[Federal Register: May 1, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 83)]
[Notices]
[Page 25570-25571]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01my06-37]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
Proposed Collection; Comment Request--Consumer Opinion Forum
AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or
Commission) requests comments on a proposed collection of information
from persons who may voluntarily register and participate in a Consumer
Opinion Forum posted on the CPSC Web site, http://wwww.cpsc.gov. The
Commission will consider all comments received in response to this
notice before requesting approval of this collection of information
from the Office of Management and Budget.
[[Page 25571]]
DATES: Written comments must be received by the Office of the Secretary
not later than June 30, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be captioned ``Consumer Opinion
Forum'' and e-mailed to cpsc-os@cpsc.gov. Comments may also be sent by
facsimile to (301) 504-0127, or by mail to the Office of the Secretary,
Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda,
Maryland 20814.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about the proposed
collection of information call or write Linda L. Glatz, Management and
Program Analyst, Office of Planning and Evaluation, Consumer Product
Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 20814;
(301) 04-7671.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
The Commission is authorized under section 5(a) of the Consumer
Product Safety Act (CPSA), 15 U.S.C. 2054(a), to collect information,
conduct research, perform studies and investigations relating to the
causes and prevention of deaths, accidents, injuries, illnesses, other
health impairments, and economic losses associated with consumer
products. Section 5(b) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2054(b), further provides
that the Commission may conduct research, studies and investigations on
the safety of consumer products or test consumer products and develop
product safety test methods and testing devices.
In order to better identify and evaluate the risks of product-
related incidents, the Commission staff seeks to solicit consumer
opinions and perceptions related to consumer product use, on a
voluntary basis, through questions posted on the CPSC's Consumer
Opinion Forum on the CPSC Web site, http://www.cpsc.gov. Through the
forum, consumers will be able to answer questions and provide
information regrading their experiences, opinions and/or perceptions on
the use or pattern of use of a specific product or type of product. The
Consumer Opinion Forum is intended for consumers, 18 years and older,
who have access to the Internet and e-mail, who voluntarily register to
participate through a participant registration process, and respond to
the questions posted in the Consumer Opinion Forum. New questions will
be posted periodically on the CPSC Web site, http://www.cpsc.gov, and
registered participants will be invited via e-mail to respond to
various questions, but not more frequently than once every four weeks.
The information collected from the Consumer Opinion Forum will help
inform the Commission's evaluation of consumer products and product use
by providing insight and information into consumer perceptions and
usage patterns. Such information may also assist the Commission in its
efforts to support voluntary standards activities, and help the staff
identify areas regarding consumer safety issues that need additional
research. In addition, based on the information obtained, the staff may
be able to provide safety information to the public that is easier to
read and is more easily understood by a wider range of consumers. For
example, the staff may be able to propose new language or revisions to
existing language in warning labels or manuals if the staff finds that
certain warning language is perceived by many participants to be
unclear or subject to misinterpretation. Finally, the Consumer Opinion
Forum may be used to solicit consumer opinions and feedback regarding
the effectiveness of product recall communications and in determining
what action is being taken by consumers in response to such
communications and why. This may aid in tailoring future recall
activities to increase the success of those activities. If this
information is not collected, the Commission would not have available
useful information regarding consumer experiences, opinions, and
perceptions related to specific product use, which the Commission
relies on in its ongoing efforts to improve the safety of consumer
products on behalf of consumers.
B. Estimated Burden
The Commission staff currently estimates that there may be up to
5,000 respondents who register to participate in the Consumer Opinion
Forum. The Commission staff estimates that each respondent will take 10
minutes or less to complete the one-time registration process. The
Commission staff further estimates that the amount of time required to
respond to each set of questions on the Consumer Opinion Forum will be
15 minutes or less. If, at the maximum, each respondent responds to 12
sets of questions over the course of a year, or once a month, the
yearly burden would result in approximately 3 hours per year for each
respondent. If as many as 5,000 consumers respond, the Commission staff
estimates that the annual burden could total approximately 15,833 hours
per year.
The Commission staff estimates the value of the time of respondents
to this collection of information at $28.75 an hour. This is based on
the 2005 U.S. Department of Labor Employer Costs for Employee
Compensation. At this valuation, the estimated annual cost to the
public of this information collection will be about $455,000 per year.
C. Request for Comments
The Commission solicits written comments from all interested
persons about the proposed collection of information. The commission
specifically solicits information relevant to the following topics:
--Whether the collection of information described above is necessary
for the proper performance of the Commission's functions, including
whether the information would have practical utility;
--Whether the estimated burden of the proposed collection of
information is accurate;
--Whether the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be
collected could be enhanced; and
--Whether the burden imposed by the collection of information could be
minimized by use of automated, electronic or other technological
collection techniques, or other forms of information technology.
Dated: April 26, 2006.
Todd A. Stevenson,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 06-4102 Filed 4-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-M