Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 184 / Thursday, September 23, 2004 / Notices 57097

877–8339 (TTY) or speech-to-speech at 

1–877–877–8982 (these are toll-free 

numbers).

Signed in Washington, DC, this 17th day of 

September, 2004. 

Thomas M. Dowd, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Employment and 

Training Administration.

[FR Doc. E4–2342 Filed 9–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–30–P

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration 

[Docket No. ICR 1218–0115(2004)] 

Cranes and Derricks Standard for 

Construction; Notification of 

Operational Specifications and Hand 

Signals: 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 comment.

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments 

concerning its request for an extension 

of the information collection 

requirements specified by paragraphs 

(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(4), and (a)(16) of the 

Cranes and Derricks Standard for 

Construction (29 CFR 1926.550). These 

paragraphs require employers to provide 

notification of specified operating 

characteristics pertaining to cranes and 

derricks using documentation, posting, 

or revised maintenance-instruction 

plates, tags, or decals and to notify 

employees of hand signals used to 

communicate with equipment operators 

by posting an illustration of applicable 

signals at the worksite.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by 

the following dates: 

Hard copy: Your comments must be 

submitted (postmarked or received) by 

November 22, 2004. 

Facsimile and electronic 

transmission: Your comments must be 

received by November 22, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR–

1218–0115(2004), by any of the 

following methods: 

Regular mail, express delivery, hand 

delivery, and messenger service: Submit 

your comments and attachments to the 

OSHA Docket Office, Room N–2625, 

U.S. Department of Labor, 200 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 

DC 20210; telephone (202) 693–2350 

(OSHA’s TTY number is (877) 889–

5627). OSHA Docket Office and 

Department of Labor hours are 8:15 a.m. 

to 4:45 p.m., ET. 

Facsimile: If your comments are 10 

pages or fewer in length, including 

attachments, you may fax them to the 

OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693–1648. 

Electronic: You may submit 

comments through the Internet at http:/

/ecomments.osha.gov. Follow 

instructions on the OSHA Web page for 

submitting comments. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read or download comments or 

background materials, such as the 

complete Information Collection 

Request (ICR) (containing the 

Supporting Statement, OMB–83–I Form, 

and attachments), go to OSHA’s Web 

page at http://www.OSHA.gov.

Comments, submissions, and the ICR 

are available for inspection and copying 

at the OSHA Docket Office at the 

address above. You may also contact 

Todd Owen at the address below to 

obtain a copy of the ICR.

(For additional information on 

submitting comments, please see the 

‘‘Public Participation’’ heading in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this document.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Todd Owen, Directorate of Standards 

and Guidance, OSHA, Room N–3609, 

U.S. Department of Labor, 200 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 

DC 20210; telephone (202) 693–2222.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. 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 materials by express 

delivery, hand delivery and messenger 

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 

OSHA Docket Office for information 

about materials not available through 

the OSHA Web page and for assistance 

using the Web page to locate docket 

submissions. 

Electronic copies of this Federal 

Register notice as well as other relevant 

documents are available on OSHA’s 

Web page. 

II. 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 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 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). 

Several paragraphs of the Cranes and 

Derricks Standard for Construction 

(§ 1926.550) contain notification 

requirements, including paragraphs 

(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(4), and (a)(16). If an 

equipment manufacturer’s 

specifications are not available, 

paragraph (a)(1) requires employers to 

operate a crane or derrick using 

specifications determined and recorded 

by a qualified engineer who is 

competent to make such determinations. 

Under paragraph (a)(2), employers must 

post on each crane and derrick its rated 

load capacities, and recommended 

operating speeds, special hazard 

warnings, or instructions. Paragraph 

(a)(4) requires employers to post at the 

worksite an illustration of the hand 

signals prescribed by the applicable 

ANSI standard for that type of crane or 

derrick. According to paragraph (a)(16), 

employers must revise as appropriate 

the capacity, operation, and 

maintenance-instruction plates, tags, or 

decals if they make alterations that 

involve the capacity or safe operation of 

a crane or derrick. 

In summary, these provisions require 

employers to provide notification of 

specified operating characteristics 

through documentation, posting, or 

revising maintenance-instruction plates, 

tags, or decals, and to notify employees 

of hand signals used to communicate 

with equipment operators by posting an 

illustration of applicable signals at the 

worksite. These paperwork 

57098 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 184 / Thursday, September 23, 2004 / Notices 

1 In estimating the number of respondents 

(establishments) covered by these paperwork 

requirements, the Agency assumes a ratio of 1 crane 

or derrick per establishment. The determinations 

made by OSHA in the accompanying ICR indicate 

that paragraphs (a)(2), (a)(4), and (a)(16) cover 

70,544 cranes and derricks, resulting in an equal 

number of establishments (i.e. 70,544). In addition, 

the Agency finds that engineers under contract to 

employers provide the documentation specified by 

paragraph (a)(1); therefore, OSHA treats this 

paperwork requirement as a capital cost under Item 

13 of the ICR.

requirements ensure that employers 

operate a crane or derrick according to 

the limitations and specifications 

developed for that equipment, and that 

hand signals used to communicate with 

equipment operators are clear and 

correct. Therefore, these requirements 

prevent employers from exceeding the 

operating specifications and limitations 

of cranes and derricks, and ensure that 

they use accurate hand signals regarding 

equipment operation. By operating the 

equipment safely and within specified 

parameters, and communicating 

effectively with equipment operators, 

employers will prevent serious injury 

and death to the equipment operators 

and other employees who use or work 

near the equipment. 

III. 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. 

IV. Proposed Actions 

OSHA is proposing to extend the 

information collection requirements 

specified by paragraphs (a)(1), (a)(2), 

(a)(4), and (a)(16) of Sec. 1926.550. 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 these 

information collection requirements 

contained in the Standard. 

Type of Review: Extension of 

currently approved information 

collection requirements. 

Title: Cranes and Derricks Standard 

for Construction; Notification of 

Operational Specifications and Hand 

Signals (29 CFR 1926.550). 

OMB Number: 1218–0115. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit; not-for-profit institutions; Federal 

government; State, local, or Tribal 

governments. 

Number of Respondents: 70,544. 

Frequency of Response: On occasion. 

Total Responses: 70,544.1

Average Time per Response: Five 

minutes (.08 hour) to post specifications 

or hand-signals illustrations. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 5,640. 

Estimated Cost. (Operation and 

Maintenance): $477,802. 

V. Authority and Signature 

John L. Henshaw, 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 September 

17, 2004. 

John L. Henshaw, 

Assistant Secretary of Labor

[FR Doc. 04–21358 Filed 9–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–26–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration 

[Docket No. ICR 1218–0054(2004)] 

Cranes and Derricks Standard for 

Construction: Recording Tests for 

Toxic Gases and Oxygen-Deficient 

Atmospheres in Enclosed Spaces; 

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 comment.

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments 

concerning its request of ran extension 

of the information collection 

requirement specified by paragraph 

(a)(11) of the Cranes and Derricks 

Standard for Construction (29 CFR 

1926.550). If a crane or derrick powered 

by an internal-combustion engine is 

exhausting into an enclosed space that 

employees occupy or will occupy, this 

paragraph requires employers to record 

tests made of the breathing air in the 

space to ensure that adequate oxygen is 

available and that concentrations of 

toxic gases are at safe levels.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by 

the following dates: 

Hard copy: Your comments must be 

submitted (postmarked or received) by 

November 22, 2004. 

Facsimile and electronic 

transmission: Your comments must be 

received by November 22, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR–

1218–0054(2004), by any of the 

following methods: 

Regular mail, express delivery, hand 

delivery, and messenger service: Submit 

your comments and attachments to the 

OSHA Docket Office, Room N–2625, 

U.S. Department of Labor, 200 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 

DC 20210; telephone (202) 693–2350 

(OSHA’s TTY number is (877) 889–

5627). OSHA Docket Office and 

Department of Labor hours are 8:15 a.m. 

to 4:45 p.m., ET. 

Facsimile: If your comments are 10 

pages or fewer in length, including 

attachments, you may fax them to the 

OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693–1648. 

Electronic: You may submit 

comments through the Internet at http:/

/ecomments.osha.gov. Follow 

instructions on the OSHA Webpage for 

submitting comments. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read or download comments or 

background materials, such as the 

complete Information Collection 

Request (ICR) (containing the 

Supporting Statement, OMB–83–I Form, 

and attachments), go to OSHA’s 

Webpage at http://www.OSHA.gov.

Comments, submissions, and the ICR 

are available for inspection and copying 

at the OSHA Docket Office at the 

address above. You may also contact 

Todd Owen at the address below to 

obtain a copy of the ICR. 

(For additional information and 

submitting comments, please see the 

‘‘Public Participation’’ heading in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this document.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Todd Owen, Directorate of Standards 

and Guidance, OSHA, Room N–3609, 

U.S. Department of Labor, 200 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, 

DC 20210; telephone (202) 693–2222.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. 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