[Federal Register: July 27, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 144)][Notices]               [Page 41357-41358]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27jy07-84]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2007-0063]

 
Bloodborne Pathogens Standard; 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 proposal to extend 
OMB approval of the information collection requirements specified in 
the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030). The information 
collection requirements specified in the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 
provides employers and employees with means to provide protection from 
adverse health effects associated with occupational exposure to 
bloodborne pathogens.

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
September 25, 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-2007-0063, 
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., EST.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and OSHA 
docket number for the ICR (OSHA-2007-0063). 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 website. All submissions, 
including copyrighted material, are available for inspection and 
copying at the OSHA Docket Office. You also may contact Jamaa N. Hill 
at the address below to obtain a copy of the ICR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jamaa N. Hill or Todd Owen, 
Directorate of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, 
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 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 specified in the Bloodborne 
Pathogens Standard require employers to: Develop and maintain exposure 
control plans; develop a housekeeping schedule; provide employees with 
hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccinations, as well as post-exposure medical 
evaluations and follow-ups; provide employees with information and 
training; maintain medical and training records for specified periods; 
and provide OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health, employees and their authorized representatives with access to 
these records; HIV and HBV research laboratories and production 
facilities must also adopt or develop, and review at least once a year, 
a biosafety manual; and establish and maintain a sharps injury log for 
the recording of percutaneous (through the skin) injuries from 
contaminated sharps.

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 is requesting that OMB extend its approval of the information 
collection requirements contained in the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 
(29 CFR 1910.1030). 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: Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030).
    OMB Number: 1218-0180.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; Not-
for-profit institutions; Federal, State, Local, or Tribal Governments.
    Number of Respondents: 630,021.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Total Responses: 23,586,234.
    Average Time per Response: Time per response varies from 5 minutes 
(.08 hour) to maintain records to 1.5 hours for employees to receive 
training or medical evaluations.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 14,060,528.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $24,507,892.

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; 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-2007-0063). You 
may supplement electronic submissions by uploading document files 
electronically. If you wish to mail additional materials in reference 
to an electronic or a 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 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 website. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are 
available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. Information 
on using the http://www.regulations.gov website 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 23, 2007.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. E7-14516 Filed 7-26-07; 8:45 am]

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