DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Proposed Information Collection Request, Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations; 29 CFR Part 1904 Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (1218-0176)

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of this continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a pre-clearance 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 (PRA 95) (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 impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of approval for the paperwork requirements of 29 CFR 1904, Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (less 1904.8, Reporting of Fatality or Multiple Hospitalization Incidents and 1904.17, Annual OSHA Injury and Illness Survey of Ten or More Employers).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before June 23, 1997.

Written comments should:

• 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-97-10 U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone: (202) 219-7894. Written comments limited to 10 pages or less in length may also be transmitted by facsimile to (202) 219-5046.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bonnie Friedman, Office of Information and Consumer Affairs, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N3647, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone: (202) 219-8148. Copies of the reference information collection request are available for inspection and copying in the Docket Office and will be mailed immediately to persons who request copies by telephoning Vivian Allen at (202) 219-8076. For electronic copies, contact OSHA's WebPage on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The OSHA Act and 29 CFR part 1904 prescribe that certain employers maintain records of job related injuries and illnesses. The injury and illness records are intended to have multiple purposes. One purpose is to provide data needed by OSHA to carry out enforcement and intervention activities to guarantee workers a safe and healthy work environment. The data are also needed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to report on the number and rate of occupational injuries and illnesses in the country.

The data also provide information for employers and employees of the kind of injuries and illnesses occurring in the workplace and their related hazards. Increased employer awareness should result in the identification and voluntary correction of hazardous workplace conditions. Likewise, employees who are provided information on injuries and illnesses will be more likely to follow safe work practices and report workplace hazards. This would generally raise the overall level of safety and health in the workplace.

OSHA currently has approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for information collection requirements contained in 29 CFR 1904. That approval will expire on September 30, 1997, unless OSHA applies for an extension of the OMB approval. This notice initiates the process for OSHA to request an extension of the current OMB approval. This notice also solicits public comment on OSHA's existing paperwork burden estimates from those interested parties and to seek public response to several questions related to the development of OSHA's estimation. Interested parties are requested to review OSHA's estimates, which are based upon the most current data available, and to comment on their accuracy or appropriateness in today's workplace situation.

29 CFR 1904.8, Reporting of Fatality or Multiple Hospitalization Incidents (OMB control number 1218-0007) and 29 CFR 1904.17, Annual OSHA Injury and Illness Survey of Ten or More Employers (OMB control number yet to be assigned) are each under separate Information Collection Request (ICR)

II. Current Action

This notice requests an extension of the current OMB approval of the paperwork requirements in 29 CFR 1904, Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Type of Review: Extension of currently approved collection.

Agency: U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administrati

Title: Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

OMB Number: 1218-0176.

Agency Number: Docket No. ICR-97-10.

Frequency: Recordkeeping.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Farms; Not for-profit institut

Number of respondents: 816,766.

Estimated Time Per Respondent: 1.93 hours.

Total Estimated Cost: $29,058,139.

Total Burden Hours: 1,575,821 hours.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval of the information collection request. They will also become a matter of public record.

Dated: April 16, 1997.

Stephen A. Newell,
Director, OSHA Office of Statistics.

[FR Doc. 97-10356 Filed 4-21-97; 8:45 am)