19520 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 75 / Monday, April 20, 1998 / Notices

persons who request copies by

telephoning Theda Kenney at (202) 219–

8061, extension 100, or Barbara Bielaski

at (202) 219–8076, extension 142. For

electronic copies of the Information

Collection Request on Welding, Cutting

and Brazing, contact OSHA’s WebPage

on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Occupational Safety and Health

Act of 1970 (the Act) authorizes the

promulgation of such health and safety

standards as are necessary or

appropriate to provide safe or healthful

employment and places of employment.

The statute specifically authorizes

information collection by employers as

necessary or appropriate for the

enforcement of the Act or for developing

information regarding the causes and

prevention of occupational injuries,

illnesses, and accidents.

In 29 CFR part 1910, Welding, Cutting

and Brazing, the information to be

collected is used by employers and

employees whenever resistance welding

is performed. The purpose of the

information is to ensure that employers

evaluate hazards associated with

resistance welding and ensure that

adequate measures are taken to make

the process safe.

II. Current Actions

This notice requests Office of

Management and Budget (OMB)

approval of the information collection

requirement contained in the Welding,

Cutting and Brazing standard.

Type of Review: Extension of a

Currently Approved Collection.

Agency: U.S. Department of Labor,

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration.

Title: Welding, Cutting and Brazing

(29 CFR part 1910).

OMB Number: 1218–0207.

Agency Number: Docket Number ICR–

98–21.

Affected Public: State or local

governments; Business or other forprofit.

Number of Respondents: 35,307.

Frequency: Annually.

Average Time per Response: 10

minutes (0.17 hr.).

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 6,002.

Total Annualized Capital/Startup

Costs: 0.

Signed at Washington, DC, this 10th day of

April 1998.

Charles N. Jeffress,

Assistant Secretary, Occupational Safety and

Health Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–10286 Filed 4–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–26–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

[Docket No. ICR–98–20]

Agency Information Collection

Activities; Proposed Collection;

Comment Request; Personal

Protective Equipment (29 CFR

1910.132)

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: 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/or continuing collections of

information in accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(PRA–95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This

program helps to ensure that requested

data can be provided in the desired

format, reporting burden (time and

financial resources) is minimized,

collection instruments are clearly

understood, and impact of collection

requirements on respondents can be

properly assessed. Currently, the

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA) is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed

extension of the information collection

requirements contained in the standard

on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

(29 CFR 1910.132). The Agency is

particularly interested in comments

which:

• Evaluate whether the proposed

collection of information is necessary

for the proper performance of the

functions of the Agency, including

whether the information will have

practical utility;

• Evaluate the accuracy of the

Agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used;

• Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected, and

• Minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who

are to respond, including through the

use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology,

e.g., permitting electronic submissions

of responses.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before June 19, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments are to be

submitted to the Docket Office, Docket

No. ICR–98–20, Occupational Safety

and Health Administration, U.S.

Department of Labor, Room N–2625,

200 Constitution Avenue, NW,

Washington, D.C. 20210. Telephone:

(202) 219–7894. Written comments

limited to 10 pages or less in length may

also be transmitted by facsimile to (202)

219–5046.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Theda Kenney, Directorate of Safety

Standards Programs, Occupational

Safety and Health Administration, U.S.

Department of Labor, Room N–3605,

200 Constitution Avenue, NW,

Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone:

(202) 219–8061. A copy of the

referenced information collection

request is available for inspection and

copying in the Docket Office and will be

mailed to persons who request copies by

telephoning Theda Kenney at (202) 219–

8061, extension 100, or Barbara Bielaski

at (202) 219–8076, extension 142. For

electronic copies of the Information

Collection Request on Personal

Protective Equipment (29 CFR

1910.132), contact OSHA’s WebPage on

the Internet at http://www.osha.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Occupational Safety and Health

Act of 1970 (the Act) authorizes the

promulgation of such health and safety

standards as are necessary or

appropriate to provide safe or healthful

employment and places of employment.

The statute specifically authorizes

information collection by employers as

necessary or appropriate for the

enforcement of the Act or for developing

information regarding the causes and

prevention of occupational injuries,

illnesses, and accidents.

In 29 CFR 1910.132, Personal

Protective Equipment, employers are

required to perform a hazard assessment

of the workplace and to certify that it

has been performed. They are also

required to certify that their employees

have received, and understood, PPE

training.

OSHA inspectors will require

employers to provide them with access

to information during Agency

inspections. The documents, which can

be written or computer generated, are

needed to verify that employers are in

compliance with the standard.

Additionally, the documents may be

used as a ‘‘grandfather’’ mechanism.

That is, an employer can verify that an

existing hazard assessment and/or

training program already meets the

standard. This will eliminate the need

for an employer to reassess the

workplace or retrain employees.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 75 / Monday, April 20, 1998 / Notices 19521

II. Current Actions

This notice requests Office of

Management and Budget (OMB)

approval of the information collection

requirements contained in the PPE

standard.

Type of Review: Extension of a

Currently Approved Collection.

Agency: U.S. Department of Labor,

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration.

Title: Personal Protective Equipment

(29 CFR 1910.132).

OMB Number: 1218–0205.

Agency Number: Docket Number ICR–

98–20.

Affected Public: State or local

governments; business or other forprofit.

Number of Respondents: 29,000,000.

Frequency: On occasion.

Average Time per Response: 1.5

hours.

Estimated Total Burden Hours:

21,140.

Total Annualized Capital/Startup

Costs: $0.

Signed at Washington, DC, this 10th day of

April 1998.

Charles N. Jeffress,

Assistant Secretary, Occupational Safety and

Health Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–10287 Filed 4–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–26–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Pension and Welfare Benefits

Administration

Working Group Studying PreRetirement Distributions From ERISA

Employer-Sponsored Pension Plans

Advisory Council on Employee Welfare

and Pension Benefits Plans; Notice of

Meeting

Pursuant to the authority contained in

Section 512 of the Employee Retirement

Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), 29

U.S.C. 1142, a public meeting will be

held on Tuesday, May 5, 1998 of the

new Working Group of the Advisory

Council on Employee Welfare and

Pension Benefit Plans, which will study

pre-retirement distributions, including

in-service distributions and participant

loans from ERISA employer-sponsored

pension plans, known in the pension

benefits community as ‘‘leakage.’’

The purpose of the open meeting,

which will run from 9:30 a.m. to

approximately noon on Room N–4437

C&D, U.S. Department of Labor

Building, Second and Constitution

Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210, is

for Working Group members to establish

the agenda and course of study for the

upcoming Council year on the topic.

The Working Group Chair Barbara A.

Uberti, vice president of the Wilmington

Trust Company in Wilmington, Del.,

and Vice Chair Michael R. Fanning,

chief executive officer of the Central

Pension Fund International Union of

Operating Engineers and Participating

Employers, Washington, DC, hope to

begin hearing testimony on the topic at

the first session.

Members of the public are encouraged

to file a written statement pertaining to

the topic by submitting 20 copies on or

before May 1, 1998, to Sharon

Morrissey, Executive Secretary, ERISA

Advisory Council, U.S. Department of

Labor, Room N–5677, 200 Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.

Individuals or representatives of

organizations wishing to address the

Working Group should forward their

request to the Executive Secretary or

telephone (202) 219–8753. Oral

presentations will be limited to 10

minutes, but an extended statement may

be submitted for the record. Individuals

with disabilities, who need special

accommodations, should contact Sharon

Morrissey by May 1, 1998, at the

address indicated in this notice.

Organizations or individuals also may

submit statements for the record

without testifying. Twenty (20) copies of

such statements should be sent to the

Executive Secretary of the Advisory

Council at the above address. Papers

will be accepted and included in the

record of the meeting if received on or

before May 1.

Signed at Washington, D.C. this 13th day

of April, 1998.

Olena Berg,

Assistant Secretary, Pension and Welfare

Benefits Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–10282 Filed 4–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–29–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Pension and Welfare Benefits

Administration

Working Group Studying Small

Business: How To Enhance and

Encourage the Establishment of

Pension Plans, Advisory Council on

Employee Welfare and Pension

Benefits Plans; Notice of Meeting

Pursuant to the authority contained in

Section 512 of the Employee Retirement

Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), 29

U.S.C. 1142, a public meeting will be

held Monday, May 4, 1998, of the

Advisory Council on Employee Welfare

and Pension Benefits Plans’ new

Working Group being formed to study

the obstacles to why small businesses

are not establishing retirement vehicles

for their employees when so many

different savings arrangements have

been developed and how to encourage

these same businesses to establish such

pension plans.

The session will take place in Room

N–4437 C&D, U.S. Department of Labor

Building, Second and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.

The purpose of the open meeting, which

will run from 1 p.m. to approximately

3:30 p.m., is for Working Group

members to begin organizing its study

for the year and, it is hoped, to begin

taking testimony on the topic. Named to

head the Working Group are Council

members, Dr. Thomas J. Mackell Jr.,

executive vice president of Simms

Capital Management, Inc., of

Greenwich, Conn. as chair and Eddie C.

Brown, president, Brown Capital

Management in Baltimore, Md. as vice

chair.

Members of the public are encouraged

to file a written statement pertaining to

the topic by submitting 20 copies on or

before May 1, 1998, to Sharon

Morrissey, Executive Secretary, ERISA

Advisory Council, U.S. Department of

Labor, Room N–5677, 200 Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.

Individuals or representatives of

organizations wishing to address the

Working Group should forward their

request to the Executive Secretary or

telephone (202) 219–8753. Oral

presentations will be limited to 10

minutes, but an extended statement may

be submitted for the record. Individuals

with disabilities, who need special

accommodations, should contact Sharon

Morrissey by May 1, at the address

indicated in this notice.

Organizations or individuals may also

submit statements for the record

without testifying. Twenty (20) copies of

such statements should be sent to the

Executive Secretary of the Advisory

Council at the above address. Papers

will be accepted and included in the

record of the meeting if received on or

before May 1.

Signed at Washington, D.C. this 13th day

of April, 1998.

Olena Berg,

Assistant Secretary, Pension and Welfare

Benefits Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–10283 Filed 4–17–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–29–M