[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 232 (Friday, December 1, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75317-75318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30645]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0237(2000)]


Standard on Additional Requirements for Special Dipping and 
Coating Operations; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's 
(OMB) Approval of an Information Collection (Paperwork) Request

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 proposed extension of 
the information collection requirement contained in paragraph (g)(4) of 
the standard on Additional Requirements for Special Dipping and Coating 
Operations, 29 CFR 1910.126.
    Request for Comment: The Agency seeks comments on the following 
issues:
    <bullet> Whether the information collection requirement is 
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 requirement, 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 
transmission and collection techniques.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before January 30, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket 
No. ICR-1218-0237(2000), Occupational

[[Page 75318]]

Safety and Health Administration, 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: Theda Kenney, Directorate of Safety 
Standards Programs, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. 
Department of Labor, Room N-3609, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-2222. A copy of the Agency's 
Information collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for the 
information collection requirement contained in the standard is 
available for inspection and copying in the Docket Office, or mailed on 
request by telephoning Theda Kenney at (202) 693-2222 or Barbara 
Bielaski at (202) 693-2444. For electronic copies of the ICR, contact 
OSHA on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov/comp-links.html, and click 
on ``Information collection Requests.''

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 government 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 collection 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.)
    Paragraph (g)(4) of the standard on Additional Requirements for 
Special Dipping and Coating Operations, 29 CFR 1910.126, requires 
employers to post a conspicuous sign near each piece of electrostatic-
detearing equipment that notifies employees of the minimum safe 
distance they must maintain between goods undergoing electrostatic 
detearing and the electrodes or conductors of the equipment used in the 
process. Doing so reduces the likelihood of igniting the explosive 
chemicals used in electrostatic-detearing operations.

II. Proposed Actions

    OSHA proposes to retain its earlier estimate of zero burden hours 
for the information collection requirement specified by 29 CFR 
1910.126(g)(4). Based on past discussions with organizations dealing 
with dip tanks, OSHA determined that employers affected by this 
provision previously collected the necessary information and provided 
the required signs for the 12 or fewer pieces of this equipment still 
in use.\1\ Therefore, assuming that the signs are permanent fixtures 
that will remain indefinitely with each piece of equipment, the Agency 
concludes that this paperwork requirement currently imposes no burden 
hours or cost on the employers who operate this equipment. 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 
this information collection requirement.
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    \1\ These discussions indicate that employers are replacing 
electrostatic-detearing equipment with newer technology; therefore, 
no need exists for additional signs.
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    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information 
collection requirement.
    Title: Additional Requirements for Special Dipping and Coating 
Operations. (29 CFR 1910.126).
    OMB Number: 1218-0237.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; state, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 0.
    Frequency: Continuous.
    Average Time per Response: 0.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 0.

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

    Signed at Washington, DC, on November 21, 2000.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 00-30645 Filed 11-30-00; 8:45 am]
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