11516 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 41 / Wednesday, March 2, 2011 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration 

[Docket No. OSHA–2011–0055] 

Steel Erection; 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. 

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public 

comments concerning its proposal to 

extend OMB approval of the 

information collection requirements 

specified in the Standard on Steel 

Erection (29 CFR part 1926, subpart R). 

DATES: Comments must be submitted 

(postmarked, sent, or received) by May 

2, 2011. 

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. 

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 this method, you must submit a 

copy of your comments and attachments 

to the OSHA Docket Office, OSHA 

Docket No. OSHA–2011–0055, U.S. 

Department of Labor, Occupational 

Safety and Health Administration, 

Room N–2625, 200 Constitution 

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. 

Deliveries (hand, express mail, 

messenger, and courier service) are 

accepted during the Department of 

Labor’s and Docket Office’s normal 

business hours, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., 

e.t. 

Instructions: All submissions must 

include the Agency name and OSHA 

docket number for the Information 

Collection request (ICR) (OSHA–2011– 

0055). All comments, including any 

personal information you provide, 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 

address above. 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 through the Web site. 

All submissions, including copyrighted 

material, are available for inspection 

and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. 

You may also contact Theda Kenney at 

the address below to obtain a copy of 

the ICR. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Theda Kenney or Todd Owen, 

Directorate of Standards and Guidance, 

OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room 

N–3609, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 

693–2222. 

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 (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 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 efforts in 

obtaining information (29 U.S.C. 657). 

Section 1926.752(a)(1). Description of 

the requirement. Based on the results of 

a specified method for testing fieldcured samples, the controlling 

contractor must provide the steel erector 

with written notification that the 

concrete in the footings, piers, and 

walls, or the mortar in the masonry 

piers and walls, is at 75% of its 

minimum compressive-design strength 

or has sufficient strength to support 

loads imposed during steel erection. 

Note: This is not and will not be 

enforced for mortar in piers and walls 

until such time as OSHA is able to 

define an appropriate substitute or until 

an appropriate American Society for 

Testing and Materials (ASTM) test 

method is developed. 

Sections 1926.752(a)(2) and 

1926.755(b)(1). Description of the 

requirements. Under § 1926.752(a)(2), 

the controlling contractor, before it 

authorizes commencement of steel 

erection, must notify the steel erector in 

writing that any repairs, replacements, 

and modifications to anchor bolts (rods) 

have been made in accordance with 

§ 1926.755(b)(1) which requires the 

controlling contractor to obtain approval 

from the project structural engineer of 

record for the repairs, replacements, and 

modifications. 

Section 1926.753(c)(5). Description of 

the requirement. Employers must not 

deactivate safety latches on hooks or 

make them inoperable except for the 

situation when: A qualified rigger 

determines that it is safer to hoist and 

place purlins and single joists by doing 

so; or except when equivalent 

protection is provided in the sitespecific erection plan. 

Section 1926.753(e)(2). Description of 

the requirement. Employers must have 

the maximum capacity of the total 

multiple-lift rigging assembly, as well as 

each of its individual attachment points, 

certified by the manufacturer or a 

qualified rigger. 

Sections 1926.755(b)(2) and 

1926.755(b)(1). Description of the 

requirements. Under § 1926.755(b)(2), 

throughout steel erection the controlling 

contractor must notify the steel erector 

in writing of additional repairs, 

replacements, and modifications of 

anchor bolts (rods); § 1926.755(b)(1) 

requires that these repairs, replacements 

and modifications not be made without 

approval from the project structural 

engineer of record. 

Section 1926.757(a)(4). Description of 

the requirement. If steel joists at or near 

columns span more than 60 feet, 

employers must set the joists in tandem 

with all bridging installed. However, the 

employer may use an alternative 

method of erection if a qualified person 

develops the alternative method, it 

provides equivalent stability, and the 

employer includes the method in the 

site-specific erection plan. 

Section 1926.757(a)(7). Description of 

the requirement. Employers must not 

modify steel joists or steel joist girders 

in a way that affects their strength 

without the approval of the project 

structural engineer of record. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 41 / Wednesday, March 2, 2011 / Notices 11517 

Sections 1926.757(a)(9) and 

1926.758(g). Description of the 

requirements. An employer can use a 

steel joist, steel joist girder, purlin, or 

girt as an anchorage point for a fallarrest system only with the written 

approval of a qualified person. 

Section 1926.757(e)(4)(i). Description 

of the requirement. An employer must 

install and anchor all bridging on joists 

and attach all joist bearing ends before 

placing a bundle of decking on the 

joists, unless: A qualified person 

determines that the structure or portion 

of the structure is capable of supporting 

the bundle, the employer documents 

this determination in the site-specific 

erection plan and follows the additional 

requirements specified in 

§ 1926.757(e)(4)(ii)–(vi). 

Section 1926.760(e) and (e)(1). 

Description of the requirement. The 

steel erector can leave its fall protection 

at the jobsite after completion of the 

erection activity only if the controlling 

contractor or its authorized 

representative directs the steel erector to 

do so and inspects and accepts 

responsibility for the fall protection. 

Section 1926.761. Description of the 

requirement. Employers must have 

qualified persons provide training to all 

workers exposed to fall hazards. This 

training is to include: Recognition of fall 

hazards at the worksite; use and 

operation of guardrail systems, personal 

fall-arrest systems, positioning-device 

systems, fall-restraint systems, safetynet systems, and other fall protection 

implemented at the worksite; correct 

procedures for erecting, maintaining, 

disassembling, and inspecting these fallprotection systems; procedures that 

prevent falls to lower levels, and 

through or into holes and openings in 

walking-working surfaces; and the fallprotection requirements of this Subpart. 

In addition, employers are to provide 

special training to workers engaged in 

multiple-lift rigging procedures (i.e., to 

recognize multi-lift hazards and in the 

proper procedures and equipment to 

perform multiple lifts), connector 

procedures (i.e., to identify connector 

hazards and in the requirements of 

§§ 1926.756(c) and 1926.760(b)), and 

controlled-decking-zone (CDZ) 

procedures (i.e., knowledge of CDZ 

hazards and in the requirements of 

§§ 1926.754(e) and 1926.760(c)). 

Paragraph (c)(4)(ii) of Appendix G to 

Subpart R. Description of the 

requirement. This mandatory appendix 

duplicates the regulatory requirements 

of § 1926.502 (‘‘Fall protection systems 

criteria and practices’’), notably the 

requirements specified in paragraph 

(c)(4)(ii). This paragraph addresses the 

certification of safety nets as an option 

available to employers who can 

demonstrate that performing a drop test 

on safety nets is unreasonable. This 

provision allows such employers to 

certify that their safety nets, including 

the installation of the nets, protect 

workers at least as well as safety nets 

that meet the drop-test criteria. The 

employer must complete the 

certification process prior to using the 

net for fall protection, and the certificate 

must include the following information: 

Identification of the net and the type of 

installation used for the net; the date the 

certifying party determined that the net 

and its installation would meet the 

drop-test criteria; and the signature of 

the party making this determination. 

The most recent certificate must be 

available at the jobsite for inspection. 

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 that OMB 

extend its approval of the information 

collection requirements contained in the 

Standard on Steel Erection (29 CFR part 

1926, subpart R). The Agency is 

requesting an adjustment decrease of 

7,414 burden hours (from 30,339 hours 

to 22,925 hours). This decrease is due to 

a decline in worksites associated with 

this subpart from 20,787 to 15,758. 

Type of Review: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Title: Steel Erection (29 CFR part 

1926, subpart R). 

OMB Number: 1218–0241. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofits. 

Number of Respondents: 15,758. 

Frequency: On occasion. 

Average Time per Response: Varies 

from one minute (.02 hour) for a 

controlling contractor to inform a steel 

erector to leave fall protection at the 

jobsite to three hours for controlling 

contractors to obtain approval from the 

project structural engineer of record 

before modifying anchor bolts. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 

22,925. 

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); or (3) by hard copy. All 

comments, attachments, and other 

material must identify the Agency name 

and the OSHA docket number for the 

ICR (Docket No. OSHA–2011–0055). 

You may supplement electronic 

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 by 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 date 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 through this Web site. 

All submissions, including copyrighted 

material, are available for inspection 

and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. 

Information on using the http:// 

www.regulations.gov Web site to submit 

comments and access the docket is 

available at the Web site’s ‘‘User Tips’’ 

link. Contact the OSHA Docket Office 

for information about materials not 

available through the Web site, and for 

assistance in using the Internet to locate 

docket submissions. 

V. Authority and Signature 

David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of 

Labor for Occupational Safety and 

Health, directed the preparation of this 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
11518 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 41 / Wednesday, March 2, 2011 / Notices 

1A number of documents, or information within 

documents, described in this Federal Register 

notice are the applicant’s internal, detailed 

procedures, or contain other confidential business 

or trade-secret information. These documents and 

information, designated by an ‘‘NA’’ at the end of, 

or within, the sentence or paragraph describing 

them, are not available to the public. 

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. 4–2010 (75 FR 

55355). 

Signed at Washington, DC, on February 25, 

2011. 

David Michaels, 

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational 

Safety and Health. 

[FR Doc. 2011–4697 Filed 3–1–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–26–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration 

[Docket No. 2010–0046] 

QPS Evaluation Services Inc.; 

Recognition as an NRTL 

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA), Labor. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

Agency’s final decision to grant 

recognition to QPS Evaluation Services 

Inc., as a Nationally Recognized Testing 

Laboratory under 29 CFR 1910.7. 

DATES: This recognition becomes 

effective on March 2, 2011 and will be 

valid until March 2, 2016, unless 

terminated or modified prior to that date 

in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.7. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Office of Technical Programs and 

Coordination Activities, NRTL Program, 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 

Room N–3655, Washington, DC 20210, 

or phone (202) 693–2110. For more 

information about the Nationally 

Recognized Testing Laboratory Program, 

go to http://osha.gov and select ‘‘N’’ in 

the site index. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notice of Final Decision 

The Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA) hereby gives 

notice of its recognition of QPS 

Evaluation Services Inc., (QPS) as a 

Nationally Recognized Testing 

Laboratory (NRTL). The scope of this 

recognition includes testing and 

certification of the equipment and 

materials, and use of the supplemental 

program, listed below. OSHA will detail 

QPS’s scope of recognition on an 

informational Web page for the NRTL, 

as further explained below. 

OSHA recognition of an NRTL 

signifies that the organization meets the 

legal requirements specified in 29 CFR 

1910.7. Recognition is an 

acknowledgment that the organization 

can perform independent safety testing 

and certification of the specific products 

covered within its scope of recognition, 

and is not a delegation or grant of 

government authority. As a result of 

recognition, employers may use 

products approved by the NRTL to meet 

OSHA standards that require product 

testing and certification. 

The Agency processes applications by 

an NRTL for initial recognition, or for 

expansion or renewal of this 

recognition, following requirements in 

Appendix A to 29 CFR 1910.7. This 

appendix requires that the Agency 

publish two notices in the Federal 

Register in processing an application. In 

the first notice, OSHA announces the 

application and provides its preliminary 

finding and, in the second notice, the 

Agency provides its final decision on 

the application. These notices set forth 

the NRTL’s scope of recognition, or 

modifications of that scope. OSHA 

maintains an informational Web page 

for each NRTL that details its scope of 

recognition. These pages are available 

from OSHA’s Web site at http:// 

www.osha-slc.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/ 

index.html. 

Each NRTL’s scope of recognition has 

three elements: (1) The type of products 

the NRTL may test, with each type 

specified by its applicable test standard; 

(2) the recognized site(s) that has/have 

the technical capability to perform the 

product testing and certification 

activities for test standards within the 

NRTL’s scope; and (3) the supplemental 

program(s) that the NRTL may use, each 

of which allows the NRTL to rely on 

other parties to perform activities 

necessary for product testing and 

certification. 

QPS applied for recognition as an 

NRTL (See Ex. 2—QPS application 

dated 1/27/2006) 1 pursuant to 29 CFR 

1910.7, and OSHA published the 

required preliminary notice in the 

Federal Register on November 18, 2010 

(75 FR 70696) to announce the 

application. The notice included a 

preliminary finding that QPS could 

meet the requirements for recognition 

detailed in 29 CFR 1910.7, and invited 

public comment on the application by 

December 20, 2010. OSHA received no 

comments in response to the notice. 

OSHA now is proceeding with this final 

notice to grant QPS’s recognition 

application. 

All public documents pertaining to 

the QPS application are available for 

review by contacting the Docket Office, 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 

Room N–2625, Washington, DC 20210. 

These materials also are available online 

at http://www.regulations.gov under 

Docket No. OSHA–2010–0046. 

The current address of the laboratory 

facility (site) that OSHA recognizes for 

QPS is: QPS Evaluation Services Inc., 81 

Kelfield Street, Unit 8, Toronto, Ontario, 

M9W 5A3, Canada. 

General Background on the Application 

According to the application, QPS 

was established in 1995 as a Canadian 

Standards Association field-inspection 

agency. In 1998, QPS performed 

technical services for Entela, Inc., an 

organization formerly recognized by 

OSHA as an NRTL, which another 

NRTL subsequently acquired. The 

application also states that QPS received 

accreditation by other well-known 

accreditors (i.e., the Standards Council 

of Canada and the International 

Electrotechnical Commission 

Certification Body (IEC CB) Scheme). 

QPS applied on January 27, 2006, for 

recognition of one site and a number of 

test standards. (See Ex. 2.) In response 

to OSHA’s request for clarification, QPS 

amended its application to provide 

additional technical details, and then 

provided further details in a later 

update. (See Ex. 3—QPS amended 

application, dated 4/15/2008 and 11/30/ 

2009.) OSHA’s NRTL Program staff 

performed an on-site assessment of the 

QPS facility in April 2010. Based on this 

assessment, the OSHA staff 

recommended recognition of QPS in 

their on-site review report of the 

assessment. (See Ex. 4—OSHA on-site 

review report on QPS.) 

Through its amended application 

information (see Ex. 3), QPS represented 

that it maintains the experience, 

expertise, personnel, organization, 

equipment, and facilities suitable for 

accreditation as an OSHA Nationally 

Recognized Testing Laboratory. It also 

represented that it meets, or will meet, 

the requirements for recognition defined 

in 29 CFR 1910.7. 

OSHA addresses the four 

requirements for recognition (i.e., 

capability, control procedures, 

independence, and creditable reports 

and complaint handling) below, along 

with examples that illustrate how QPS 

meets each of these requirements. The 

applicant’s summary addressing 

OSHA’s evaluation criteria references 


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