DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-99-20]

Telecommunications, Training Certification; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of an Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirement

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); Labor.

ACTION: Notice of an opportunity for public comment.

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning the proposed increase in, and extension of, the information collection requirements (training certification records) contained in the Telecommunications Standard, 29 CFR 1910.268(c).

Request for Comment

The Agency seeks comments on the following issues:

• Whether the information collection requirements are necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions, including whether the information is useful;

• The accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden (time and costs) of the information collection requirements, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

• The quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and

• Ways to minimize the burden on employers who must comply; for example, by using automated, electronic, mechanical, and other technological information and transmission collection techniques.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before October 26, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. ICR-99-20, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-2350. Commenters may transmit written comments of 10 pages or less in length by facsimile to (202) 693-1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theda Kenney, Directorate of Safety Standards Programs, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, Room N- 3605, 2000 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-2222. A copy of the Agency's Information Collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for the information collection requirements in 29 CFR 1910.268(c) (training certification records) is available for inspection and copying in the Docket Office, or mailed on request by telephoning Theda Kenney at (202) 693-2222 or Barbara Bielaski at (202) 693-2444. For electronic copies of the ICR, contact OSHA on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov/law-regs.html, and click on "Information Collection Requests".

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

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 continuing information collection requirements in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA-95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program ensures that information is in the desired format, reporting burden (time and costs) is minimal, collection instruments are clearly understood, and OSHA's estimate of the information collection burden is correct.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act) authorizes information collection by employers as necessary or appropriate for enforcement of the Act or for developing information regarding the causes and prevention of occupational injuries, illnesses, and accidents. (29 U.S.C. 657.) Section 1910.268 requires that employees be trained in hazards associated with their work. Paragraph (c) of 1910.268 requires that employers generate a record to certify the training was done. The record includes the name of the employee trained, the date the employee was trained and the signature of the employer or person who conducted the training.

II. Proposed Actions

OSHA proposes to increase its earlier estimate of 17,118 burden hours for the information collection requirements in 29 CFR 1910.268(c) (training certification records) to 61,983 burden hours.

OSHA will summarize the comments submitted in response to this notice, and will include this summary in the request to OMB to extend the approval of the information collection requirement contained in the above provision.

Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information collection requirement.

Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Title: Telecommunications, Training Certification (29 CFR 1910.268(c)).

OMB Number: 1218-0225.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Federal Government; State, local or tribal government.

Number of Respondents: 1,175,149.

Frequency: On occasion.

Average Time Per Response: Varies from 3 minutes (0.05 hour) to 5 minutes (0.08 hour).

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 61,963.

III. Authority and Signature

Charles N. Jeffress, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and health, directed the preparation of this notice. The authority for this notice is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506), Secretary of Labor's Order No. 6-96 (62 FR 111), and 29 CFR part 1911.

Signed at Washington, DC, this 23 day of August 1999.

Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 99-22335 Filed 8-26-99; 8:45 am]

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