[Federal Register: May 31, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 105)]
[Notices]
[Page 29596]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31my01-94]
[[Page 29596]]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. ICR-1218-0179(2001)]
Methylene Chloride Standard (29 CFR 1910.1052); Extension of the
Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of the Information-
Collection (Paperwork) Requirements
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Notice of an opportunity for public comment.
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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning its request to extend OMB
approval of the collection-of-information requirements specified by the
Methylene Chloride Standard (29 CFR 1910.1052).
DATES: Submit written comments on or before July 30, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No.
ICR-1218-0179(2001), OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-
2350. Commenters may transmit written comments of 10 pages or less by
facsimile to (202) 693-1648.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Owen, Directorate of Policy,
OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3641, 200 Constitution Avenue,
NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-2444. A copy of the
Agency's Information-Collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for
the information collections specified in the Methylene Chloride
Standard is available for inspection and copying in the docket Office
or by requesting a copy from Todd Owen at (202) 693-2444. For
electronic copies of the ICR contact OSHA on the Internet at http://
www.osha.gov/comp-links.html, and select ``Information Collection
Requests.''
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-95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program ensures that
information is in the desired format, reporting burden (time and cost)
is minimal, collection instruments are understandable, and OSHA's
estimate of the information-collection burden is correct.
The information-collection requirements specified in the methylene
chloride (MC) Standard protect employees from the adverse health
effects that may result from exposure to MC. In terms of burden-hour
estimates, the major information-collection requirements in the MC
Standard include employee exposure monitoring, notifying employees of
their MC exposures, administering medical examinations to employees,
providing examining physicians with specific program and employee
information, ensuring that employees receive a copy of their medical-
examination results, maintaining employees' exposure-monitoring and
medical-examination records for specific periods, and providing access
to these records by OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health, the affected employees, and their authorized
representatives.
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
cost) 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 to extend OMB approval of the collection-of-
information requirements in the MC Standard. The Agency will summarize
the comments submitted in response to this notice, and will include
this summary in its request to OMB to extend the approval of this
information-collection requirements.
Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information-
collection requirements.
Title: Methylene Chloride.
OMB Number: 1218-0179.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit
institutions; Federal government; State, local or tribal governments.
Number of Respondents: 92,000.
Frequency of Response: Occasionally.
Average Time Per Response: Varies from 1 hour for administering a
medical examination to 5 minutes to maintain an employee's medical or
exposure record.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 524,615 hours.
Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $46,248,000.
IV. Authority and Signature
R. Davis Layne, Acting 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), Secretary of Labor's Order 3-2000 (65 FR 50017).
Signed at Washington, DC on May 24, 2001.
R. Davis Layne,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 01-13648 Filed 5-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-M