DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0070(2000)]

Reports of Injuries to Employees Operating Mechanical Power Presses (29 CFR 1910.217(g)); Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of an Information Collection (Paperwork) Request

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

ACTION: Notice of an opportunity for public comment.

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning the proposed extension of the information collection requirement contained in the standard on Mechanical Power Presses (Reports of Injuries to Employees Operating Mechanical Power Presses), 29 CFR 1910.217(g).

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 February 14, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. ICR-1218-0070(2000), 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, 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 requirement contained in the standard on Mechanical Power Presses (29 CFR 1910.217(g)) 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 the event an employee is injured while operating a mechanical power press, 29 CFR 1910.217(g) requires the employer to provide information to OSHA regarding the accident within 30 days of the accident. This information includes the employer's and employee's names, workplace address, injury sustained, task being performed when the injury occurred, number of operators involved, cause of the accident, type of clutch and safeguard(s) used, and means used to actuate the press.

OSHA's Office of Electrical, Electronic, and Mechanical Engineering Safety Standards collects and reviews the accident information for the purpose of monitoring the effectiveness of the Mechanical Power Press Standard. The accident information also is forwarded to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for analysis and compilation of an epidemiology data base on point-of-operation injuries. In addition, OSHA's Office of Compliance Programs is conducting a national emphasis program aimed at reducing the number and severity of power press injuries. It needs the accident information provided in these reports to evaluate the types of injuries that occur, and to identify the equipment and conditions associated with these injuries.

In summary, as production evolves and new technologies arise (or old ones decline), it is necessary to have up-to-date accident information. This information is useful in revising the standard, planning enforcement strategies, and training compliance officers, as well as for developing hazard alerts that address exceptionally hazardous equipment or operations.

II. Proposed Actions

OSHA proposes to decrease its earlier estimate of 57 burden hours to 41 burden hours for this provision (29 CFR 1910.217(g)), which contains the information collection requirement in the standard on Mechanical Power Presses. 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 standard.

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

Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Title: Reports of Injuries to Employees Operating Mechanical Power Presses (29 CFR 1910.217(g)).

OMB Number: 1218-0700.

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

Number of Respondents: 123.

Frequency: On occasion.

Average Time per Response: 20 minutes (0.33 hour).

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 41.

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).

Signed at Washington, DC, this 9th day of December 1999.

Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 99-32501 Filed 12-14-99; 8:45 am]

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