Demographic Information Collection for MSHA
Grants. MSHA is particularly interested in comments that:
Evaluate whether the collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency,
including whether the information has practical utility;
Evaluate the accuracy of MSHA's estimate of the burden of
the collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
Suggest methods to 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 submission of responses.
The information collection request will be available on https://www.regulations.gov. MSHA cautions the commenter against providing any
information in the submission that should not be publicly disclosed.
Full comments, including personal information provided, will be made
available on www.regulations.gov and www.reginfo.gov.
The public may also examine publicly available documents at DOL-
MSHA, 201 12th Street South, Suite 4E401, Arlington, VA 22202-5452.
Sign in at the receptionist's desk on the 4th floor via the East
elevator. Before visiting MSHA in person, call 202-693-9455 to make an
appointment, in keeping with the Department of Labor's COVID-19 policy.
Special health precautions may be required.
Questions about the information collection requirements may be
directed to the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION section of
this notice.
III. Current Actions
This information collection request concerns Demographic
Information Collection for MSHA Grants, including two new data
collection forms. MSHA has provided the data with respect to the number
of respondents, responses, burden hours, and burden costs supporting
this new information collection request.
Type of Review: New collection.
Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
OMB Number: 1219-New.
Affected Public: Individuals, state, tribal, and territorial
governments, business or other for-profits, and non-profit
institutions.
Number of Annual Respondents: 150,706.
Frequency: On occasion, quarterly, and annually.
Number of Annual Responses: 150,930.
Annual Burden Hours: 8,093.
Annual Respondent or Recordkeeper Cost: $0.
MSHA Forms: MSHA Participant Demographic Information Collection
Form; MSHA State Grants Demographic Information Progress Report.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and included in the request for Office of Management and Budget
approval of the proposed new information collection request; they will
become a matter of public record and will be available at https://www.reginfo.gov.
Song-ae Aromie Noe,
Certifying Officer, Mine Safety and Health Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-01893 Filed 1-30-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P
