[Federal Register: August 7, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 151)][Notices] [Page 44714-44715]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07au06-96]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. ICR-1218-0NEW-(2006)-01]
Peer Review, Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Form; Request
for 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 on the proposed Conflict of
Interest and Disclosure Form (COI) form, which will be used to
determine whether or not a conflict of interest exists for a potential
peer review panel member.
DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:
Hard copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received)
by October 6, 2006.
Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be
received by October 6, 2006.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR-
1218-0NEW-01-(2006), 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 to 4:45 p.m., e.t.
Facsimile: If your comments are 10 pages or fewer, 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 instructions on the OSHA Web page 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 may also 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'' section in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
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 (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 accurate. The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducts peer reviews to
review a draft product for quality by specialists in the field who were
not involved in producting the draft. The selection of participants in
a peer review is based on expertise, with due consideration of
independence. The Office of Management and Budget published the Final
Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review on December 15, 2004. The
Bulletin states ``* * * the agency must address reviewers' potential
conflicts of interest (including those stemming from ties to regulated
businesses and other stakeholders) and independence from the agency.''
The Bulletin requires agencies to adopt or adapt the committee
selection policies employed by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS)
when selecting peer reviewers who are not government employees. To
fulfill this requirement OSHA has developed a Conflict of Interest and
Disclosure Form, based on NAS, Conflict of Interest Disclosure form.
This form will be used to determine whether or not a conflict exists
for a potential peer review panel member.
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 is requesting OMB to approve OSHA's COI form. The COI form
would add 27 hours to OSHA's 114 million burden hour inventory. The
Agency will summarize the comments submitted in response to this
notice, and will include this summary in its request to OMB.
Type of Review: New information collection requirements.
Title: OSHA's Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Form (COI) form.
OMB Number: 1218-0NEW.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
Number of Respondents: 36.
Frequency: On occasion.
Average Time Per Response: One half hour for respondents to
complete Tier 1 for ``influential scientific assessments;'' and 1 hour
for respondent to complete both Tier 1 and Tier 2 for ``highly
influential scientific assessments.''
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 27 hours.
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 Web page. Because of security-related
problems, there may be a significant delay in the receipt of comments
by regular mail. Please contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-
2350 (FFY (877) 889-5627) for information about security procedures
concerning the delivery of submissions by express 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 Web page and
for assistance using the Web page to locate docket submissions.
Electronic copies of this Federal Register notice as well as other
relevant documents are available on OSHA's Web page. Since all
submissions become public, private information such as social security
numbers should not be submitted.
V. Authority and Signature
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., 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).
Signed at Washington, DC, on July 31, 2006.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 06-6738 Filed 7-4-06; 8:45 am]
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