[Federal Register: May 2, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 85)]
[Notices]
[Page 22016-22017]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02my01-135]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. ICR-1218-0099 (2001)]
Respiratory Protection Standard; 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 proposal to decrease the
existing burden-hour estimates, and to extend OMB approval of the
collection-of-information requirements, of the Respiratory Protection
Standard (29 CFR 1910.134).
DATES: Submit written comments on or before July 2, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No.
ICR-1218-0099 (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 Respiratory Protection
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 Respiratory Protection Standard's (Sec. 1910.134; hereafter,
``Standard'') information-collection requirements require employers to:
Develop a written respirator program; conduct employee medical
evaluations and provide follow-up medical evaluations to determine the
employee's ability to use a respirator; provide the physician or other
licensed health care professional with information about the employee's
respirator and the conditions under which the employee will use the
respirator; and administer fit-tests for employees who will use
negative or positive-pressure, tight-fitting facepieces. In addition,
employers must ensure that employees store emergency-use respirators in
compartments clearly marked as containing emergency-use respirators.
For respirators maintained for emergency use, employers must label or
tag the respirator with a certificate stating the date of inspection,
the name of the individual who made the inspection, the findings of the
inspection, required remedial action, and the identity of the
respirator.
The Standard also requires employers to ensure that cylinders used
to supply breathing air to respirators have a certificate of analysis
from the supplier stating that the breathing air meets the requirements
for Type 1--Grade D breathing air; such certification assures employers
that the purchased breathing air is safe. Compressors used to supply
breathing air to respirators must have a tag containing the most recent
change date and the signature of the individual authorized by the
employer to perform the change. Employers must maintain this tag at the
compressor. These tags provide assurance that the compressors are
functioning properly.
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;
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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 decrease the existing burden-hour estimate,
and to extend OMB approval, of the collection-of-information
requirements in the Standard. In this regard, the Agency is requesting
to decrease the current burden-hour estimate from 8,926,558 hours to
6,502,811 hours, a total reduction of 2,423,747 hours. 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: Respiratory Protection (29 CFR 1910.134).
OMB Number: 1218-0099.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit
institutions; Federal government; State, local or tribal governments.
Number of Respondents: 1,300,000.
Frequency of Response: Annually; monthly; occasionally.
Average Time per Response: Time per response varied from 8 hours
for large facilities to develop a written respiratory program to 5
minutes for employers to maintain employee medical-evaluation records.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 6,502,811 hours.
Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $72,900,680.
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 No. 3-2000 (65 FR
50017).
Signed at Washington, DC on April 27th, 2001.
R. Davis Layne,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 01-11024 Filed 5-1-01; 8:45 am]
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