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###### Department of Labor

###### Occupational Safety and Health Administration

          - [Docket No. OSHA-2007-0022]

# AGENCY:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

# ACTION:

Request for public comment. 

# SUMMARY:

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend OBM approval of the information collection requirements contained in its Noise Standard (29 CFR 1910.95). The information collection requirements specified in the Noise Standard protect employees from suffering material hearing impairment.

# DATES:

Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by June 26, 2007.

# 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 loner 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-2007-0022, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, 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 for the ICR (OSHA-2007-0022). 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 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 also may contact Jamaa N. Hill at the address below to obtain a copy of the ICR.                    

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jamaa N. 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 (PRA-95) (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 OSH 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 OSH Act also requires that OSHA obtain such information with minimum burden upon employers, especially those operating small businesses, and to reduce to the extent feasible unnecessary duplication of efforts in obtaining information (29 U.S.C. 657).                

The information collection requirements specified in the Noise Standard protect employees from suffering material hearing impairment. The information collection requirements of the Noise Standard include conducting noise monitoring; notifying employees when they are exposed at or above an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels; providing employees with initial and annual audiograms; notifying employees of a loss in hearing based on comparing audiograms; training employees on the effects of noise, hearing protectors, and audiometric examinations; maintaining records of workplace noise exposure and employee audiograms; and allowing employees, OSHA, and NIOSH access to materials and records required by the Standard.

## II. Special Issues for Comments

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 to protect employees, 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

The Agency is requesting a reduction in burden hours from 5.18 million to an estimated 2.85 million. The reduction is a result of reducing the number of participating employers and employees in manufacturing industries by 25%. OSHA will summarize the comments submitted in response to this notice, and will include this summary in the request to OMB.

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

*Title:*                     Noise Standard (29 CFR 1910.95).                

*OMB Number:*                     1218-0048.                          ( print page 21055)    

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

*Number of Respondents:*                     379,512.                

*Frequency:*                     On occasion; annually.                

*Total Responses:*                     16,610,221.                

*Average Time per Response:*                     Varies from 2 minutes to notify employees when noise exposure exceeds the 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels to 1 hour for employees in small establishments to take audiometric examinations.                 

*Estimated Total Burden Hours:*                     2,853,730 hours.                 

*Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance):*                     $40,993,579.                

## 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; 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-2007-0022). You may supplement electronic materials by uploading document files electronically. If you wish to mail additional materials in reference to an electronic or a 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 full name, date, and 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 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 coyrighted 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

                    Edwin G. Goulke, 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 April 23, 2007. 

Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.

[FR Doc. 07-2081 Filed 4-26-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-26-M