27596 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 96 /Tuesday, May 19, 1998 / Notices

• 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 July 20, 1998.

ADDRESSEE: Comments are to be

submitted to the Docket Office, Docket

No. ICR–98–24, 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, DC 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 Fire Brigades (29

CFR 1910.156), 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.

Fighting fires as a member of a fire

brigade presents a significant risk of

harm to an employee. In fact, fire

fighting continues to be one of the

Nation’s most hazardous occupations.

To mitigate the risks of employees

fighting fires, OSHA developed a

standard for fire brigades in 1980. The

Fire Brigade standard does not require

the employer to organize a fire brigade.

However, if the employer does decide to

organize a fire brigade, the provisions of

the standard must be met.

There are various types of fire

brigades. Some fire brigades merely

monitor and assist in evacuation, others

perform incipient fire fighting, while

others perform Interior structural fire

fighting. The tasks, responsibility,

training, and personal protective

equipment needs differ according to the

type of fire brigade organized at the

workplace. Therefore, 29 CFR 1910.156,

requires employers who have fire

brigades to develop and maintain an

organizational statement which defines

the type of fire brigade being organized

and describes the functions that the

employer expects the fire brigade to

perform.

II. Current Actions

This notice requests Office of

Management and Budget (OMB)

approval of the information collection

requirements contained in the Fire

Brigade standard.

Type of Review: Extension of a

Currently Approved Collection.

Agency: U.S. Department of Labor,

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration.

Title: Fire Brigades (Organizational

Statement) (29 CFR 1910.156).

OMB Number: 1218–0075.

Agency Number: Docket Number ICR–

98–24.

Affected Public: State or local

governments; Business or other forprofit.

Number of Respondents: 1,670.

Frequency: Initially, On Occasion.

Average Time per Response: 5

minutes (0.8 hr.).

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 172.

Total Annualized Capital/Startup

Costs: $0.

Signed at Washington, DC, this 12th day of

May 1998.

Charles N. Jeffress,

Assistant Secretary, Occupational Safety and

Health Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–13255 Filed 5–18–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–26–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

[Docket No. ICR–98–22]

Proposed Information Collection

Request Submitted for Public

Comment and Recommendations;

OSHA Data Collection System (1218–

0209)

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

(PRA95) (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 the impact of collection

requirements on respondents can be

properly assessed. Currently, the

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration is soliciting comments

concerning the proposed extension of

the information collection request for

the OSHA Data Collection System. A

copy of the proposed information

collection request (ICR) can be obtained

by contacting the office listed below in

the addressee section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted to the office listed in the

addressee section below on or before

July 20, 1998. The Department of Labor

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,
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 96 /Tuesday, May 19, 1998 / Notices 27597

e.g., permitting electronic submissions

of responses.

ADDRESSES: Comments are to be

submitted to the Docket Office, Docket

No. ICR 98–22, U.S. Department of

Labor, Room N–2625, 200 Constitution

Ave. NW, Washington, DC 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:

Dave Schmidt, Office of Statistics,

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration, U.S. Department of

Labor, Room N3647, 200 Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210,

telephone: (202) 219–6463. Copies of

the referenced information collection

request are available for inspection and

copying in the Docket Office and will be

mailed to persons who request copies by

telephoning Dave Schmidt at (202) 219–

6463 or Barbara Bielaski at (202) 219–

8076. For electronic copies of the OSHA

Data Collection Initiative Request,

contact OSHA’s WebPage on the

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

To meet many of OSHA’s program

needs, OSHA is proposing to continue

its data initiative to collect occupational

injury and illness data and information

on number of workers employed and

number of hours worked from

establishments in portions of the private

sector. OSHA will collect 1998 data

from 80,000 employers required to

create and maintain records pursuant to

CFR part 1904. These data will allow

OSHA to calculate occupational injury

and illness rates and to focus its efforts

on individual workplaces with ongoing

serious safety and health problems.

Successful implementation of the data

collection initiative is critical to OSHA’s

reinvention efforts and the data

requirements tied to the Government

Performance and Results Act (GPRA).

II. Current Actions

This notice requests OMB approval of

the paperwork requirements for the

OSHA Data Collection System.

Approval is necessary to ensure that the

Agency continues to obtain

establishment data necessary to carry on

with the development and expansion of

the new OSHA. This will allow the

Agency to deal with a larger number of

employers without massive increases in

resources, will reduce intrusive

interventions in workplaces that are

relatively safe, and will lead to

improved workplace safety and health

for America’s workers. In addition,

OSHA will to be able to proceed with

its GPRA requirements to monitor the

results of Agency activities, quantify

and evaluate the successes and failure of

its various programs based on program

results, identify the most efficient and

effective program mix, and promote the

development of programs and policies

based on outcome data.

Type of Review: Extension of

currently approved collection.

Agency: Occupational Safety and

Health Administration.

Title: OSHA Data Collection System.

OMB Number: 1218–0209.

Agency Number: ICR–98–22.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit and State, Local or Tribal

Government.

Cite/Reference/Form/etc.: OSHA

Form 196A and OSHA Form 196B.

Total Respondents: 80,000.

Frequency: Annually.

Average Time per Response: 30

minutes.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 35,000

hours.

Comments submitted in response to

this comment request will be

summarized and/or included in the

request for Office of Management and

Budget approval of the information

collection request; they will also

become a matter of public record.

Dated: May 12, 1998.

Charles N. Jeffress,

Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety

and Health.

[FR Doc. 98–13256 Filed 5–18–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–26–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration

[Docket No. ICR–98–23]

Proposed Information Collection

Request Submitted for Public

Comment and Recommendations; 29

CFR Part 1904 Recording and

Reporting Occupational Injuries and

Illnesses (1218–0176)

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 approval for the paperwork

requirements of 29 CFR part 1904.

Recording and Reporting Occupational

Injuries and Illnesses (less 1904.8,

Reporting of Fatality or Multiple

Hospitalization Incidents and 1904.17,

Annual OSHA Injury and Illness Survey

of Ten or More Employers).

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted on or before July 20, 1998.

Written comments should:

• 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.

ADDRESSES: Comments are to be

submitted to the Docket Office, Docket

No., ICR–98–23 U.S. Department of

Labor, Room N–2625, 200 Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 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:

Dave Schmidt, Office of Statistics,

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration, U.S. Department of

Labor, Room N3507, 200 Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210,

telephone: (202) 219–6463. Copies of

the referenced information collection

request are available for inspection and

copying in the Docket Office and will be

mailed to persons who request copies by

telephoning Dave Schmidt at (202) 219–

6463 or Barbara Bielaski at (202) 219-

8076. For electronic copies, contact