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###### Department of Labor

###### Occupational Safety and Health Administration

          - [Docket No. OSHA-2012-0002]

# AGENCY:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

# ACTION:

Request for public comments.

# SUMMARY:

OSHA solicits public comments concerning the proposal to extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Asbestos in Construction Standard.

# DATES:

Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by August 13, 2018.

# 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 longer 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 a copy of your comments and attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2012-0002, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3653, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger, and courier service) are accepted during the OSHA Docket Office's normal business hours, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET.                    

*Instructions:*                         All submissions must include the Agency name and the OSHA docket number (OSHA-2012-0002) for the Information Collection Request (ICR). 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 above address. 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 website. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. You may also contact Christie Garner at (202) 693-2222 to obtain a copy of the ICR.                    

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas Mockler or Christie Garner, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, 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 process 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, the reporting burden (time and costs) is minimal, the 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 OSH Act or for developing information regarding the causes and prevention of occupational injuries, illnesses, and accidents (see 29 U.S.C. 657). The OSH Act also requires OSHA to obtain such information with a minimum burden upon employers, especially those operating small businesses, and to reduce to the maximum extent feasible unnecessary duplication of effort in obtaining said information (see 29 U.S.C. 657).                

## 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.

                    The Asbestos in Construction Standard (29 CFR 1926.1101) protects workers from adverse health effects arising from workplace exposure to asbestos, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis (an emphysema-like condition) and gastrointestinal cancer. The standard requires employers to monitor worker exposure, provide medical surveillance, and maintain accurate records of worker exposure to asbestos. These records will be used by employers, workers, and the                           ( print page 27801)                        Government to ensure that workers are not harmed by exposure to asbestos in the workplace.                

The Agency is requesting a burden hour adjustment decrease of 115,504 (from 3,881,183 hours to 3,765,679). Using updated data, and the fact that much of the remediation of asbestos products has likely taken place, the Agency estimates a decrease in employment from 1,338,403 to 1,301,735 workers. Also, the number of employers has decreased from 1,046,897 to 1,018,215.

## III. Proposed Actions

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

*Title:*                     Asbestos in Construction Standard (29 CFR 1926.1101).                

*OMB Control Number:*                     1218-0134.                

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

*Number of Respondents:*                     1,018,215.                

*Frequency:*                     On occasion.                

*Average Time per Response:*                     Varies.                

*Estimated Number of Responses:*                     38,279,930.                

*Estimated Total Burden Hours:*                     3,765,679.                

*Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance):*                     $35,917,810.                

## 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 (fax); or (3) by hard copy. All comments, attachments, and other material must identify the Agency name and the OSHA docket number (Docket No. OSHA-2012-0002) for the ICR. You may supplement electronic submissions by uploading document files electronically. If you wish to mail additional materials in reference to an electronic or 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 electronic comments by your name, date, and the docket number so that 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 dates 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 website. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. Information on using the                     *http://www.regulations.gov*                     website to submit comments and access the docket is available at the website's “User Tips” link. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for information about materials not available through the website, and for assistance in using the internet to locate docket submissions.                

## V. Authority and Signature

                    Loren Sweatt, Deputy 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. 1-2012 (77 FR 3912).                

Signed at Washington, DC, on June 8, 2018.

Loren Sweatt,  

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. 

[FR Doc. 2018-12792 Filed 6-13-18; 8:45 am]

 BILLING CODE 4510-26-P