[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28098-28099]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12809]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. OSHA-2011-0029]
Underground Construction 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 is soliciting public comments concerning its proposal to
extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMBs') approval of the
information collection requirements specified in its standard on
Underground Construction.
DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by
August 21, 2017.
ADDRESSES:
Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments
electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, 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 these methods, you must submit a copy of your comments and
attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2011-0029,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of
Labor, Room N-3653, 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, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., e.t.
Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and OSHA
docket number (Docket No. OSHA 2011-0029) 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 accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995 (PRA) (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 OSHA to obtain such information with minimum burden to
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).
Seven paragraphs in the Underground Construction Standard ("the
Standard"), 29 CFR 1926.800, require employers to post warning signs
or notices during underground construction; these paragraphs are
(b)(3), (i)(3), (j)(1)(vi)(A), (m)(2)(ii), (o)(2), (q)(11), and
(t)(1)(iv)(B). The warning signs and notices required by these
paragraphs enable employers to effectively alert workers to the
presence of hazards or potential hazards at the job site, thereby
preventing worker exposure to hazards or potential hazards associated
with underground construction that could cause death or serious harm.
Paragraph (t)(3)(xxi) of the Standard requires employers to inspect
and load test hoists when they install them, and at least annually
thereafter. They must also inspect and load test a hoist after making
any repairs or alterations to it that affect its structural integrity,
and after tripping a safety device on the hoist. Employers must also
prepare a certification record of each inspection and load test that
includes specified information, and maintain the most recent
certification record until they complete the construction project.
Establishing and maintaining a written record of the most recent
inspection and load test alerts equipment mechanics to problems
identified during the inspection. Prior to returning the equipment to
service, employers can review the records to ensure that the mechanics
performed the necessary repairs and maintenance. Accordingly, by using
only equipment that is in safe working order, employers will prevent
severe injury and death to the equipment operators and other workers
who work near the equipment. In addition, these records provide the
most efficient means for OSHA compliance officers to determine that an
employer performed the required inspections and load tests, thereby
assuring that the equipment is safe to operate.
Paragraph (j)(3) of the Standard mandates that employers develop
records for air quality tests performed under paragraph (j), including
air quality tests required by paragraphs (j)(1)(ii)(A) through
(j)(1)(iii)(A), (j)(1)(iii)(B), (j)(1)(iii)(C), (j)(1)(iii)(D),
(j)(1)(iv), (j)(1)(v)(A), (j)(1)(v)(B), and (j)(2)(i) through
(j)(2)(v). Paragraph (j) also requires that air quality records include
specified information, and that employers maintain the records until
the underground construction project is complete. They must also make
the records available to OSHA compliance officers on request.
Maintaining records of air quality tests allows employers to
document atmospheric hazards, ascertain the effectiveness of controls
(especially ventilation) and implement additional controls if
necessary. Accordingly, these requirements prevent serious injury and
death to workers who work on underground construction projects. In
addition, these records provide an efficient means for workers to
evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of an employer's exposure
reduction program, and for OSHA compliance officers to
determine that employers performed the required tests and implemented
appropriate controls.
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 specified in the Underground Construction
Standard (29 CFR 1926.800). The Agency requests an adjustment increase
of 9,546 burden hours (from 66,931 to 76,477 hours). The increase in
burden hours results from an increase in the number of construction
sites based on updated data. 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: Underground Construction Standard (29 CFR 1926.800).
OMB Control Number: 1218-0067.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profits; not-for-profit
institutions; Federal Government; State, Local or Tribal governments.
Number of Respondents: 461.
Total Responses: 1,171,439.
Frequency of Responses: On occasion.
Average Time: Various.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 76,477.
Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $165,600.
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, 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 (OSHA Docket No. 2011-0029) for the ICR. You may
supplement submissions by uploading documents 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 and include
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
dates 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
Dorothy Dougherty, Deputy 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 June 14, 2017.
Dorothy Dougherty,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2017-12809 Filed 6-19-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P
