Justification for Change

Request for Non-substantive Change to an OMB Approved Form

C3: Mine Escape Post-Simulation Questionnaire

OMB Approval #0920-0975 – Expiration date 07/31/2016

Justification for non-substantive change:

NIOSH/OMSHR is requesting a non-substantive change to the Mine Escape Post-Simulation Questionnaire (Attachment C3) which is included as an attachment in ICR 0920-0975 (Virtual Reality to Train and Assess Emergency Responders). The current ICR will expire on 07/31/2016. As explained in item #3 page 8 on the approved ICR Part A, the data collection will occur either at the Mine Rescue and Escape Training (MRET) Laboratory facility or at a surface mine safety training facility. It has recently come to attention to the MRET laboratory staff that some survey items on the Mine Escape Post-Simulation Questionnaire (Attachment C3) may not be appropriate or applicable for data collection occurring at a surface mine safety training facility (herein referred to as a “field test”) due to technology limitations. NIOSH/OMSHR is requesting to remove some of the questions contained on the Mine Escape Post-Simulation Questionnaire for when data collection may occur at a surface mine safety training facility. For data collected in the MRET laboratory facility, MRET staff will continue to use the original C3 questionnaire approved by OMB. Removing some of these items for the field test version of the survey will not affect the content or quality of other items retained on the survey. This change will not impact the number of respondents and the burden hours will not increase.

The Mine Escape Post-Simulation Questionnaire (Attachment C3) was designed to assess trainees’ perceptions and attitudes regarding their training experience. In its originally approved format, the questionnaire contained items on simulator sickness, standing strain, and air mouse utility, among other perceptual and attitudinal items. Due to technology limitations, the training offered at surface mine safety training facilities will be slightly different (i.e., the use of stereoscopic 3D will not be used, participants will be sitting, and no air mouse is needed) and thus some of the originally approved questions on the Mine Escape Post-Simulation Questionnaire (Attachment C3) are no longer relevant for this particular situation. No additional questions will be added to replace the items removed. We have attached the originally approved Mine Escape Post-Simulation Questionnaire (Attachment C3) along with the reformatted Mine Escape Post-Simulation Questionnaire: Field Test Version (Attachment C3- revised). All other content not related to simulator sickness, standing strain, and air mouse utility that was included on the approved questionnaire is included on the reformatted version; the reformatting has minimized the number of questions to 5 (with various sub-questions).

This change will not result in any additional burden to respondents and may reduce the burden on field test respondents by limiting the number of original questions.