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###### Department of Labor

###### Occupational Safety and Health Administration

          - [Docket No. ICR-1218-0190(2006)]

# AGENCY:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

# ACTION:

Request for public comment. 

# SUMMARY:

OSHA solicits public comment concerning its request for an extension of the information collection requirements specified by its standards on Electrical Protective Equipment (29 CFR 1910.137) and Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution (29 CFR 1910.269).

# DATES:

Comments must be submitted by the following dates:

*Hard copy:*                         Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) by November 13, 2006.                    

*Facsimile and electronic transmission:*                         Your comments must be received by November 13, 2006.                    

# ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR-1218-0190(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 am. 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 Theda Kenney 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:

Theda Kenney 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 costs) 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 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). The Act also requires that OSHA obtain such information with minimum burden upon employers, especially those operating small businesses, and to reduce to the maximum extent feasible unnecessary duplication of efforts in obtaining information (29 U.S.C. 657).                 

### Electrical Protective Equipment Standard (§ 1910.137)

*Testing Certification*                     (§ 1910.137(b)(2)(xii)).                

                    Employers must certify that the electrical protective equipment used by their employees have passed the tests specified in paragraphs (b)(2)(viii), (b)(2)(ix), and (b)(2)(xi) of the standard. The certification must identify the equipment that passed the tests and the dates of the tests. This provision ensures that electrical protective equipment is reliable and safe for employee use and will provide adequate protection against electrical hazards. In addition, certification enables OSHA to determine                           ( print page 54310)                        if employers are in compliance with the equipment-testing requirements of the standard.                

### Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Standard (§ 1910.269)

*Training Certification*                     (§ 1910.269(a)(2)(vii)).                

This provision requires employers to certify that each employee received the training specified in paragraph (a)(2) of the standard. Employers must provide certification after an employee demonstrates proficiency in the work practices involved. 

The training conducted under paragraph (a)(2) of the standard must ensure that: Employees are familiar with the safety-related work practices, safety procedures, and other procedures, as well as any additional safety requirements in the standard that pertain to their respective job assignments; employees are familiar with any other safety practices, including applicable emergency procedures (such as pole top and manhole rescue), addressed specifically by this standard that relate to their work and are necessary for their safety; and qualified employees have the skills and techniques necessary to distinguish exposed live parts from other parts of electric equipment, can determine the nominal voltage of the exposed live parts, know the minimum approach distances specified by the standard for voltages when exposed to them, and understand the proper use of special precautionary techniques, personal protective equipment, insulating and shielding materials, and insulated tools for working on or near exposed and energized parts of electric equipment.

Employees must receive additional training or retraining if: the supervision and annual inspections required by the standard indicate that they are not complying with the required safety-related work practices; new technology or equipment, or revised procedures, require the use of safety-related work practices that differ from their usual safety practices; and they use safety-related work practices that are different than their usual safety practices while performing job duties.

The training requirements of this standard inform employees of the safety hazards of electrical exposure and provide them with the understanding required to minimize these safety hazards. In addition, employees received proper training in safety-related work practices, safety procedures, and other safety requirements specified in the standard. The required training, therefore, provides information to employees that enables them to recognize how and where electrical exposures occur, and what steps to take, including work practices, to limit such exposure. The certification requirement specified by paragraph (a)(2)(vii) of the standard helps employers monitor the training their employees received and helps OSHA determine if employers provided the required training to their employees.

## 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 OMB to extend their approval of the collection of information requirements contained in the standards on Electrical Protective Equipment (29 CFR 1910.137) and Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution (29 CFR 1910.269). The Agency is requesting an increase in burden hours for the existing collection of information requirements from 22,685 to 30,533 (a total increase of 7,848 hours). The Agency will summarize the comments submitting in response to this notice, and will include this summary in its request to OMB.

*Type of Review:*                     Extension of currently approved information collection requirements.                

*Title:*                     Electrical Protective Equipment (29 CFR 1910.137) and Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution (29 CFR 1910.269).                

*OMB Number:*                     1218-0190.                

*Affected Public:*                     Business or other for-profit.                

*Number of Respondents:*                     20,765.                

*Frequency:*                     On occasion; Semi-annually; Annually.                

*Average Time per Response:*                     Varies from one minute (.02 hour) for a clerical employee to maintain training certification records to 15 minutes (.25 hour) to test a batch of gloves or sleeves.                

*Estimated Total Burden Hours:*                     30,533.                

*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) hard 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 (TTY (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 September 8, 2006.

Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,

Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 06-7662 Filed 9-13-06; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-26-M