[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 22 (Monday, February 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5996-5998]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-02000]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. OSHA-2019-0010]
Beryllium Standards for General Industry, Construction and
Maritime; Extension for the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB)
Approval of the Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning the proposal to extend the
Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information
collection requirements contained in the Beryllium Standards for
General Industry, Construction, and Maritime.
DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by
April 3, 2020.
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-2019-0010, U.S.
Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration,
Room N-3653, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210.
Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger, and courier service) are
accepted during the OSHA Docket Office's normal business hours, 10:00
a.m. to 3:00 p.m., ET.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and OSHA
docket number (OSHA-2019-0010) for the Information Collection Request
(ICR). All comments, including any personal information you provide
such as social security numbers and date of birth, 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 above address. 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 may contact Theda Kenney at the
phone number below to obtain a copy of the ICR.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Seleda Perryman, Directorate of
Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor; telephone (202)
693-2222.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Department of Labor, as part of a 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 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).
This ICR is based on the 2017 final rule for Beryllium which
includes general industry, construction, and maritime. Subsequently,
the agency has proposed revisions to the beryllium standards. OSHA
proposed revisions to the beryllium general industry standard in
December 2018 (83 FR 63746) titled ``Occupational Exposure to Beryllium
in General Industry,'' and to the beryllium construction and shipyard
standards in October 2019 (84 FR 53902) titled ``Occupational Exposure
to Beryllium in Construction and Shipyard Sectors.'' The agency is
planning to finalize the beryllium standards in two separate
rulemakings in the coming months. The modification and update of these
beryllium standards will clarify the provisions contained in the 2017
general industry standard and will better tailor the construction and
shipyard standards to address the particular operations in these
sectors involving exposure to beryllium. These two Beryllium final
rules contain information collection requirements that will have an
impact on this ICR when they are published.
The information collection requirements specified by the beryllium
standards for general industry, construction, and maritime standards
help protect workers from harmful elements when exposed to permissible
exposure limits of beryllium and
beryllium compounds in the workplace. The information collection
requirements in the 2017 Standards involve the following elements of
the Standard.
Paragraph (d)(2) contains the performance options where the
employer must assess the 8-hour TWA exposure and the 15-minute short-
term exposure for each employee on the basis of any combination of air
monitoring data and objective data sufficient to accurately
characterize airborne exposure to beryllium. Employers do not have to
conduct initial exposure monitoring if they rely on objective data that
would satisfy the exposure assessment requirements contained in this
standard. Paragraph (d)(3) says the employer must perform initial
monitoring to assess the 8-hour TWA exposure for each employee on the
basis of one or more personal breathing zone air samples that reflect
the airborne exposure of employees on each shift, for each job
classification, and in each work area and the employer is required to
do periodic monitoring when the most recent exposure monitoring
indicates that airborne exposure is at or above the action level but at
or below the TWA PEL, the employer must repeat such monitoring within
six months of the most recent monitoring. Paragraph (d)(4) requires the
employer to reassess airborne exposure whenever a change in the
production, process, control equipment, personnel, or work practices
may reasonably be expected to result in new or additional airborne
exposure at or above the action level or STEL, or when the employer has
any reason to believe that new or additional airborne exposure at or
above the action level or STEL has occurred.
In paragraph (f)(1)(i) the employer is required to establish,
implement, and maintain a written exposure control plan and what
information and procedures are included in the plan. Paragraph
(f)(1)(ii) requires the employer to review and evaluate the
effectiveness of each written exposure control plan at least annually
and update it, as necessary. Also, in paragraph (f)(1)(iii) the
employer must make a copy of the written exposure control plan
accessible to each employee who is, or can reasonably be expected to
be, exposed to airborne beryllium in accordance with OSHA's Access to
Employee Exposure and Medical Records (Records Access) standard (29 CFR
1910.1020(e)).
Paragraph (g)(2) requires the employer to provide respiratory
protection for the selection and use of respirators, medical
evaluations of employees required to use respirators, respirator fit
testing procedures for tight-fitting respirators and procedures for
proper use of respirators in routine and reasonably foreseeable
emergency situations.
Paragraph (h)(3)(iii) requires the employer to inform in writing
the persons or the business entities who launder, clean, or repair the
personal protective clothing or equipment required by this standard of
the potentially harmful effects of airborne exposure to and dermal
contact with beryllium and that the personal protective clothing and
equipment must be handled in accordance with this standard. This
provision is intended to reduce exposure to beryllium for employees
handling beryllium-contaminated materials by providing employers and
employees handling these materials the information necessary to protect
employees from beryllium exposure.
Under paragraph (k)(1) the employer is required to make medical
surveillance available at no cost to the employee, and at a reasonable
time and place, to each employee who: (A) Is reasonably expected to be
exposed at or above the action level for more than 30 days per year;
(B) Shows signs or symptoms of chronic beryllium disease (CBD) or other
beryllium-related health effects; (C) Is exposed to beryllium during an
emergency; or (D) Most recent written medical opinion required by
paragraph (k)(6) or (k)(7) recommends periodic medical surveillance.
In paragraph (k)(5) of medical surveillance, the employer is
required to ensure that the employee receives a written medical report
from the licensed physician within 45 days of the examination
(including any follow-up beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test
(BeLPT) required under paragraph (k)(3)(ii)(E) of this standard) and
that the physician or other licensed health care professional (PLHCP)
explains the results of the examination to the employee. The
requirement for a written medical report ensures that the employee
receives a record of all findings. In paragraph (k)(6) of medical
surveillance the employer is required to obtain a written medical
opinion from the licensed physician within 45 days of the medical
examination and what must be contained in the written medical opinion.
Under paragraph (k)(7) of medical surveillance, when being referred to
the CBD Diagnostic Center, the employer is required to provide an
evaluation at no cost to the employee at a CBD diagnostic center that
is mutually agreed upon by the employer and the employee. The
examination must be provided within 30 days of: (A) The employer's
receipt of a physician's written medical opinion to the employer that
recommends referral to a CBD diagnostic center; or (B) The employee
presenting to the employer a physician's written medical report
indicating that the employee has been confirmed positive or diagnosed
with CBD, or recommending referral to a CBD diagnostic center. The
employer must ensure that the employee receives all written medical
reports from the CBD diagnostic center that contains all the
information required in paragraph (k)(5)(i), (ii), (iv), and (v) and
that the PLHCP explains the results of the examination to the employee
within 30 days of the examination. Also, the employer is require to
obtain a written medical opinion from the CBD diagnostic center within
30 days of the medical examination and ensure that each employee
receives a copy of the written medical opinion from the CBD diagnostic
center within 30 days of any medical examination performed for that
employee.
In paragraph (m)(2) the employer is required to post warning signs
at each approach to a regulated area. Paragraph (m)(3) requires the
employer to label each bag and container of clothing, equipment, and
materials contaminated with beryllium.
In paragraph (m)(4)(iv) the employer is required to make a copy of
this standard and its appendices readily available at no cost to each
employee and designated employee representative(s).
Under paragraph (n) recordkeeping, the employer is required to make
and maintain records for the air monitoring data, objective data,
medical surveillance, and training. Access to these records must be
made available upon request for examination and copying to the
Assistant Secretary, the Director, each employee, and each employee's
designated representative(s) in accordance the Records Access standard
(29 CFR 1910.1020).
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 extends approval of the information
collection requirements contained in the Beryllium Standards for
General Industry (29 CFR part 1910.1024), Construction (29 CFR
1926.1124), Maritime (29 CFR 1915.1024). OSHA is proposing that the
burden hours and cost for material and maintenance remain the same. 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: Beryllium Standards for General Industry (29 CFR part
1910.1024), Construction (29 CFR 1926.1124), Maritime (29 CFR
1915.1024).
OMB Number: 1218-0267.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profits; Federal Government;
State, Local, or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 5,872.
Frequence of Response: On occasion.
Average Time per Response: Various.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 194,261.
Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $46,158,266.
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-2019-0010). 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
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 website's ``User Tips'' link.
Contact the OSHA Docket Office for information about materials not
available through the website, and for assistance in using the internet
to locate docket submissions.
V. Authority and Signature
Loren Sweatt, Principal 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 January 28, 2020.
Loren Sweatt,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety
and Health.
[FR Doc. 2020-02000 Filed 1-31-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P
