Notice2023-20394
Proposed Extension of Information Collection; Mine Accident, Injury, and Illness Report and Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 21, 2023
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentMine Safety and Health Administration
Abstract
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 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 information collection regarding Mine Accident, Injury, and Illness Report and Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 182 (Thursday, September 21, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 182 (Thursday, September 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65196-65198]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20394]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mine Safety and Health Administration
[OMB Control No. 1219-0007]
Proposed Extension of Information Collection; Mine Accident,
Injury, and Illness Report and Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal
Production Report
AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
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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 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 information collection regarding Mine Accident, Injury, and Illness
Report and Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report.
DATES: All comments must be received on or before November 20, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Comments concerning the information collection requirements
of this notice may be sent by any of the methods listed below. Please
note that late, untimely filed comments will not be considered.
<bullet> Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments for docket
number MSHA-2023-0044.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> MSHA will post all comments as well as any attachments,
except for information submitted and marked as confidential, in the
docket at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: S. Aromie Noe, Director, Office of
Standards, Regulations, and Variances, MSHA, at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a1ecf2e9e08fc8cfc7ced3ccc0d5c8cecf8fc2cecdcdc4c2d5c8cecfd2e1c5cecd8fc6ced7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="29647a61680740474f465b44485d404647074a4645454c4a5d4046475a694d4645074e465f">[email protected]</span></a> (email); (202) 693-9440 (voice);
or (202) 693-9441 (facsimile). These are not toll-free numbers.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 103(h) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977
(Mine Act), Public Law 95-164 as amended, 30 U.S.C. 813(h), authorizes
the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to collect information
necessary to carry out its duty in protecting the safety and health of
miners. Further, section 101(a) of the
[[Page 65197]]
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.
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 statutory mandate to reduce work-related injuries
and illnesses among the nation's miners (30 U.S.C. 801). Part 50 of 30
CFR applies to operators of coal, metal, and nonmetal mines. It
requires operators to immediately notify MSHA of accidents, investigate
accidents and restrict disturbance of accident-related areas. This part
also requires operators to file reports with MSHA pertaining to
accidents, occupational injuries, and occupational illnesses, as well
as employment and coal production data. This part also requires
operators to maintain copies of reports at mine offices.
30 CFR 50.2 defines operators as (1) any owner, lessee, or other
person who operates, controls, or supervises a coal mine; or (2) the
person, partnership, association, or corporation, or subsidiary of a
corporation operating a metal or nonmetal mine, and owning the right to
do so, and includes any agent thereof charged with responsibility for
the operation of such mine.
1. Notification, Investigation, Preservation of Evidence
Section 103(j) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 813(j), requires
operators to notify MSHA of the occurrence of an accident and to take
appropriate measures to preserve any evidence that would assist in the
investigation into the causes of the accident. 30 CFR 50.10 requires
mine operators and independent 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 cause of the
accident.
Section 103(d) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 813(d), mandates that
each accident must be investigated by the operator to determine the
cause and means of preventing a recurrence. 30 CFR 50.11 requires the
mine operator or independent contractor to investigate each accident
and occupational injury and prepare a report. The mine operator or
independent contractor may not use MSHA Form 7000-1 as the
investigation report, except if the operator or independent contractor
employs fewer than 20 miners and the injury is not related to an
accident.
2. Reporting of Accidents, Injuries, and Illnesses
30 CFR 50.20 requires mine operators and independent contractors to
report each accident, injury, and illness to MSHA on MSHA 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,
with specific criteria and instructions defined in 30 CFR 50.20-2
through 50.20-7.
3. Quarterly Employment and Coal Production Report
30 CFR 50.30 requires that all mine operators and independent
contractors working on mine property report employment to MSHA
quarterly on MSHA Form 7000-2 within 15 days after the end of each
calendar quarter. Each coal mine operators or independent contractor is
also required to report coal production on MSHA Form 7000-2. 30 CFR
50.30-1 provides instructions for completing MSHA Form 7000-2.
4. Record Maintenance
Section 103(h) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 813(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. Operators
must keep records of such accidents and investigations and make them
available to the Secretary or the Secretary's authorized representative
and the appropriate State agency. 30 CFR 50.40 requires each mine
operator or independent contractor to maintain a copy of each
investigation report prepared under section 50.11 or 50.20 or 50.30 at
the mine office for five years.
II. Desired Focus of Comments
MSHA is soliciting comments concerning the proposed information
collection related to Mine Accident, Injury, and Illness Report and
Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report. MSHA is
particularly interested in comments that:
<bullet> 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;
<bullet> Evaluate the accuracy of MSHA's estimate of the burden of
the collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
<bullet> Suggest methods to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be collected; and
<bullet> 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 <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. 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 <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> and <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov">www.reginfo.gov</a>.
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 CONTACT
section of this notice.
III. Current Actions
This information collection request concerns provisions for Mine
Accident, Injury, and Illness Report and Quarterly Mine Employment and
Coal Production Report. MSHA has updated the data with respect to the
number of respondents, responses, burden hours, and burden costs
supporting this information collection request from the previous
information collection request.
Type of Review: Extension, without change, of a currently approved
collection.
Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
OMB Number: 1219-0007.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Annual Respondents: 20,953.
Frequency: On occasion.
Number of Annual Responses: 98,389.
Annual Burden Hours: 117,903 hours.
Annual Respondent or Recordkeeper Cost: $3,009.
MSHA Forms: MSHA Form 7000-1, Mine Accident, Injury, and Illness
[[Page 65198]]
Report; MSHA Form 7000-2, Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production
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 information collection request; they will
become a matter of public record and will be available at <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov">https://www.reginfo.gov</a>.
Song-ae Aromie Noe,
Certifying Officer, Mine Safety and Health Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-20394 Filed 9-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4520-43-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 21, 2023.
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