[Federal Register: November 8, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 216)]
[Notices]
[Page 65476-65477]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08no06-53]
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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request--Follow-Up Activities
for Product-Related Injuries
AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: On August 4, 2006, the Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC or Commission) published a notice in accordance with provisions
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) (PRA), to
announce the agency's intention to seek approval for a collection of
information obtained from persons who have been involved in or have
witnessed incidents associated with consumer products. 71 FR 44262. The
Commission announces that it has submitted to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) a request for an extension of the existing approval of
collections of information conducted during follow-up activities for
product-related injuries.
The Commission received two comments. One commentor requests that
the Commission post reports of problems found with products and act on
the information obtained. This comment does not weigh against extension
of the current authorization. Another commentor, the Association of
Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), supports the proposed extension and
requests the Commission staff to continue to use personal interviews as
well as technological data collection to obtain pertinent information
regarding product-related incidents. ATLA also requests that the
Commission staff investigate a wider variety of product-related
incidents. Given the large number of incidents reported involving
consumer products annually, including NEISS data on hospital emergency
room treated injuries, over 350,000 records per year, the Commission's
resources and strategic goals guide the number of follow-up
investigations that are conducted annually. Although Commission staff
does not conduct follow-up investigations in every instance, staff does
conduct an estimated 807 face-to-face interviews, excluding
investigations conducted by the Office of Compliance and Field
[[Page 65477]]
Operations, 2,544 in-depth investigations by phone, 4,600 hotline staff
interviews, and conducts a review of 6,900 internet forms received from
persons requesting information about product-related incidents or
injuries.
ATLA also requests that incident reports that contain identifying
information be made available, in unredacted form, to counsel for both
plaintiffs and defendants. The statutes administered by the Commission
explicitly preclude the release of the type of identifying information
sought to be obtained by ATLA. Section 6 of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2055,
provides that the Commission may not disclose any information which
will permit the public to ascertain the identity of a manufacturer
without providing prior notification and opportunity for comment to the
manufacturer to which such information pertains. In addition, section
25 of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2074, provides that any accident or
investigation report made by an officer or employee of the Commission
shall be made available to the public in a manner which will not
identify any injured person or any person treating him, without the
consent of the person so identified. Records that could reasonably be
expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy are
also exempted from production and disclosure under the Freedom of
Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552(b). To the extent an injured person has
consented to release such information, that information would be
readily available to counsel for either the plaintiff or the defendant.
The information collected from persons who have sustained injuries
or who have witnessed safety-related incidents associated with consumer
products is an important source of safety information. The information
collected is vital to the Commission in its efforts to assess the
safety of consumer products and identify areas regarding consumer
safety issues that may require further development and improvement
through voluntary standards activities, rulemaking proceedings, recall
activities, and information and education campaigns. Accordingly, the
Commission has submitted the request for an extension of the existing
approval of collections of information conducted during follow-up
activities for product-related injuries.
Additional Details About the Request for Approval of a Collection of
Information
Agency address: Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West
Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Title of information collection: Follow-Up Activities for Product-
Related Injuries.
Type of request: Extension of approval.
Frequency of collection: One time for each respondent.
General description of respondents: Persons who have been involved
in, have witnessed, or otherwise have knowledge of incidents associated
with consumer products.
Estimated number of respondents: 14,851 total annually; 807 for
face-to-face interviews; 2,544 telephone interviews; 4,600 hotline
interviews; and 6,900 persons submitting a form.
Estimated annual average number of hours per respondent: 20 min.
for each telephone interview; 5.0 hours for each on-site interview; 12
min. to fill out a form; 10 min. for each Hotline interview.
Estimated total annual number of hours for all respondents: 7,030.
Estimated cost of collection for all respondents: $202,000.
Comments
Comments on this request for approval of information collection
requirements should be submitted by December 8, 2006 to (1) the Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for CPSC,
Office of Management and Budget, Washington DC 20503; telephone: (202)
395-7340, and (2) the Office of the Secretary by e-mail at
cpsc-os@cpsc.gov, or mailed to the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product
Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814. Comments
may also be sent via facsimile at (301) 504-0127.
Copies of this request for approval of information collection
requirements and supporting documentation are available from Linda
Glatz, Management and Program Analyst, Office of Planning and
Evaluation, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway,
Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone: (301) 504-7671; e-mail lglatz@cpsc.gov.
Dated: November 2, 2006.
Alberta E. Mills,
Acting Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. E6-18858 Filed 11-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P