[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 188 (Wednesday, September 27, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 58109]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-24807]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0145(2000)]


Formaldehyde Standard; 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: Notice of an opportunity for public comment.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning the increased burden hours 
proposed for, and the extension of, the information-collection 
requirements contained in its Formaldehyde Standard (29 CFR 1910.1048).
    Request for Comment: The Agency has a particular interest in 
comments on the following issues:
    <bullet> Whether the information-collection requirements are 
necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions, 
including whether the information is useful;
    <bullet> The accuracy of the Agency'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.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before November 27, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0145(2000), OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-
2350. Commenters may transmit written comments of 10 pages or less in 
length by facsimile to (202) 693-1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd R. Owen, Directorate of Policy, 
OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3641, 200 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-2444. A copy of the 
Agency's Information-Collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for 
the information-collection requirements specified by the Formaldehyde 
Standard is available for inspection and copying in the Docket Office, 
or you may request a mailed copy by telephoning Todd Owen at (202) 693-
2444. For electronic copies of this ICR, contact OSHA on the Internet 
at http://www.osha.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation 
program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 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 burden is correct. The Occupational Safety 
and Health Act of 1970 (the Act) 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 information-collection requirements specified in the 
Formaldehyde Standard protect employees from the adverse health effects 
that may result from their exposure to this hazardous chemical.The 
major information-collection requirements of the standard address: 
Monitoring employee exposures to formaldehyde; notifying employees of 
their exposure levels; providing examining physicians with specific 
information; ensuring that employees receive a copy of their medical-
examination results; training; maintaining employees' exposure-
monitoring and medical records for specified periods; and providing 
OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the 
affected employees, and their authorized representatives with access to 
these records.

II. Proposed Actions

    OSHA proposes to increase the existing burden hours specified for, 
and to extend OMB's approval of, the collection-of-information 
(paperwork) requirements contained in its Formaldehyde Standard. The 
Agency is increasing its previous burden-hour estimate of 521,110 hours 
by 57,334 hours. This adjustment occurred because the Agency is 
including burden hours for training in the burden-hour estimates, and 
is also increasing the number of employees estimated to receive the 
required medical examinations. The Agency 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 contained in the Formaldehyde Standard.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information-
collection requirements.
    Title: Formaldehyde Standard (29 CFR 1910.1048).
    OMB Number: 1218-0145.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; 
Federal government; State, Local, or Tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 67,619.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Total Responses: 4,808,412.
    Average Time per Response: Varies from 5 minutes for an employer to 
maintain exposure-monitoring and medical records for each employee, to 
1 hour for an employee to receive a medical examination.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 578,444 hours.
    Estimated Cost (Operation Maintenance): $65,639,922.

III. Authority and Signature

    Charles N. Jeffress, 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) and Secretary of Labor's Order No. 3-2000 (65 FR 50017).

    Signed at Washington, DC on September 21, 2000.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 00-24807 Filed 9-26-00; 8:45 am]
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