Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 23, 2020 / Notices 84007 

or combustible liquids or gases 

(§ 1915.13(b)(10)); 

• Ensure that confined and enclosed 

spaces and other dangerous 

atmospheres, and boundaries of spaces 

or pipelines are tested before workers 

perform hot work in these work areas 

(§ 1915.14(a)(1)); 

• Post warnings of testing conducted 

by competent persons and certificates of 

testing conducted by a Marine Chemist 

or Coast Guard authorized person in the 

immediate vicinity of the hot-work 

operation while the operation is in 

progress (§§ 1915.14(a) and (b)); and 

• Retain certificates of testing on file 

for at least three months after 

completing the operation 

(§ 1915.14(a)(2)). 

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 

OSHA is requesting that OMB extend 

the approval of the collection of 

information (paperwork) requirements 

mandated by Subpart A (‘‘General 

Provisions’’) and Subpart B (‘‘Confined 

and Enclosed Spaces and Other 

Dangerous Atmospheres in Shipyard 

Employment’’) of 29 CFR part 1915. The 

agency is requesting an adjustment 

decrease of 19,246 burden hours (from 

586,064 to 566,818 hours). The 

adjustment decrease is due to a decrease 

in the number of establishments affected 

by these standards. 

The agency will summarize the 

comments submitted in response to this 

notice and will include this summary in 

the request to OMB. 

Type of Review: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Title: Subpart A (‘‘General 

Provisions’’) and Subpart B (‘‘Confined 

and Enclosed Spaces and Other 

Dangerous Atmospheres in Shipyard 

Employment’’) (29 CFR part 1915). 

OMB Control Number: 1218–0011. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofits; Not-for-profit organizations; 

Federal Government; State, Local or 

Tribal Government. 

Number of Respondents: 4,716. 

Frequency of Responses: On occasion. 

Total Responses: 3,555,305. 

Average Time per Response: Various. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 

566,818. 

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. 

Please note: While OSHA’s Docket 

Office is continuing to accept and 

process submissions by regular mail, 

due to the COVID–19 pandemic, the 

Docket Office is closed to the public and 

not able to receive submissions to the 

docket by hand, express mail, 

messenger, and courier service. All 

comments, attachments, and other 

material must identify the agency name 

and the OSHA docket number (Docket 

No. OSHA–2011–0034) for the ICR. 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. 

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 from this website. All 

submissions, including copyrighted 

material, are available for inspection 

and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. 

Information on using the http://

www.regulations.gov website to submit 

comments and access the docket is 

available at the website’s ‘‘User Tips’’ 

link. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at 

(202) 693–2350, (TTY (877) 889–5627) 

for information about materials not 

available from the website, and for 

assistance in using the internet to locate 

docket submissions. 

V. Authority and Signature 

Loren Sweatt, Principal Deputy 

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. 1–2012 (77 FR 3912). 

Signed at Washington, DC, on December 

18, 2020. 

Loren Sweatt, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor 

for Occupational Safety and Health. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28371 Filed 12–22–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–26–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration 

[Docket No. OSHA–2011–0056] 

Voluntary Protection Programs 

Information; 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 the proposal to 

extend the Office of Management and 

Budget’s (OMB) approval of the 

information collection requirements 

contained in Voluntary Protection 

Programs Information. 

DATES: Comments must be submitted 

(postmarked, sent, or received) by 

February 22, 2021. 

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–2011–0056, 

Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration, U.S. Department of 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
84008 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 23, 2020 / Notices 

Labor, Room N–3653, 200 Constitution 

Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. 

Please note: While OSHA’s Docket 

Office is continuing to accept and 

process submissions by regular mail, 

due to the COVID–19 pandemic, the 

Docket Office is closed to the public and 

not able to received submissions to the 

docket by hand, express mail, 

messenger, and courier service. 

Instructions: All submissions must 

include the agency name and the OSHA 

docket number (OSHA–2011–0056) for 

the Information Collection Request 

(ICR). All comments, including any 

personal information you provide, such 

as social security numbers and date of 

birth, 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 above 

address. 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 from the website. All 

submissions, including copyrighted 

material, are available for inspection 

and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. 

You may also contact Theda Kenney at 

the below phone number to obtain a 

copy of the ICR. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Seleda Perryman or Theda Kenney, 

Directorate of Standards and Guidance, 

OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor; 

telephone (202) 693–2222. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The Department of Labor, as part of 

the 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) 

[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 information 

collection burden is accurate. The 

Occupational Safety and Health Act of 

1970 (OSH Act) (29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.) 

authorizes information collection by 

employers as necessary or appropriate 

for enforcement of the OSH Act or for 

developing information regarding the 

causes and prevention of occupational 

injuries, illnesses, and accidents (29 

U.S.C. 657). 

The Voluntary Protection Programs 

(VPP) [47 FR 29025], adopted by OSHA, 

established the efficacy of cooperative 

action among government, industry, and 

labor to address employee safety and 

health issues and to expand employee 

protection. To qualify, employers must 

meet OSHA’s safety and health 

management criteria which focus on 

comprehensive management programs 

and active employee involvement to 

prevent or control worksite safety and 

health hazards. Employers who qualify 

generally view OSHA standards as a 

minimum level of safety and health 

performance, and set their own more 

stringent standards, wherever necessary, 

to improve employee protection. 

Prospective VPP worksites must submit 

an application that includes: 

• General applicant information (e.g., 

site, corporate, and collective bargaining 

contact information). 

• Injury and illness rate performance 

information (i.e., number of employees 

and/or applicable contractors on-site, 

type of work performed and products 

produced, North American Industry 

Classification System (NAICS), and 

Recordable Injury and Illness Case 

Incidence Rate information. 

• Safety and health management 

program information (i.e., description of 

the applicant’s safety and health 

management programs) including how 

the programs successfully addresses 

management leadership and employee 

involvement, worksite analysis, hazard 

prevention and control, and safety and 

health training OSHA uses this 

information to determine whether an 

applicant is ready for a VPP on-site 

evaluation and as a verification tool 

during VPP on-site evaluations. Without 

this information, OSHA would be 

unable to determine which sites are 

ready for VPP status. 

Each current VPP applicant is also 

required to submit an annual evaluation 

which addresses how that applicant is 

continuing the adherence to 

programmatic requirements. In 2008, 

OSHA modified procedures for VPP 

applicants, OSHA on-site evaluation, 

and annual participant self-evaluation 

for applicants/participants subject to 

OSHA’s Process Safety Management 

(PSM) Standard. Applicants that 

perform works that use or produce 

highly hazardous chemical exceeding 

specified limits covered under the PSM 

standard must submit responses to the 

PSM application supplement along with 

their VPP application. 

Once in the VPP, the participant is 

required to submit an annual evaluation 

detailing the continued adherence to 

programmatic requirements. Applicants 

covered under the PSM standard are 

required to submit a PSM questionnaire 

a supplemental document as part of 

their annual submission. OSHA needs 

this information to ensure that the 

participant remains qualified to 

participate in the VPP between the onsite evaluations. Without this 

information, OSHA would be unable to 

determine whether applicants are 

maintaining excellent safety and health 

management programs during this 

interim period. 

In 2009, with the publication of the 

Federal Register Notice (FRN), VPP 

revised the traditional focus on 

individual fixed worksites (site-based) 

by adding two new ways to participate: 

mobile workforce and corporate. A 

significant reorganization of the 

program helps clarify the multiple 

participation options now available. 

Employees of VPP participants may 

apply to participate in the Special 

Government Employee (SGE) Program. 

The SGE Program offers private and 

public sector safety and health 

professionals and other qualified 

participants the opportunity to 

exchange ideas, gain new perspectives, 

and grow professionally while serving 

as full-fledged team members on 

OSHA’s VPP on-site evaluations. In that 

capacity, SGEs may review company 

documents, assist with worksite 

walkthroughs, interview employees, and 

assist in preparing VPP on-site 

evaluation reports. Potential SGEs must 

submit an application that includes: 

• SGE Eligibility Information Sheet 

(i.e., applicant’s name, professional 

credentials, site/corporate contact 

information, etc.); 

• Current Resume; 

• Optional Application for Federal 

Employment OF–612; and 

• Confidential Financial Disclosure 

Report (OGE Form 450). 

OSHA uses the SGE Eligibility 

Information Sheet to ensure that the 

potential SGE works at a VPP site and 

meets the minimum eligibility 

qualifications. The resume is required to 

provide a detailed description of their 

current duties and responsibilities as 

they relate to safety and health and the 

implementation of an effective safety 

and health management program. The 

OGE Form 450 is used to ensure that 

SGEs do not participate on on-site 

evaluations at VPP sites where they 

have a financial interest. 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 247 / Wednesday, December 23, 2020 / Notices 84009 

OSHA Challenge is designed to reach 

and guide employers and companies in 

all major industry groups who are 

strongly committed to improving their 

safety and health management programs 

and possibly pursuing recognition in the 

VPP. The Challenge Administrators 

application is used to: (1) Conduct a 

preliminary analysis of the applicant’s 

knowledge of safety and health 

management programs; and (2) make a 

determination regarding the applicant’s 

qualifications to become a Challenge 

Administrator. Once a Challenge 

Administrator is approved, the 

Administrator will review each 

challenge candidate’s application/ 

annual submissions to ensure that all 

necessary information is provided, prior 

to forwarding to OSHA’s National Office 

for acceptance and analysis. 

II. Special Issues for Comment 

OSHA has a particular interest in 

comments on the following issues: 

• Whether the information collection 

requirements are necessary for the 

proper performance of the agency’s 

functions, including whether the 

information is useful; 

• The accuracy of the agency’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 

OSHA is requesting an adjustment 

decrease of 363 burden hours from 

90,863 to 90,500 hours. The decrease is 

primarily due to the lack of Challenge 

participation, and lack of training of 

new SGE applicants and re-approval 

training of existing SGEs due to the 

negative impact of the COVID–19 

imposed on all OSHA Cooperative 

Programs. 

Type of Review: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Title: Voluntary Protection Programs 

Information. 

OMB Control Number: 1218–0239. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofits. 

Number of Respondents: 4,052. 

Total Respondents: 3,601. 

Frequency: Various. 

Estimated Total Total Burden Hours: 

90,500. 

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. 

Please note: While OSHA’s Docket 

Office is continuing to accept and 

process submissions by regular mail, 

due to the COVID–19 pandemic, the 

Docket Office is closed to the public and 

not able to receive submissions to the 

docket by hand, express mail, 

messenger, and courier service. All 

comments, attachments, and other 

material must identify the agency name 

and the OSHA docket number for the 

ICR (Docket No. OSHA–2011–0056). 

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. 

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 website. 

All submissions, including 

copyrighted material, are available for 

inspection and copying at the OSHA 

Docket Office. Information on using the 

http://www.regulations.gov website to 

submit comments and access the docket 

is available at the website’s ‘‘User Tips’’ 

link. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at 

(202) 693–2350, (TTY (877) 889–5627) 

for information about materials not 

available through the website, and for 

assistance in using the internet to locate 

docket submissions. Contact the OSHA 

Docket Office for information about 

materials not available through the 

website, and for assistance in using the 

internet to locate docket submissions. 

V. Authority and Signature 

Loren Sweatt, Principal Deputy 

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) and Secretary of Labor’s 

Order No. 1–2012 (77 FR 3912). 

Signed at Washington, DC, on December 

17, 2020. 

Loren Sweatt, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor 

for Occupational Safety and Health. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28330 Filed 12–22–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–26–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Office of Workers’ Compensation 

Programs 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Comment Request; 

Proposed Extension of Existing 

Collection; Agreement and 

Undertaking (OWCP–1) 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor 

(DOL) is soliciting comments 

concerning a proposed extension for the 

authority to conduct the information 

collection request (ICR) titled, 

‘‘Agreement and Undertaking.’’ This 

comment request is part of continuing 

Departmental efforts to reduce 

paperwork and respondent burden in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). 

DATES: Consideration will be given to all 

written comments received by February 

22, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with 

applicable supporting documentation, 

including a description of the likely 

respondents, proposed frequency of 

responses, and estimated total burden, 

may be obtained for free by contacting 

Anjanette Suggs by telephone at 202– 

354–9660 or by email at 

suggs.anjanette@dol.gov. 

Submit written comments about, or 

requests for a copy of, this ICR by mail 

or courier to the U.S. Department of 

Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation 

Program, Division of Coal Mine 

Workers’ Compensation, Room S3323, 

200 Constitution Avenue NW, 

Washington, DC 20210; by email: 

suggs.anjanette@dol.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Contact Anjanette Suggs by telephone at 

202–354–9660 or by email at 

suggs.anjanette@dol.gov. 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES