[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 106 (Thursday, June 1, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35127-35128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-13696]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0108(2000)]


Ethylene Oxide (EtO) Standard (29 CFR 1910.1047); Extension of 
the Office of Management of Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information-
Collection (Paperwork) Requirements

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); Labor.

ACTION:  Notice of an opportunity for public comment.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning the extension of the 
information-collection requirements contained in the Ethylene Oxide 
Standard (the ``EtO Standard'') (29 CFR 1910.1047).

Request For Comment

    The Agency has a particular interest in comments on the following 
issues:
    <bullet> Whether the information-collection requirements are 
necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions, 
including whether the information is useful;
    <bullet> 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;
    <bullet> The quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
collected; and
    <bullet> Ways to minimize the burden on employers who must comply; 
for example, by using automated or other technological information-
collection and -transmission techniques.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before July 31, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0108(2000), Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 
U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-2350. Commenters may 
transmit written comments of 10 pages or less in length by facsimile to 
(202) 693-1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd R. Owen, Directorate of Policy, 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Room N-3641, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC; 
telephone: (202) 693-2444. A copy of the Agency's Information-
Collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for the information-
collection requirements in the EtO Standard is available for inspection 
and copying in the Docket Office, or you may request a mailed copy by 
telephoning Todd R. Owen at (202) 693-2444. For electronic copies of 
the ICR on the EtO Standard, contact OSHA on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:   

I. Background

    The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation 
program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 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.(c)(2)(A)). This program ensures that 
information is in the desired format, reporting burden (time and costs) 
is minimal, collection instruments clearly understood, and OSHA's 
estimate of the information burden is correct. The Occupational Safety 
and Health Act of the 1970 (the

[[Page 35128]]

Act) authorizes information colelction 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 information-collection requirements specificied in the EtO 
Standard protect employees from the adverse health effects that may 
result from their exposure to EtO. The major information-collection 
requirements of the EtO Standard include notifying employees of their 
EtO exposures, implementing a written compliance program, providing 
examining physicians with specific information, ensuring that employees 
receive a copy of their medical-examination results, maintaining 
employees' exposure-monitoring and medical records for specific 
periods, and providing access to these records by OSHA, the National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the affected employees, 
and their authorized representatives.

II Proposed Actions

    OSHA proposed to increase the existing burden-hour estimate, and to 
extend OMB's approval, of the collection-of-information (paperwork) 
requirements contained in the EtO Standard. The Agency is increasing 
its previous estimate, 50,300 hours, by 989 hours. This increase 
occurred because of the increase in the number of hospitals using EtO 
sterilizers. OSHA will summarize the commentss submitted in response to 
this notice, and will include this summary in the request to OMB to 
extend the approval of the information-collection requirements 
contained in the EtO Standard.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information-
collection requirements.
    Title: Ethylene Oxide Standard (29 CFR 1910.1047).
    OMB Number: 1218-0108.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Federal government; 
State, Local or Tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 5,782.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Total Responses: 232,564.
    Average Time per Response: Varies from 5 minutes to provide 
information to the examining physician to 10 hours to develop a 
compliance plan.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 51,289.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $7,074,850.

III. Authority and Signature

    Charles N. Jeffress, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational 
Safety and Health, directed the prepreation 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 6-96 (62 FR 111).

    Signed at Washington, D.C., on May 25, 2000.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 00-13696 Filed 5-31-00; 8:45 am]
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