[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68151-68153]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21825]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. OSHA-2010-0048]
Powered Platforms for Building Maintenance 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 the proposal to
extend Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the
information collection requirements specified in the Powered Platforms
for Building Maintenance.
DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by
December 4, 2023.
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.
Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov. Documents in the docket 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 through the OSHA
Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY
(877) 889-5627) for assistance in locating docket submissions.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and OSHA
docket number OSHA-2010-0048 for the Information Collection Request
(ICR). OSHA will place all comments, including any personal
information, in the public docket, which may be made available online.
Therefore, OSHA cautions interested parties about submitting personal
information such as social security numbers and birthdates.
For further information on submitting comments, see the ``Public
Participation'' heading in the section of this notice titled
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Seleda Perryman or Theda Kenney,
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, the collection instruments are clearly understood, and
OSHA's estimate of the information collection burden is accurate. The
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (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 effort in
obtaining information (29 U.S.C. 657).
Paragraph (e)(9) of the Standard requires that employers develop
and implement a written emergency action plan for each type of powered
platform operation. The plan must explain the emergency procedures that
workers are to follow if they encounter a disruption of the power
supply, equipment failure, or other emergency. Prior to operating a
powered platform, employers must notify workers how they can inform
themselves about alarm systems and emergency escape routes, and
emergency procedures that pertain to the building on which they will be
working. Employers are to review with each worker those parts of the
emergency action plan that the worker must know to ensure their
protection during an emergency; these reviews must occur when the
worker receives an initial assignment involving a powered platform
operation and after the employer revises the emergency action plan.
According to paragraph (f)(5)(i)(C), employers must affix a load
rating plate to a conspicuous location on each suspended unit that
states the unit's weight and the rated load capacity. Paragraph
(f)(5)(ii)(N) requires employers to mount each emergency electric
operating device in a secured compartment and label the device with
instructions for its use. After installing a suspension wire rope,
paragraphs (f)(7)(vi) and (f)(7)(vii) mandate that employers attach a
corrosion-resistant tag with specified information to one of the wire
rope fastenings if the rope is to remain at one location. In addition,
paragraph (f)(7)(viii) requires employers who resocket a wire rope to
either stamp specified information on the original tag or put that
information on a supplemental tag and attach it to the fastening.
Paragraphs (g)(2)(i) and (g)(2)(ii) require that building owners,
at least annually, have a competent person inspect the supporting
structures of their buildings; inspect and, if necessary, test the
components of the
powered platforms, including control systems; inspect/test components
subject to wear (e.g., wire ropes, bearings, gears, and governors); and
certify these inspections and tests. Under paragraph (g)(2)(iii),
building owners must maintain and, on request, disclose to OSHA a
written certification record of these inspections/tests; this record
must include the date of the inspection/test, the signature of the
competent person who performed it, and the number/identifier of the
building support structure and equipment inspected/tested.
Paragraph (g)(3)(i) mandates that building owners use a competent
person to inspect and, if necessary, test each powered platform
facility according to the manufacturer's recommendations every 30 days,
or prior to use if the work cycle is less than 30 days. Under paragraph
(g)(3)(ii), building owners must maintain and, on request, disclose to
the agency a written certification record of these inspections/tests;
this record is to include the date of the inspection/test, the
signature of the competent person who performed it, and the number/
identifier of the powered platform facility inspected/tested.
According to paragraph (g)(5)(iii), building owners must use a
competent person to thoroughly inspect suspension wire ropes for a
number of specified conditions once a month, or before placing the wire
ropes into service if the ropes are inactive for 30 days or longer.
Paragraph (g)(5)(v) requires building owners to maintain and, on
request, disclose to OSHA a written certification record of these
monthly inspections; this record must consist of the date of the
inspection, the signature of the competent person who performed it, and
the number/identifier of the wire rope inspected.
Upon completion of this training, paragraph (i)(1)(v) specifies
that employers must prepare a written certification that includes the
identity of the worker trained, the signature of the employer or the
trainer, and the date the worker completed the training. In addition,
the employer must maintain a worker's training certificate for the
duration of their employment and, on request, make it available to
OSHA.
Emergency action plans allow employers and workers to anticipate,
and effectively respond to, emergencies that may arise during powered
platform operations. Affixing load rating plates to suspended units,
instructions to emergency electric operating devices, and tags to wire
rope fasteners prevent workplace accidents by providing information to
employers and workers regarding the conditions under which they can
safely operate these system components.
Requiring building owners to establish and maintain written
certification of inspections and testing conducted on the supporting
structures of buildings, powered platform systems, and suspension wire
ropes provides employers and workers with assurance that they can
operate safely from the buildings using equipment that is in safe
operating condition.
The training requirements increase worker safety by allowing them
to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively operate,
use, and inspect powered platforms, recognize and prevent safety
hazards associated with platform operation, respond appropriately under
emergency conditions, and maintain and use their fall protection arrest
system. In addition, the paperwork requirements specified by the
Standard provide the most efficient means for an OSHA compliance
officer to determine whether or not employers and building owners are
providing the required notification and certification.
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 workers, 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 the approval of the information
collection requirements contained in the Powered Platforms for Building
Maintenance Standard. The agency will retain the current number of
burden hours of 130,776 for this Information Collection Request.
OSHA will summarize the comments submitted in response to this
notice and will include this summary in the request to OMB to extend
the approval of the information collection requirements.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Title: Powered Platforms for Building Maintenance Standard.
OMB Control Number: 1218-0121.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profits.
Number of Respondents: 900.
Number of Responses: 181,612.
Frequency of Responses: On occasion, initially, monthly, annually.
Average Time per Response: Varies.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 130,776.
Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $0.
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); if your comments, including
attachments, are not longer than 10 pages you may fax them to the OSHA
Docket Office at 202-693-1648. or (3) by hard copy. All comments,
attachments, and other material must identify the agency name and the
OSHA docket number for the ICR OSHA-2010-0048. You may supplement
electronic submissions by uploading document files electronically.
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 at (202) 693-2350, (TTY (877) 889-5627)
for information about materials not available from the website, and for
assistance in using the internet to locate docket submissions.
V. Authority and Signature
James S. Frederick, 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. 8-2020 (85 FR 58393).
Signed at Washington, DC, on September 22, 2023.
James S. Frederick,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2023-21825 Filed 10-2-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P
