[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 151 (Monday, August 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44714-44715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-6738]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0NEW-(2006)-01]


Peer Review, Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Form; Request 
for 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.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comment on the proposed Conflict of 
Interest and Disclosure Form (COI) form, which will be used to 
determine whether or not a conflict of interest exists for a potential 
peer review panel member.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:
    Hard copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) 
by October 6, 2006.
    Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be 
received by October 6, 2006.

[[Page 44715]]


ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR-
1218-0NEW-01-(2006), 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 to 4:45 p.m., e.t.
    Facsimile: If your comments are 10 pages or fewer, 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. In 
addition, the ICR, comments and submissions 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'' section in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Owen, Directorate of Standards 
and Guidance, OSHA, 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 costs) 
is minimal, collection instruments are clearly understood, and OSHA's 
estimate of the information collection burden is accurate. The 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducts peer reviews to 
review a draft product for quality by specialists in the field who were 
not involved in producting 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 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:
    <bullet> Whether the proposed information collection requirements 
are necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions, 
including whether the information is useful;
    <bullet> 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;
    <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.

III. Proposed Actions

    OSHA is requesting OMB to approve OSHA's COI form. The COI form 
would add 27 hours to OSHA's 114 million burden hour inventory. 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: New information collection requirements.
    Title: OSHA's Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Form (COI) form.
    OMB Number: 1218-0NEW.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Number of Respondents: 36.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Average Time Per Response: One half hour for respondents to 
complete Tier 1 for ``influential scientific assessments;'' and 1 hour 
for respondent to complete both Tier 1 and Tier 2 for ``highly 
influential scientific assessments.''
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 27 hours.
    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 and supporting materials in response to 
this notice by (1) hardy 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 (FFY (877) 889-5627) for information about security procedures 
concerning the delivery of submissions by express delivery, hand 
delivery, and courier 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. Since all 
submissions become public, private information such as social security 
numbers should not be submitted.

V. Authority and Signature

    Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., 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 July 31, 2006.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 06-6738 Filed 7-4-06; 8:45 am]
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