[Federal Register: July 24, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 141)][Notices] [Page 40337-40338]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24jy07-132]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. OSHA-2007-0059]
Concrete and Masonry Construction; 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 comments concerning its proposal to extend OMB
approval of the Information Collection requirements contained in the
Standard on Concrete and Masonry Construction (29 CFR part 1926,
subpart Q). This Subpart protects employees who construct, erect,
brace, maintain, remove, or perform similar tasks on concrete or
masonry structures.
DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by
September 24, 2007.
ADDRESSES:
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.
Facsimile: 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:
When using this method, you must submit three copies of your comments
and attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2007-0059,
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, 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 Docket
Office's normal business hours, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., e.t.
Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and OSHA
docket number for the ICR (OSHA-2007-0059). All comments, including any
personal information you provide, are placed in the public docket
without change, and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov.
For further information on submitting comments see
the "Public Participation" heading in the section of this notice
titled SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
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 (including this Federal
Register notice) 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 Stewart
Burkhammer at the address below to obtain a copy of the ICR.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stewart Burkhammer, Directorate of
Construction, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3468, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-
2020.
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 Act of 1970 (the OSH Act) (29 U.S.C. 651
et seq.) authorizes information collection by employers as necessary or
appropriate for enforcement of the OSH Act or for developing
information regarding the causes and prevention of occupational
injuries, illnesses, and accidents (29 U.S.C. 657). The OSH Act also
requires that OSHA obtain such information with minimum burden upon
employers, especially those operating small businesses, and to reduce
to the maximum extent feasible unnecessary duplication of efforts in
obtaining information (29 U.S.C. 657). The information collection
requirements, and their rationale, contained in 29 CFR part 1926,
subpart Q Concrete and Masonry Construction are listed below.
Paragraph (c)(2) of Sec. 1926.701 requires that signs and barriers
be erected to limit employee access to the post-tensioning area during
tensioning operations. Paragraphs (a)(2), (j)(1), and (j)(2) warn
equipment operators not to activate their equipment if another employee
enters the area to perform a task (e.g., cleaning, inspecting,
maintenance, repairing), thereby preventing serious injury or death.
Paragraph (a)(2) of Sec. 1926.703 requires employers to make
available, at the jobsite, drawings or plans for: The jack layout,
formwork (including shoring equipment), working decks, and scaffolds,
as well as any revisions to these documents. Paragraph (a) of Sec.
1926.705 requires employers engaged in lift-slab operations to have
specific designs and plans detailing the lift-slab operation. Drawings,
plans and/or designs are developed and kept available at the jobsite as
a usual and customary business practice to be used by the various
contractors during construction; therefore, OSHA assumes there are no
burden hours or costs associated with preparing drawings, plans, or
designs and having them at the jobsite.
Section 1926.705(b) requires that jacks used for lifting operations
be marked to indicate their rated capacity. Manufacturers of jacks rate
the equipment as a usual and customary practice; therefore, OSHA
assumes there are no burden hours or costs to employers for these
marking requirements.
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 that OMB extend its approval of the information
collection requirements contained in the Standard on Concrete and
Masonry Construction (29 CFR part 1926, subpart Q). The Agency is
requesting to increase its current burden hour estimate associated with
this Standard from 22,400 hours to 37,488 hours for a total increase of
15,088 hours. The increase results from increasing the number of
construction sites. The Agency will summarize the comments submitted in
response to this notice and will include this summary in the request to
OMB.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Title: Concrete and Masonry Construction (29 CFR 1926, Subpart Q).
OMB Number: 1218-0095.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 468,600.
Frequency: On occasion.
Average Time per Response: Five minutes (.08 hour) to post or place
warning signs, locks, or tags.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 37,488.
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 in response to this document as follows:
(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 the ICR (Docket No. OSHA-2007-0059). You
may supplement electronic submissions by uploading document files
electronically. If you wish to mail additional materials in reference
to an electronic or facsimile submission, you must submit them to the
OSHA Docket Office (see the section of this notice titled ADDRESSES).
The additional materials must clearly identify your electronic comments
by your name, date, and the docket number so the Agency can attach them
to your comments.
Because of security 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 this Web site.
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.
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 17, 2007.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. E7-14256 Filed 7-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P
