[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 233 (Thursday, December 4, 2014)][Notices][Pages 72031-72033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28500]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. OSHA-2011-0196]
The Vinyl Chloride 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 comments.
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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to
extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements
specified in the Vinyl Chloride Standard (29 CFR 1910.1017).
DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by
February 2, 2015.
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 a copy of your comments and
attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2011-0196, 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 the
OSHA docket number (OSHA-2011-0196) for the Information Collection
Request (ICR). 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 from the Web site. All submissions,
including copyrighted material, are available for inspection and
copying at the OSHA Docket Office. You may also contact Theda Kenney at
the address below to obtain a copy of the ICR.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theda Kenney 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 accord 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 OSHA's
estimate of the information collection burden is accurate. The
[[Page 72032]]
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 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 Standard specifies a number of paperwork requirements. The
following is a brief description of the collection of information
requirements contained in the Vinyl Chloride (VC) Standard.
(A) Exposure Monitoring (Sec. 1910.1017(d) and (Sec. 1910.1017(n))
Paragraph 1910.1017(d)(2) requires employers to conduct exposure
monitoring at least quarterly if the results show that worker exposures
are above the permissible exposure limit (PEL), while those exposed at
or above the Action Level (AL) must be monitored no less than
semiannually. Paragraph (d)(3) requires that employers perform
additional monitoring whenever there has been a change in VC
production, process or control that may result in an increase in the
release of VC.
Paragraph 1910.1017(n) requires employers to inform each worker of
their exposure monitoring results within 15 working days after
receiving these results. Employers may notify workers either
individually in writing or by posting the monitoring results in an
appropriate location that is accessible to the workers. In addition, if
the exposure monitoring results show that a worker's exposure exceeds
the PEL, the employer must inform the exposed worker of the corrective
action the employer is taking to prevent such overexposure.
(B) Written Compliance Plan (Sec. Sec. 1910.1017(f)(2) and (f)(3))
Paragraph (f)(2) requires employers whose engineering and work
practice controls cannot sufficiently reduce worker VC exposures to a
level at or below the PEL to develop and implement a plan for doing so.
Paragraph (f)(3) requires employers to develop this written plan and
provide it upon request to OSHA for examination and copying. These
plans must be updated annually.
(C) Respirator Program (Sec. 1910.1017(g)(2))
When respirators are required, the employer must establish a
respiratory protection program in accord with 1910.134, paragraphs (b)
through (d) (except (d)(1)(iii) and (d)(3)(iii)(B)(1) and (2)) and (f)
through (m). Paragraph 1910.134(c) requires the employer to develop and
implement a written respiratory protection program with worksite-
specific procedures and elements for required respirator use. The
purpose of these requirements is to ensure that employers establish a
standardized procedure for selecting, using, and maintaining
respirators for each workplace where respirators will be used.
Developing written procedures ensures that employers develop a
respirator program that meets the needs of their workers.
(D) Emergency Plan (Sec. 1910.1017(i))
Employers must develop a written operational plan for dealing with
emergencies; the plan must address the storage, handling, and use of VC
as a liquid or compressed gas. In the event of an emergency,
appropriate elements of the plan must be implemented. Emergency plans
must maximize workers' personal protection and minimize the hazards of
an emergency.
(E) Medical Surveillance (Sec. 1910.1017(k))
Paragraph (k) requires employers to develop a medical surveillance
program for workers exposed to VC in excess of the action level.
Examinations must be provided in accord with this paragraph at least
annually. Employers must also obtain, and provide to each worker, a
copy of a physician's statement regarding the worker's suitability for
continued exposure to VC, including use of protective equipment and
respirators, if appropriate.
(F) Communication of VC Hazards (Sec. 1910.1017(l))
Under paragraph 1910.1017(l)(2), the employer shall include vinyl
chloride and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in the program established to
comply with the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) (Sec. 1910.1200).
The employer shall ensure that each employee has access to labels on
containers of chemicals and substances associated with vinyl and
polyvinyl chloride and to safety data sheets, and is trained in accord
with the provisions of HCS and paragraph (l) of this section. The
employer shall ensure that at least the following hazard is addressed:
Cancer.
(G) Recordkeeping (Sec. 1910.1017(m))
Employers must maintain worker exposure and medical records.
Medical and monitoring records are maintained principally for worker
access, but are designed to provide valuable information to both
workers and employers. The medical and monitoring records required by
this standard will aid workers and their physicians in determining
whether or not treatment or other interventions are needed for VC
exposure. The information also will enable employers to ensure that
workers are not being overexposed; such information may alert the
employer that steps must be taken to reduce VC exposures.
Exposure records must be maintained for at least 30 years, and
medical records must be kept for the duration of employment plus 20
years, or for a total of 30 years, whichever is longer. Records must be
kept for extended periods because of the long latency period associated
with VC-related carcinogenesis (i.e., cancer). Cancer often cannot be
detected until 20 or more years after the first exposure to VC.
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 Vinyl Chloride Standard. The
Agency is requesting an adjustment decrease in burden hours from 549 to
535 hours, a total decrease of 14 burden hours. The reduction is a
result of few VC and PVC establishments identified for this ICR. The
currently approved ICR estimates a total of 26 establishments, and this
proposed ICR estimates a total of 24 establishments. The adjustment of
the burden hours are shown in detail by provision in the supporting
statement.
[[Page 72033]]
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Title: Vinyl Chloride Standard (29 CFR 1910.1017).
OMB Control Number: 1218-0010.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profits.
Number of Respondents: 24.
Frequency of Responses: On occasion; annually.
Total Responses: 835.
Average Time per Response: Varies from five minutes (.08 hour) for
employers to maintain records to 12 hours for employers to update their
compliance plans.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 535.
Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $43,320.
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 (Docket No. OSHA-2011-0196) for the ICR. 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 from 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
from the Web site, and for assistance in using the Internet to locate
docket submissions.
V. Authority and Signature
David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, 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. 1-2012
(77 FR 3912).
Signed at Washington, DC, on December 1, 2014.
David Michaels,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2014-28500 Filed 12-3-14; 8:45 am]
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