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###### Department of Labor

###### Occupational Safety and Health Administration

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

# AGENCY:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); Labor.

# ACTION:

 Notice of an opportunity for public comment.

# 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:
      - 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.

# 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                           ( print 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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