1995 Base Program: The HIA program in 1995 provides data collection and data analysis services with 62 FTES and $6.1 million. Data collection consists of gathering and processing basic injury data from many sources including hospitals, medical examiners, poison control centers, and news media. The Commission's data collection system is unique and serves as a national and international model. CPSC's data collection system is unique because it is timely (in some cases data are available within 24 hours after an incident) and produces statistically valid data on which injury reduction strategies are based. Federal agencies involved in health and safety issues rely on Commission injury data, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Several foreign governments have modeled their national injury data collection system after the Commission's system. The HIA program takes the data collected and analyzes it under the Investigations, Emerging Hazards, and Economic Studies efforts. The Commission expanded this capability in 1993 to reflect the Commission's commitment to making regulatory and enforcement decisions based on appropriate data analysis. The Commission strengthened its data collection effort in 1995 by adding eight additional hospitals to its 91 hospital emergency room data collection system. 1996 Changes: The strengthening of the agency's data collection and analysis process continues with improvements proposed in 1996. The HIA 1996 request consists of 65 FTEs and $6.9 million, an increase of three FTES and $812,000 over 1995. This increase reflects inflation increases necessary to operate at 1996 prices, and various program initiatives. These initiatives include major data collection and analysis The Surveillance Data project gathers preliminary data on deaths, injuries and hazards. This information provides vital input for Commission decisions on remedial strategies for addressing the risks of injury with a wide variety of consumer products. For 1996, the The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) continues as the foundation for Commission efforts to collect information on product-related injuries. The NEISS provides estimates of the frequency and severity of product-related injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms. NEISS will supply about 300,000 cases from a sample of 99 hospitals in 1996. The collection of mortality data which involves the purchase, review and processing of about 8,700 certificates covering certain accidental deaths from all 50 states. In addition, the Medical Examiner and Coroner Alert effort (MECAP) involves collection, review and processing of approximately 1,800 reports from participating medical examiners and coroners throughout the country. A major enhancement is proposed with the addition of field staff time (reallocated within the 487 agency FTE base) and contract and travel funds ($80,000) to collect a greater number of death reports in a more timely manner. Unlike the agency injury reporting system (NEISS) mortality data can often be received months after the accident. This investment will provide more timely mortality data thereby achieving more timely hazard reduction efforts. The collection, review and processing of approximately 10,000 news clips and 6,000 other incident reports from consumers, lawyers, physicians, fire departments and many other sources. The provision of statistical support for all the data systems, including resources to design, conduct and evaluate the many special injury studies required each year. Investigations The Investigations project, an ongoing activity proposed for a major enhancement in 1996, gathers detailed causal information on selected incidents identified under the Surveillance Data project. The Investigations project begins with careful review of all incoming reports to identify those most important for follow-up. Follow-up activity continues with a telephone interview and an on-site interview on those cases where detailed information on the product, the victim and the environment is essential. Information from investigations provides documentation on how specific types of injuries occur. These data show the interaction between the victim, the product and the environment and form the basis for development of appropriate remedial strategies. In 1996, a major enhancement is proposed allocating $360,000 in contract funds and one FTE (to be funded within the agency's FTE resources). The proposed enhancement includes several activities to significantly improve the value of the information collected during investigations. Formal training will be provided to field staff responsible for conducting on-site investigations. This in-depth investigation training will be modeled after similar training provided other Federal investigator personnel. A contractor will be used to conduct telephone interviews and identify cases where on-site follow-up is necessary. The field staff will be freed of the burden of conducting numerous telephone investigations and will be able to concentrate on the most valuable onsite investigations. Additional travel funds will be used by the newly trained field staff to complete the on-site investigations. These activities will substantially improve the quality of information on which most Commission decisions are based. Also included in 1996 is State and local contract funding to permit the states to conduct indepth investigations in concert with CPSC, thus complementing and advancing agency work with a minimal investment. Emerging Hazards Emerging Hazards provides for the proactive, systematic identification and evaluation of a variety of product-related hazard areas. Information developed from this project will be used to establish the need for Hazard Assessment and Reduction (HAR) projects or other remedial activities, such as compliance and enforcement or consumer information campaigns. Screening of data is ongoing and uses the extensive information available through the Commission's data systems to identify new hazards, previously undetected hazards, or re-emerging hazards. In 1996, the Commission expects to receive 300,000 NEISS injury reports, 16,000 newspaper clippings and other incident reports, 1,800 medical examiners reports, 8,700 death certificates, and 2,200 agency investigation reports. Incoming data are reviewed daily to ensure timely identification of product issues and problems. This screening ensures that product hazards are continuously reviewed and evaluated so that new project initiatives may be formulated as necessary. Analysis defines and provides preliminary assessment of specific products, populations, or hazard areas identified through the hazard screening effort and other identification activities. The analysis capability will ensure that the most appropriate injury reduction strategies are implemented under the HAR program. Recommendations for future Commission projects or other remedial activities are often based on reports and memoranda prepared under this effort. Petitions are requests from private parties seeking agency action on a perceived hazard. Work on petitions serves as an information source for the hazard screening and analysis work. A chemical screening effort provides resources to systematically identify and evaluate, on an ongoing basis, hazardous chemicals present in consumer products. Products will be screened for chemical hazards using a procedure developed by Health Sciences staff in 1994 and refined/implemented in 1995. In 1996, this activity should result in a more timely, efficient, and consistent evaluation of chemical hazards and generate a greater number of better defined ideas for future HAR projects. FTE resources for this effort were transferred from the HAR program's chemical effort where similar work was previously done. Economic Studies This effort continues to provide specialized economic information to the staff, Commissioners, Congress, other agencies, and the public. Injury cost projections will be developed to estimate potential benefits associated with Commission or other actions. Product-in-use estimates will be generated to determine recall effectiveness, consumer exposure to product hazards, and to support the hazard screening activity. Program Support This effort continues to provide program direction for the Hazard Identification and Analysis program. This includes program management from the Office of Hazard Identification and Reduction, and the Directorates for Field Operations, Economic Analysis and Epidemiology. Also included is computer support. Costs for this effort decrease in 1996 as a result of moving computer database processing to less expensive processing on agency desktop computers. The Hazard Assessment and Reduction (HAR) program, through a balanced set of strategies, seeks to reduce a projected annual 21,700 deaths, 28.6 million injuries, and $200 billion in societal costs associated with consumer products. The HAR program analyzes accident and injury patterns and applies appropriate strategies for reducing hazards. The Commission has a wide range of regulatory and voluntary options available to reduce the hazards associated with consumer products. These include both mandatory and voluntary standards for product performance and product labeling, product bans, and development of consumer information and education materials. Whenever possible, reduction activities are carried out cooperatively with affected industries and state and local organizations. 1995 Base Program: The HAR program in 1995 consists of many different hazard projects supported by 93 FTES and $8.3 million. Past hazard reduction work in just four areas (electrocutions, children's poisonings, power mowers, and fire safety) save the nation about $2.5 billion each year. recently issued rule requiring child-resistant cigarette lighters is projected to save almost $300 million in societal costs each year. 1996 Changes: The The Commission 1996 HAR request consists of 89 FTES and $8 million. This is a 4 FTE decrease from the 1995 level of 93 FTEs. The dollars decrease by $296,000. This dollar change reflects the program's share of inflation costs, offset by the decreases in FTEs and contract support needs. The 1996 program continues to apply a balanced set of product safety hazard reduction strategies (voluntary and mandatory standards, building code changes, and development of technical and consumer information). The Commission 1996 request reflects: 1. A decrease of 4 FTES as a result primarily of the transfer of |