DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-99-23]

Mechanical Power Presses, Inspection Certification Records; 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 decrease in, and extension of, the information collection requirements (inspection certification records) contained in the standard on Mechanical Power Presses, 29 CFR 1910.217.

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 November 9, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. ICR-99-23, 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 Program, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, Room N-3605, 200 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 (inspection certification records) contained in the standard on Mechanical Power Presses (29 CFR 1910.217) 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.) In this regard, the information collection requirements (the inspection certification records) in the standard on Mechanical Power Presses (29 CFR 1910.217) ensures that information is provided which can be used to properly maintain mechanical power presses and to ensure safe operating conditions for employees.

II. Proposed Actions

OSHA proposes to increase its earlier estimate of 1,372,945 burden hours to 2,063,230 burden hours for the provisions pertaining to the inspection certification records in the standard on Mechanical Power Presses (29 CFR 1910.217).

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 requirements contained in the above standard.

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

Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Title: Mechanical Power Presses (Inspection Certification Records) (29 CFR 1910.217(e)(1)(I) and (e)(1)(ii)).

OMB Number: 1218-0229.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit institutions; Federal government; state, local or tribal government.

Number of Respondents: 191,750.

Frequency: Annually.

Average Time Per Response: Varies from 10 minutes (0.17 hour) to 20 minutes (0.33 hour).

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 2,063,230.

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 2 day of September 1999.

Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 99-23549 Filed 9-9-99; 8:45 am]

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