[Federal Register: January 5, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 3)][Notices] [Page 583-584]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05ja07-58]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. ICR-1218-0147 (2007)]
National Recognized Testing Laboratories (29 CFR 1910.7);
Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's Approval of
Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Request for comment.
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SUMMARY: OSHA requests comment concerning its request for an extension
of the information-collection requirements specified by its Regulation
on National Recognized Testing Laboratory (29 CFR 1910.7). The
Regulation specifies procedures that organizations must follow to apply
for, and to maintain, OSHA's recognition to test and certify equipment,
products, or material for workplace safety purposes.
DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent or received) by
March 6, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments
electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal
eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for submitting
comments.
Fax: If your comments, including attachments, are not longer than
10 pages, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-1648.
Mail, hand delivery, express mail, messenger or courier service:
You must submit three copies of your comments and attachments to the
OSHA Docket Office, OSHA Docket No. ICR-1218-0147(2007), U.S.
Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20210. Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger and
courier service) are accepted during the Department of Labor's and the
Docket Office's normal business hours, 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m., e.t.
Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and OSHA
docket number for this ICR (OSHA Docket No. ICR-1218-0147(2007)). All
comments, including any personal information you provide, are placed in
the public docket without change and may be made available onfnlline at
http://www.regulations.gov. For further information on submitting
comments see the "Public Participation" heading in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this document.
Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the OSHA Docket Office at
the address above. All documents in the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov
index, however, some information (e.g., copyrighted material) is not
publicly available to read or download through the Web site. All submissions,
including copyrighted material, are available for inspection and copying at
the OSHA Docket Office. You may also contact Todd Owen at the address below
to obtain a copy of the ICR.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Owen or Theda Kenney, 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 minimized, collection instruments are understandable, and OSHA's
estimate of the information-collection burden is correct. The
Occupational Safety and Health Act of the 1970 (the Act) authorizes
information collection by employers as necessary or appropriate for
enforcement of the Act or developing information regarding the causes
and prevention of occupational injuries, illnesses, and accidents (29
U.S.C. 657).
A number of standards issued by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) contain requirements for equipment, products, or
materials. These standards often specify that employers use only
equipment, products, or material tested or approved by a nationally
recognized testing laboratory (NRTL); this requirement ensures that
employers use safe and efficacious equipment, products, or materials in
complying with the standards. Accordingly, OSHA promulgated the
regulation titled "Definition and Requirements for a Nationally
Recognized Testing Laboratory" (the Regulation). The Regulation
specifies procedures that organizations must follow to apply for, and
to maintain, OSHA's recognition to test and certify equipment,
products, or material for this purpose.
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 to
protect employees, 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 information-collection requirements specified by the
Standard on Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. There is an 80
burden hour increase as a result of the Agency performing additional
annual on-site reviews at NRTL facilities. The Agency will summarize
the comments submitted in response to this notice, and will include
this summary in its request to OMB to extend the approval of these
information-collection requirements.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently-approved information-
collection requirements.
Title: Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (29 CFR 1910.7).
OMB Number: 1218-0147.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit
institutions; State, local or tribal government; Federal Government.
Number of Respondents: 67.
Frequency of Recordkeeping: On occasion.
Total Responses: 67.
Average Time per Response: 160 hours for organization to prepare
initial recognition applications to 16 hours for an annual site visit.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1,340.
Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $0.
IV. Public Participation--Submission of Comments on This Notice and
Internet Access to Comments and Sumissions
You may submit comments in response to this document (1)
electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal
eRulemaking Portal; (2) by facsimile (FAX); or (3) by hard copy. All
comments, attachments and other material must identify the Agency name
and the OSHA docket number for ICR (OSHA Docket No. ICR-1218-0147
(2007)). You may supplement electronic submissions by uploading
document files electronically. If, instead, you wish to mail additional
materials in reference to an electronic or fax submission, you must
submit them to the OSHA Docket Office (see ADDRESSES section). The
additional materials must clearly identify your electronic comments by
name, date, and docket number so OSHA can attach them to your comments.
Because of security-related procedures, the use of regular mail may
cause a significant delay in the receipt of comments. For information
about security procedures concerning the delivery of materials by hand,
express delivery, messenger or courier service, please contact the OSHA
Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY (877) 889-5627).
Comments and submissions are posted without change at http://www.regulations.gov.
Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about submitting personal information
such as social security numbers and date of birth. Although all submissions
are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index, some information
(e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly available to read or download
through http://www.regulations.gov. All submissions, including
copyrighted material, are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA
Docket Office. Information on using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site
to submit comments and access the docket is available at the Web site's User
Tips link. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for information about materials not
available through the Web site and for assistance in using the Internet to
locate docket submissions.
Electronic copies of this Federal Register document are available
at http://www.regulations.gov. This document, as well as news releases
and other relevant information, also are available at OSHA's Web page
at http://www.osha.gov.
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 December 29, 2006.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. E6-22619 Filed 1-4-07; 8:45 am]
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