[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1128-1130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00198]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2010-0025]


Hydrostatic Testing Provision of the Standard on Portable Fire 
Extinguishers; Extension of 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 comments.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comments concerning the proposal to 
extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the 
information collection requirements specified in the Hydrostatic 
Testing Provision of the Standard on Portable Fire Extinguishers.

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
March 11, 2024.

ADDRESSES: 

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    Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments 
electronically at http://www.regualtions.gov, which is the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for submitting 
comments.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov. Documents in the docket 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 through the OSHA 
Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY 
(877) 889-5627) for assistance in locating docket submissions.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and OSHA 
docket number (OSHA-2010-0025) for the Information Collection Request 
(ICR). OSHA will place all comments, including any personal 
information, in the public docket, which may be made available online. 
Therefore, OSHA cautions interested parties about submitting personal 
information such as social security numbers and birthdates.
    For further information on submitting comments, see the ``Public 
Participation'' heading in the section of this notice titled 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Seleda Perryman or Theda Kenney, 
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 the 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) (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, 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 (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 (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 maximum extent feasible unnecessary duplication of effort in 
obtaining information (29 U.S.C. 657).
    The following sections describe who uses the information collected 
under each requirement, as well as how they use it.
    The collection of information contained in the Hydrostatic Testing 
Provision of the Portable Fire Extinguishers Standard are necessary to 
reduce workers' risk of death or serious injury by ensuring that 
portable fire extinguishers are in safe operating condition. The 
following paragraphs describe who uses the information in the testing 
certification record, as well as how they use it.

Test Records (Sec.  1910.157(f)(16))

    Paragraph (f)(16) requires employers to develop and maintain a 
certification record of hydrostatic testing of portable fire 
extinguishers. The certification record must include the date of 
inspection, the signature of the person who performed the test, and the 
serial number (or other identifier) of the fire extinguisher that was 
tested.

Disclosure of Test Certification Records

    The certification record must be made available to the Assistant 
Secretary or his/her representative upon request. The certification 
record provides assurance to employers, workers, and OSHA compliance 
officers that the fire extinguishers have been hydrostatically tested 
in accordance with and at the intervals specified in Sec.  
1910.157(f)(16), thereby ensuring that they will operate properly in 
the event workers need to use them. Additionally, these records provide 
the most efficient means for the compliance officers to determine that 
an employer is complying with the hydrostatic testing provision.

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 to 
protect workers, 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 that OMB extend the approval of the information 
collection requirements contained in Hydrostatic Testing Provision of 
the Standard on Portable Fire Extinguishers. OSHA will retain the 
current number of burden hours of 504,377 for this Information 
Collection Request. There are no adjustments or program changes.
    OSHA will summarize the comments 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.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Title: Hydrostatic Testing Provision of the Standard on Portable 
Fire Extinguishers (29 CFR 1910.157(f)(16)).
    OMB Control Number: 1219-0218.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profits, farms.
    Number of Respondents: 5,869,911.
    Number of Responses: 5,217,699.
    Frequency of Responses: On occasion.
    Average Time per Response: Varies.
    Estimate Total Burden Hours: 504,377.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $210,664,596.

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), if your comments, including 
attachments, are not longer than 10 pages you may fax them to the OSHA 
Docket Office at 202-693-1648; or (3) by hard copy. All comments, 
attachments, and other material must identify the agency name and the 
OSHA docket number for the ICR (OSHA-1218-0218). You may supplement 
electronic submissions by uploading document files electronically.
    Comments and submissions are posted without change at http://www.regulation.gov. Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about 
submitting personal information such as social security numbers and 
dates of birth. Although all submissions are listed in

[[Page 1130]]

the http://www.regulations.gov index, some information (e.g., 
copyrighted material) is not publicly available to read or download 
from 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 at (202) 693-2350, (TTY 
(877) 889-5627) for information about materials not available from the 
website, and for assistance in using the internet to locate docket 
submissions.

V. Authority and Signature

    James S. Frederick, 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. 8-2020 
(85 FR 58393).

    Signed at Washington, DC.
James S. Frederick,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2024-00198 Filed 1-8-24; 8:45 am]
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