65008 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 211 / Tuesday, October 31, 2000 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

[Docket No. ICR–1218–0133(2001)]

Asbestos in General Industry

Standard; Extension of the Office of

Management of Budget’s Approval of

Information-Collection (Paperwork)

Requirements

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice of an opportunity for

public comment.

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public

comment concerning its request for an

extension of the information-collection

requirements contained in its Asbestos

in General Industry Standard at 29 CFR

1910.1001 (the ‘‘Standard’’).

Request for Comment: The Agency

has a particular interest in comments on

the following issues:

• Whether the information-collection

requirements are necessary for the

proper performance of the Agency’s

functions, including whether the

information is useful;

• 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;

• 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.

DATES: Submit written comments on or

before January 2, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

to the Docket Office, Docket No. ICR–

1218–0133(2001), 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 informationcollection requirements specified by the

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 basic purpose of the informationcollection requirements in the Standard

is to provide employees with

information necessary for them to

determine that they are receiving the

required protection from hazardous

asbestos exposure. Asbestos exposure

results in asbestosis, an emphysema-like

condition; mesothelioma; and

gastrointestinal cancer.

Several provisions of the Standard

specify paperwork requirements,

including: Implementing an exposure

monitoring program that notifies

employees of their exposure-monitoring

results; establishing a written

compliance program; and informing

laundry personnel of the requirement to

prevent release of airborne asbestos

above the time-weighted average and

excursion limit. Other provisions

associated with paperwork requirements

include: Maintaining records of

information obtained concerning the

presence, location, and quantity of

asbestos-containing materials (ACMs)

and/or presumed asbestos-containing

materials (PACMs) in a building/facility;

notifying housekeeping employees of

the presence and location of ACMs and

PACMs in areas they may contact

during their work; posting warning

signs demarcating regulated areas;

posting signs in mechanical rooms/areas

that employees may enter and that

contain ACMs and PACMs, informing

them of the identity and location of

these materials and work practices that

prevent disturbing the materials; and

affixing warning labels to asbestoscontaining products and to containers

holding such products. Additional

provisions that contain paperwork

requirements include: Developing

specific information and training

programs for employees; using

information, data, and analyses to

demonstrate that PACM does not

contain asbestos; providing medical

surveillance for employees potentially

exposed to ACMs and/or PACMs,

including administering an employee

medical questionnaire, providing

information to the examining physician,

and providing the physician’s written

opinion to the employee; maintaining

exposure-monitoring records, objective

data used for exposure determinations,

and medical-surveillance; making

specified records (e.g., exposuremonitoring and medical-surveillance

records) available to designated parties;

and transferring exposure-monitoring

and medical-surveillance records to the

National Institute for Occupational

Safety and Health on cessation of

business.

These paperwork requirements permit

employers, employees and their

designated representatives, OSHA, and

other specified parties to determine the

effectiveness of an employer’s asbestoscontrol program. Accordingly, the

requirements ensure that employees

exposed to asbestos receive all of the

protection afforded by the Standard.

II. Proposed Actions

OSHA proposes to extend the Office

of Management and Budget’s (OMB)

approval of the collection-ofinformation (paperwork) requirements

contained in the Standard. The Agency

will summarize the comments

submitted in response to this notice,

and will include this summary in its

request to OMB to extend the approval

of these information-collection

requirements.

Type of Review: Extension of

currently approved informationcollection requirements.

Title: Asbestos in General Industry (29

CFR 1910.1001).

OMB Number: 1218–0133.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations; Federal, State,

Local, or Tribal governments.

Number of Respondents: 233.

Frequency: On occasion.

Average Time per Response: Varies

from 5 minutes to maintain records to

1.5 hours for employee training or

medical evaluation.

Estimated Total Burden Hours:

35,523.

Estimated Cost (Operation and

Maintenance): $1,625,143.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 211 / Tuesday, October 31, 2000 / Notices 65009

1Class I asbestos work involves removing:

Thermal-system insulation (i.e., ACM applied to

pipes, fittings, boilers, breeching, tanks, ducts or

other structural components used to prevent heat

loss or gain.) and surfacing ACMs and PACMs.

Class II asbestos work involves removing ACM that

is not thermal-system insulation or surfacing

material. Such material includes, but is not limited

to, asbestos-containing wallboard, floor tile and

sheeting, roofing and siding shingles, and

construction mastics.

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 October 26,

2000.

Charles N. Jeffress,

Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 00–27921 Filed 10–30–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–26–U

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

[Docket No. ICR–1218–0195(2001)]

Asbestos in Shipyards Standard;

Extension of the Office of Management

and Budget’s Approval of InformationCollection (Paperwork) Requirements

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice of an opportunity for

public comment.

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public

comment concerning its request for an

extension of the information-collection

requirements contained in its Asbestos

in Shipyard Standard at 29 CFR

1915.1001 (the ‘‘Standard’’).

REQUEST FOR COMMENT: The Agency has

a particular interest in comments on the

following issues:

• Whether the information-collection

requirements are necessary for the

proper performance of the Agency’s

functions, including whether the

information is useful;

• 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;

• 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.

DATES: Submit written comments on or

before January 2, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

to the Docket Office, Docket No. ICR–

1218–0195(2001), 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 informationcollection requirements specified by the

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 basic purpose of the informationcollection requirements in the Standard

is to provide employees with

information necessary for them to

determine that they are receiving the

required protection from hazardous

asbestos exposure. Asbestos exposure

results in asbestosis, an emphysema-like

condition; mesothelioma; and

gastrointestinal cancer.

Several provisions of the Standard

specify paperwork requirements,

including: Implementing an exposuremonitoring program that informs

employees of their exposure-monitoring

results; and, at multi-employer

worksites, notification of other onsite

employers by employers establishing

regulated areas of the type of work

performed with asbestos-containing

materials (ACMs) and/or presumed

asbestos-containing materials (PACMs),

the requirements that pertain to

regulated areas, and the measures they

can use to protect their employees from

asbestos overexposure. Other provisions

associated with paperwork requirements

include: Evaluating and certifying

alternative control methods for Class I

and Class II asbestos work and, for Class

I asbestos work, a requirement to send

a copy of the evaluation and

certification to the OSHA national

office; 1 informing laundry personnel of

the requirement to prevent release of

airborne asbestos above the timeweighted average and excursion limit;

notification by employers and building/

facility owners of designated personnel

and employees regarding the presence,

location, and quantity of ACMs and/or

PACMs; using information, data, and

analyses to demonstrate that PACM

does not contain asbestos; posting signs

in mechanical rooms/areas that

employees may enter and that contain

ACMs and PACMs, informing them of

the identity and location of these

materials and work practices that

prevent disturbing the materials; posting

warning signs demarcating regulated

areas; and affixing warning labels to

asbestos-containing products and to

containers holding such products.

Additional provisions of the Standard

that contain paperwork requirements

include: Developing specific

information and training programs for

employees; providing medical

surveillance for employees potentially

exposed to ACMs and/or PACMs,

including administering an employee

medical questionnaire, providing

information to the examining physician,

and providing the physician’s written

opinion to the employee; maintaining

records of objective data used for

exposure determinations, employee

exposure-monitoring and medicalsurveillance records, training records,

the record (i.e., information, data, and

analyses) used to demonstrate that

PACM does not contain asbestos, and

notifications made and received by

building/facility owners regarding the

content of ACMs and PACMs; making

specified records (e.g., exposuremonitoring and medical-surveillance

records) available to designated parties;

and transferring exposure-monitoring

and medical-surveillance records to the