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###### Department of Labor

###### Occupational Safety and Health Administration

          - [Docket No. OSHA-2009-0042]

# AGENCY:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

# ACTION:

Request for public comment.

# SUMMARY:

OSHA solicits comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the Conflict of Interest (COI) and Disclosure Form which is used to determine whether or not a conflict of interest exists for a potential peer review panel member.

      ( print page 7523)    

# DATES:

Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by April 20, 2010.

# 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 three copies of your comments and attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2009-0042, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Ave., 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 (OSHA-2009-0042). 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 to 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 contact Jamaa Hill at the address below to obtain a copy of the Information Collection Request (ICR).                    

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jamaa Hill 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 cost) 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 the 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).                

OSHA conducts peer reviews to review a draft product for quality by specialists in the field who were not involved in producing the draft. The selection of participants in a peer review is based on expertise, with due consideration of independence. The Office of Management and Budget published the Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review on December 15, 2004. The Bulletin states “* * * the agency must address reviewers' potential conflicts of interest (including those stemming from ties to regulated businesses and other stakeholders) and independence from the agency.” The Bulletin requires agencies to adopt or adapt the committee selection policies employed by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) when selecting peer reviewers who are not Government employees. To fulfill this requirement, OSHA has developed a Conflict of Interest (COI) and Disclosure Form, based on NAS' Conflict of Interest Disclosure form. This form will be used to determine whether or not a conflict exists for a potential peer review panel member.

## 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 requirement, 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 proposes to extend OMB's approval of the COI form; thus, retaining OSHA's current burden hour estimate of 27 hours. The Agency will summarize the comments submitted in response to this notice, and will include this summary in its request to OMB.

*Type of Review:*                     Extension of a currently approved collection.                

*Title:*                     OSHA's Conflict of Interest (COI) and Disclosure Form.                

*OMB Number:*                     1218-0255.                

*Affected Public:*                     Individuals or households.                

*Number of Respondents:*                     36.                

*Frequency of Responses:*                     On occasion.                

*Average Time per Response:*                     One half hour (.5 hour) for respondents to complete Tier 1 for “influential scientific assessments;” and 1 hour for respondents to complete both Tier 1 and Tier 2 for “highly influential scientific assessments.”                

*Estimated Total Burden Hours:*                     27.                

*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-2009-0042). 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                           ( print page 7524)                        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, PhD, MPH, 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. 5-2007 (72 FR 31159).                

Signed at Washington, DC, this February 4, 2010.

David Michaels,

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.

[FR Doc. 2010-3253 Filed 2-18-10; 8:45 am]

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