[Federal Register: June 28, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 123)][Notices] [Page 37121-37122]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28jn05-96]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. ICR-1218-0110 (2005)]
Onsite Consultation Agreements; Extension of the Office of
Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information Collection
(Paperwork) Requirements
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Request for public comment.
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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comment concerning its request for an
extension of the information collection requirements contained in its
onsite consultation agreements (29 CFR 1908).
DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:
Hard copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received)
by August 29, 2995.
Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be
received by August 29, 2005.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR-
1218-0110(2005), by any of the following methods:
Regular mail, express delivery, hand delivery, and messenger
service: Submit your comments and attachments to the OSHA Docket
Office, Room N-2625, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue,
NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-2350 (OSHA's TTY number
is (877) 889-5627). OSHA Docket Office and Department of Labor hours
are 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., ET.
Facsimile: If your comments are 10 pages or fewer in length,
including attachments, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at
(202) 693-1648.
Electronic: You may submit comments through the Internet at
http://ecomments.osha.gov. Follow the instructions on the OSHA
Webpage for submitting comments.
Docket: For access to the docket to read or download comments or
background materials, such as the complete Information Collection
Request (ICR) (containing the Supporting Statement, OMB-83-I Form, and
attachments), go to OSHA's Web page at http://www.OSHA.gov. In
addition, the ICR, comments and submissions are available for
inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office at the address above.
You also may contact Todd Owen at the address below to obtain a copy of
the ICR. For additional information on submitting comments, please see
the "Public Participation" heading in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section of this document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Owen, Directorate of Standards
and Guidance, OSHA, Room N-3609, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 693-2222.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce
paperwork and respondent (i.e., employer) burden, conducts a
preclearance consultation program to provide the public 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 the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration's (OSHA) estimate of the information collection burden
is accurate. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act)
(29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.) 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 7(c)(1) of the Act authorizes the Secretary of Labor to,
"with the consent of any State or political subdivision thereof,
accept and use the services, facilities, and personnel of any agency of
such State or subdivision with reimbursement." Section 21(C) of the
Act authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to, "consult with
and advise employers and employees * * * as to effective means of
preventing occupational illnesses and injuries."
Additionally, Section 21(d) of the Act instructs the Secretary to
"establish and support cooperative agreements with the States under
which employers subject to the Act may consult with State personnel
with respect to the application of occupational safety and health
requirements under the Act or under State plans approved under section
18 of the Act." This gives the Secretary authority to enter into
agreements with the States to provide onsite consultation services, and
established rules under which employers may qualify for an inspection
exemption. To satisfy the intent of these and other sections of the
Act, OSHA codified the terms that govern cooperative agreements between
OSHA and State governments whereby State agencies provide onsite
consultation services to private employers to assist them in complying
with the requirements of the OSH Act. The terms were codified as the
Consultation Program regulations (29 CFR Part 1908).
The Consultation Program regulations specify services to be
provided, and practices and procedures to be followed by the State
Onsite Consultation Programs. Information collection requirements set
forth in the Onsite Consultation Program regulations are in two
categories: State Responsibilities and Employer Responsibilities. Eight
regulatory provisions require information collection activities by the
State. The Federal government provides 90 percent of funds for onsite
consultation services delivered by the States, which result in the
information collection. Four requirements apply to employers and
specify conditions for receiving the free consultation services.
II. Special Issues for Comment
OSHA has a particular interest in comments on the following issues:
Whether the proposed information collection requirements
are necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions,
including whether the information is useful;
The accuracy of OSHA'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 or other technological information
collection and transmission techniques.
III. Proposed Actions
OSHA proposes to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB)
approval of the collection of information (paperwork) requirements
necessitated by Onsite Consultation Agreements (29 CFR 1908). In its
extension request, OSHA also is proposing to increase the total burden
hours for these requirements from 17,530 hours to 21,771 hours. The
Agency will include this summary in its request to OMB to extend the
approval of the collection of information requirements.
Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information
collection requirements.
Title: Onsite Consultation Agreements (29 CFR Part 1908).
OMB Number: 1218-0110.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profits; not-for-profit
organizations; Federal Government; State, Local, or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 31,048.
Frequency of Response: Monthly.
Average time Per Response: Varies from 3 minutes (.02 hour) for an
employer or plant manager to sign a Safety and health achievement
Recognition Program application to 32 hours for an Onsite Consultation
Program Manager to submit an agreement once per year.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 21,771.
Estimated cost (Operation and Maintenance): $0.
IV. Public Participation--Submission of Comments on This Notice and
Internet Access to Comments and Submissions
You may submit comments and supporting materials in response to
this notice by (1) hardy copy, (2) fax transmission (facsimile), or (3)
electronically through the OSHA Webpage. Because of security-related
problems, a significant delay may occur in the receipt of comments by
regular mail. Please contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350
(TTY (877) 889-5627) for information about security procedures
concerning the delivery of submissions by express delivery, hand
delivery, hand delivery, and courier service.
All comments, submissions and background documents are available
for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office at the above
address. comments and submissions posted on OSHA's Web page are
available at http://www.OSHA.gov. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for
information about materials not available through the OSHA Webpage and
for assistance using the Webpage to locate docket submissions.
Electronic copies of this Federal Register notice as well as other
relevant documents are available on OSHA's Webpage. Since all
submissions become public, private information such as social security
numbers should not be submitted.
V. Authority and Signature
Jonathan L. Snare, Acting 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 et seq.). and Secretary of Labor's Order No. 5-
2002 (67 FR 65008).
Dated: Signed at Washington, DC, on June 22, 2005.
Jonathan L. Snare,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 05-12767 Filed 6-27-05; 8:45 am]
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