60 Day Federal Register Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 2, 2014 / Notices
should name their file using the name
of the person or entity submitting the
comments.
Please do not attach separate cover
letters to electronic submissions; rather,
include any information that might
appear in a cover letter in the
submission itself. Similarly, to the
extent possible, please include any
exhibits, annexes, or other attachments
in the same file as the submission itself,
not as separate files.
As noted, USTR strongly urges
submitters to file comments through the
www.regulations.gov Web site if at all
possible. Any alternative arrangements
must be made with Ms. Jamison in
advance of transmitting a comment. Ms.
Jamison may be contacted at (202) 395–
3475. General information concerning
USTR is available at www.ustr.gov.
Comments will be placed in the
docket and open to public inspection,
except business confidential
information. Comments may be viewed
on the www.regulations.gov Web site by
entering the relevant docket number in
the search field on the home page.
Douglas Bell,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 2014–15489 Filed 7–1–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290–F4–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Docket Number DOT–OST–2014–0112]

Agency Information Collection
Activity; Notice of Request for
Approval To Collect New Information:
Voluntary Near Miss Reporting in Oil
and Gas Operations on the Outer
Continental Shelf
Bureau of Transportation
Statistics (BTS), Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Research and Technology
(OST–R), U.S. Department of
Transportation.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:

In accordance with the
requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
this notice announces the intention of
the Bureau of Transportation Statistics
to request the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) to approve the following
information collection: Voluntary Near
Miss Reporting in Oil and Gas
Operations on the Outer Continental
Shelf (OCS). This data collection effort
supports a multi-year program focused
on improving safety in the OCS by
collecting and analyzing data and
information on near misses and other
unsafe occurrences in all oil and gas

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SUMMARY:

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operations on the OCS. In August 2013,
the Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement (BSEE) and BTS signed an
Interagency Agreement (IAA) to develop
and implement a voluntary program for
confidential reporting of ‘near misses’
occurring on the OCS. BTS will analyze
and aggregate information provided
under this program and publish reports
that will provide BSEE, the industry and
all OCS stakeholders with essential
information about accident precursors
and other hazards associated with OCS
oil and gas operations so that all
stakeholders can use that information to
reduce safety and environmental
hazards and continue building a more
robust OCS safety culture. This
information collection is necessary to
aid BSEE, the oil and gas industry and
other stakeholders in identifying root
causes of potentially unsafe events.
DATES: Written comments should be
submitted by September 2, 2014.
ADDRESSES: To ensure that your
comments are not entered more than
once into the docket, submit comments
by only one of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
http://www.regulations.gov and follow
the instructions for sending your
comments electronically. Docket
Number: DOT–OST–2014–0112.
• Mail: Docket Services, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building,
Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
Washington, DC 20590–0001.
• Hand Delivery: Deliver to mail
address above between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m. EST, Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
• Fax: (202) 493–2251.
Identify all transmission with ‘‘Docket
Number DOT–OST–2014–0112’’ at the
beginning of each page of the document.
Instructions: All comments must
include the agency name and docket
number for this notice. Paper comments
should be submitted in duplicate. The
DMF is open for examination and
copying, at the above address from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. If you
wish to receive confirmation of receipt
of your written comments, please
include a self-addressed, stamped
postcard with the following statement:
‘‘Comments on Docket Number DOT–
OST–2014–0112.’’ The Docket Clerk
will date stamp the postcard prior to
returning it to you via the U.S. mail.
Please note that all comments received,
including any personal information,
will be posted and will be publicly
viewable, without change, at
www.regulations.gov. You may review
DOT’s complete Privacy Act Statement

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in the Federal Register published on
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70;
pages 19477–78) or you may review the
Privacy Act Statement at
www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Demetra V. Collia, Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Research and
Technology, U.S. Department of
Transportation, Office of Advanced
Studies, RTS–31, E324–302, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC
20590–0001; Phone No. (202) 366–1610;
Fax No. (202) 366–3383; email:
demetra.collia@dot.gov. Office hours are
from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., EST, Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Data Confidentiality Provisions: The
confidentiality of near miss data
submitted to BTS is protected under the
BTS confidentiality statute (49 U.S.C.
Sec. 6307) and the Confidential
Information Protection and Statistical
Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) of 2002 (Pub. L.
107–347, Title V). In accordance with
these confidentiality statutes, only
statistical and non-identifying data will
be made publicly available by BTS
through its reports. BTS will not release
to BSEE or any other public or private
entity any information that might reveal
the identity of individuals or
organizations mentioned in near miss
reports without explicit consent of the
respondent and any other affected
entities.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. The Data Collection
The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. chapter 35; as amended) and
5 CFR part 1320 require each Federal
agency to obtain OMB approval to
initiate an information collection
activity. BTS is seeking OMB approval
for the following BTS information
collection activity:
Title: Voluntary Near Miss Reporting
in Oil and Gas Operations on the Outer
Continental Shelf
OMB Control Number: TBD.
Type of Review: Approval of data
collection.
Respondents: Employees working in
the oil and gas industry on the OCS.
Number of Potential Responses: Based
on near miss reporting trends in other
industries, BTS expects to receive no
more than two responses per calendar
day during the first three years of the
program (approximately 730 responses
per year).
Estimated Time per Response: not to
exceed 60 minutes (this includes
estimated time for a follow up
interview, if needed.)

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 127 / Wednesday, July 2, 2014 / Notices

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Frequency: Intermittent for three
years. (Reports are submitted when
there is a qualifying event, i.e., when a
near miss occurs in oil and gas
operations on the OCS.)
Total Annual Burden: 730 hours.
Abstract: Collecting transportation
safety data, including data on precursors
to adverse events, is an important
component of BTS’s responsibility to
the transportation community and is
authorized in BTS’ authorizing statute
(49 U.S.C. 6302). To that end, BTS has
entered into an IAA with BSEE to
establish and operate a voluntary,
confidential near miss data collection
program. In 2013, the National
Commission on the BP Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill recommended, among
other things, that BSEE develop a
system for reporting near miss events in
oil and gas operations on the OCS. BSEE
evaluated various near miss reporting
systems that have proven successful in
improving safety in major industries
(such as commercial airlines, railroads,
and firefighting programs) and
identified BTS as an agency with
experience in developing and operating
such systems to improve safety.
It is estimated that the time for an
individual respondent to complete a
near miss report and, if needed,
participate in a brief confidential
interview will be no more than 60
minutes for a maximum total burden of
730 hours (730 reports*60 minutes/60 =
720 hours). Reports may be voluntarily
submitted to BTS when there is a
qualifying event, i.e., when a near miss
occurs in oil and gas operations on the
OCS. Potential respondents include
employees of OCS oil and gas lessees
and operators and their contractors. It
should be noted that not all of the
potential respondents will submit
information at any given time and some
may submit multiple times.
II. Background
Under the Outer Continental Shelf
Lands Act (OCSLA), 43 U.S.C. 1331–
1356a, the Secretary of the Interior (the
Secretary) is authorized to regulate oil
and natural gas exploration,
development, and production
operations on the OCS. The Secretary
has assigned BSEE the responsibility for
offshore safety and environmental
enforcement under OCSLA (see 76 FR
64432, Oct. 18, 2011). The BSEE
promotes safety, protects the
environment, and conserves offshore oil
and gas resources through regulatory
oversight and enforcement, research
activities, public outreach, information
sharing, and appropriate cooperation
with industry and other OCS
stakeholders. BSEE’s goals include

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building and maintaining a culture of
safety and risk reduction on the OCS.
In 2013, the National Commission on
the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
recommended, among other things, that
BSEE develop a system for near miss
reporting for oil and gas operations on
the OCS. BSEE has decided to
implement that recommendation
through a system of voluntary reporting
of near miss information. BSEE has also
decided to encourage participation in
that system by ensuring the
confidentiality of such reports,
including the reporter’s identities (if
provided) and other identifying
information.
BSEE evaluated various near miss
reporting systems that have proven
successful in improving safety in major
industries (such as commercial airlines,
railroads, and firefighting programs) and
identified BTS as an agency with
experience in developing and operating
such systems, on a confidential basis, to
improve safety. In August 2013, BSEE
and BTS signed an IAA to develop and
implement a voluntary program for
confidential reporting of ‘near misses’
occurring on the Outer Continental
Shelf (OCS).
The goal of the voluntary near miss
reporting system is to provide BTS with
essential information about accident
precursors and other hazards associated
with OCS oil and gas operations. BTS
will develop and publish aggregate
reports that BSEE, the industry and all
OCS stakeholders can use—in
conjunction with incident reports and
other sources of information—to reduce
safety and environmental risks and
continue building a more robust OCS
safety culture.
A near miss is an event and/or
condition that could have resulted in
loss, or had the potential for additional
safety, environmental or other
consequences, but did not result in an
adverse event. This adverse event was
prevented only by a fortuitous break in
the chain of events and/or conditions.
The potential loss could be human
injury, environmental damage, or
negative business impact. Knowledge
about a near miss presents an
opportunity to address unsafe work
conditions, prevent accidents, and
improve safety and environmental
protection in the workplace. Near miss
systems in other industry sectors have
shown that voluntary reporting of near
misses to a confidential system can
become a tool to identify safety issues
and help prevent accidents by providing
a cooperative, non-punitive
environment to communicate safety
concerns.

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BTS will: Collect near miss reports
voluntarily submitted by employees and
other respondents working on the OCS;
conduct follow-up interviews as
needed, develop an analytical database
using the reported data and other
pertinent information; conduct
statistical analyses and develop public
reports; and protect the confidentiality
of the near miss reports in accordance
with BTS’ own statute and CIPSEA.
Accordingly, only statistical and nonsensitive information will be made
available through BTS’ publications and
reports. Those publications and reports
will potentially provide the industry,
BSEE, other OCS stakeholders, and the
public with valuable information
regarding precursors to safety risks and
contribute to research and development
of intervention programs aimed at
preventing accidents and fatalities in
the OCS.
Respondents who report a near miss
event will be asked to fill out a report
and participate in a brief, confidential
interview for further clarification, as
needed. Respondents will have the
option to mail or submit the report
electronically to BTS. Respondents will
be asked to provide information such as:
(1) Name and contact information
(optional); (2) time and location of the
event; (3) a short description of the
event; (4) contributing factors to the
reported near miss; and (5) any other
information that might be useful in
determining a root cause of such event.
Some of the information collected
through this voluntary initiative will
also help inform the continuing effort to
work with oil and gas companies and
other entities that already collect
offshore near miss data.
III. Request for Public Comment
BTS requests comments on any
aspects of this information collection
request, including: (1) The accuracy of
the estimated burden of 730 hours
detailed in Section I; (2) ways to
enhance the quality, usefulness, and
clarity of the collected information; and
(3) ways to minimize the collection
burden without reducing the quality of
the information collected, including
additional use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information
technology.
Patricia Hu,
Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics,
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research
and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2014–15455 Filed 7–1–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P

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