[Federal Register: May 22, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 98)]
[Notices]               
[Page 29355-29356]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22my06-88]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR 1218-0209 (2006)]

 
Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public 
Comment and Recommendations; OSHA Data Initiative (1218-0209)

ACTION: Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: 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 general public and 
Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or 
continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA-95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program 
helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired 
format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, 
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of 
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. 
Currently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is 
soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of the 
Information Collection Request (ICR) for the OSHA Data Initiative. A 
copy of the proposed ICR can be obtained by contacting the office 
listed below in the addresses section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addresses section below on or before July 21, 2006. The Department of 
Labor is particularly interested in comments that:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technical collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.

ADDRESSES: Comments are to be submitted to the Docket Office, Docket 
No. ICR 1218-0209 (2006), U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 693-2350. 
Written comments limited to 10 pages or fewer may be transmitted by 
facsimile to (202) 693-1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Schmidt, Office of Statistical 
Analysis, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. 
Department of Labor, Room N3644, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20210, telephone: (202) 693-1886. Copies of the 
referenced Information Collection Request are available for inspection 
and copying in the Docket Office and will be mailed to persons who 
request copies by telephoning Dave Schmidt at (202) 693-1886 or Todd 
Owen at (202) 693-3222. For electronic copies of the OSHA Data 
Initiative Information Collection Request, go to OSHA's Web page at 
http://www.osha.gov/OCIS/Info_coll.html.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    I. Background: To meet many of OSHA's program needs, OSHA is 
proposing to continue its collection of occupational injury and illness 
data and information on the number of workers employed and the number 
of hours worked from establishments in portions of the private sector 
and from some state and local government agencies. OSHA will collect 
the data on an annual basis from up to 100,000 employers already 
required to create and maintain records pursuant to 29 CFR Part 1904. 
These data will allow OSHA to calculate occupational injury and illness 
rates and to focus its efforts on individual workplaces with ongoing 
serious safety and health problems. Successful implementation of this 
data collection is critical to OSHA's outreach and enforcement efforts 
and the data requirements tied to the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA).
    II. Current Actions: This notice requests public comment on an 
extension of the current OMB approval of the paperwork requirements for 
the OSHA Data Inititative system.
    Type of Review: Extensions of currently approved information 
collection requirements.
    Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
    Title: OSHA Data Initiative.
    OMB Number: 1218-0209.
    Agency Number: ICR 1218-0209 (2006).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profits, Farms, and State, 
Local and Tribal Government.
    Cite/Reference/Form/etc.: OSHA Form 196A and OSHA Form 196B.
    Number of Respondents: 100,000.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Average Time Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 16,000 hours.
    Estimated Cost: $368,341.
    III. Public Participation--Submission Of Comments On This Notice 
and Internet Access To Comments And Submissions. You may submit 
comments and supporting materials in response to this notice by (1) 
Hard copy, (2) FAX transmission (facsimile), or (3) electronically 
through the OSHA Web page. Because of security-related problems, there 
may be a significant delay in the receipt of comments by regular mail. 
Please contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY (877) 889-
5627) for information about security procedures concerning the delivery 
of submissions by express delivery, hand delivery and courier service.
    All comments, submissions and background documents are available 
for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office at the above 
address. Comments and submissions posted on OSHA's Web page are 
available at http://www.OSHA.gov. Contact the Docket Office for 

information about materials not available through the OSHA Web page and 
for assistance using the Web page to locate docket submissions.
    Comments submitted in response to this comment request will be 
summarized and/or included in the request for Office of Management and 
Budget approval of the Information Collection Request; they will also 
become a matter of public record. Therefore, private information should 
not be submitted.
    IV. Authority and Signature: Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., 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. 5-2002 (67 FR 65008).

    Signed at Washington, DC, on May 16, 2006.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 06-4704 Filed 5-19-06; 8:45 am]

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