98-6577. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Course Evaluation Form

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 49 (Friday, March 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12509-12510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6577]



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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket Number ICR 98-10]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Course Evaluation Form

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. 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. 
Currently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is 
soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of the 
information collection request for the Course Evaluation Force 
completed by students attending courses at OSHA's Training Institute 
and Education Centers. A copy of the proposed information collection 
request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in 
the addresses section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addresses section below on or before May 12, 1998. The Department of 
Labor is particularly interested in comments which:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     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 submissions of responses.

ADDRESSES: Comments are to be submitted to the Docket Office, Docket 
No. ICR 98-10, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone number [phone]. 
Written comments limited to 10 pages or less in length may also be 
transmitted by facsimile to [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert O'Brien, Division of Administration and Training Information, 
OSHA Office of Training and Education, 1555 Times Drive, Des Plaines, 
Illinois 60018, telephone [phone] (this is not a toll-free 
number), E-mail to [e-mail], or send a facsimile 
message to [phone]. Copies of the referenced information 
Collection request are available for inspection and copying in the 
Docket Office and will be mailed to persons who request copies by 
telephoning Robert O'Brien or Barbara Bielaski at [phone] x142. 
For electronic copies of the Information Collection Request for the 
Student Data Form, contact OSHA's WebPage on the Internet at http://
www.osha.gov under Standards.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Office of 
Training and Education, administers a program of training and education 
for employers and employees and personnel engaged in work relating to 
the Act. This program includes courses on occupational safety and 
health provided by the OSHA Training Institute, at its national 
training facility in Des Plaines, Illinois. Besides conducting courses 
at the OSHA Training Institute in Des Plaines, Illinois, the Institute 
is also administering a program by which several institutions in 
various locations throughout the United States have been authorized as 
OSHA Training Institute Education Centers. These Education Centers 
conduct a specific number of OSHA courses geared for private sector and 
other Federal Agency personnel. The goal of the Education Center 
program is to expand the accessibility of high-quality OSHA training 
courses.
    All students completing training courses at the Training Institute 
and the Education Centers are requested to complete the Course 
Evaluation, OSHA Form 49. Students may be Federal, state, private 
sector, local or tribal government employees. The Course Evaluation 
From contains ten close-ended questions. Student input on the Course 
Evaluation Form provides feedback on ten elements to assess 
communication and accomplishment of learning objectives, course 
content, training environment, relevance of topics to job, 
effectiveness of exercises, workshops, laboratories, field trips and 
audiovisuals, usefulness of course materials and handouts, and overall 
rating of course. This feedback provides an overall impression of the 
student's training experience for the course. Students provide more 
detailed feedback in the narrative sections of the form. The student 
input received on the Course Evaluation form provides a standardized 
tool for collecting quality data that has been used to determine 
program successes and shortcomings. This quality data has assisted the 
Training Institute in directing resources where they can do the most 
good. All Course Evaluation Forms are reviewed by the course 
chairperson, instructors, the Institute Director and the supervisor 
responsible for that course. Ratings provide baseline data from which 
to draw conclusions about the effectiveness and quality of the training 
courses and to assess the level of student satisfaction with the 
course. Evaluation data is used to determine which courses may need 
improvement. Problem areas are noted and the supervisor discusses them 
with the course chairperson. Courses needing further improvement are 
scheduled for a more comprehensive follow-up course evaluation with 
recommendations for improvement. Revised courses are closely monitored 
to determine if problem areas have been resolved.

II. Current Actions

    OSHA is planning to request OMB to extend its approval of the 
Student Evaluation form.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
    Title: Course Evaluation Form.
    OMB Number: Formerly 1218-0173.
    Agency Number: OSHA 49.
    Affected Public: Individuals.
    Total Respondents: 11,500.
    Total Responses: 11,500.
    Average Time per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1,916 hours.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in OSHA's request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a 
matter of public record.


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    Signed this 6th day of March 1998.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 98-6577 Filed 3-12-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-M