[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 147 (Thursday, July 30, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45929-45930]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16520]
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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 the proposal to
extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) approval of the
information collection requirements specified in the standard on
Underground Construction.
DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by
September 28, 2020.
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 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 (Docket No. OSHA 2011-0029) 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 from the website. All submissions, including
copyrighted material, are available for inspection and copying at the
OSHA Docket Office. You may also contact Theda Kenney at the below
phone number to obtain a copy of the ICR.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theda Kenney or 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 the 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 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).
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 the 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
The agency is requesting to retain the current burden estimate of
76,477 hours.
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.
Number of Respondents: 461.
Total Responses: 1,171,439.
Frequency of Responses: On occasion.
Average Time: Varies.
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 for this ICR (OSHA Docket No. 2011-0029). You may
supplement 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 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
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 from
the website, and for assistance in using the internet to locate docket
submissions.
V. Authority and Signature
Loren Sweat, 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 July 24, 2020.
Loren Sweatt,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety
and Health.
[FR Doc. 2020-16520 Filed 7-29-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P
